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MH370 Missing Remembered A Year After Disaster

Written By Unknown on Sabtu, 07 Maret 2015 | 22.56

By Mark Stone, Asia Correspondent

Exactly a year ago, Wang Le was preparing for his mother's return from a holiday in Malaysia.

Zhang Chi had been to Kuala Lumpur with a friend. She sent her son a text message just before leaving. "At Kuala Lumpur airport" it read. She then boarded her plane for Beijing: Malaysia Airlines flight MH370.

"I miss my mum every day," Wang Le says.

"Many moments I think 'Hmm, maybe I should call her now'. I want to call her, but I cannot. Too many memories."

We have joined him for dinner at his father's Beijing apartment. Wang Le and Wang Yongzhi spend every weekend together.

The two men, father and son, look after each other. Really though, it is clear that Wang Le is his father's support. Wang Yongzhi appears to be a broken man.

"Some times he misses my mum too much and he puts a bowl here and chopsticks here and he feels like he's having dinner together with my mum," Wang Le says.

They show me to a bedroom. "This is my mum's room," Wang Le says.

"Everything is not changed. The same as when she lived. Everything the same," he says.

The room is precisely as it was a year ago. Zhang Chi's makeup sits on a dressing table. The bed is made. Some washing hangs in the window.

The only change is a collection of white origami birds. Wang Yongzhi makes one almost every day in memory of his wife.

"Today is your birthday" he has written on one. "It is February already" another says.

As if to cruelly compound their grief and remind them of their loss, the apartment is under the Beijing flight path. Overhead every few minutes is the noise of a jet.

They know it makes no sense to leave the room untouched, but then none of this tragedy makes sense. Over and over again, they have asked themselves how a plane can simply disappear.

MH370 disappeared from radar shortly after taking off from Kuala Lumpur airport in the early hours of 8 March, 2014, bound for Beijing.

A total of 239 people including crew were on board the flight. Searches first took place in the South China seas before radar data concluded it had veered west off course and over the Malay peninsula. The searches then shifted to the Andaman Sea.

However, painstaking analysis of satellite data from British company Inmarsat eventually concluded that the plane had flown south for up to eight hours before coming down in the southern Indian Ocean off the western Australian city of Perth.

An initial surface search of that area involved 22 military aircraft and 19 ships from eight countries. They covered search areas of more than 4.6 million square kilometres.

Since then the focus has been an extremely challenging search of the seabed within a 'priority search area' which was determined by further satellite analysis.

Currently, four ships from the Dutch firm Fugro are scanning a mountainous 60,000 square kilometre seabed.

The search is being jointly funded by the Malaysian and Australian governments and coordinated by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB).

A little over 40% of the area has been searched with no sign of the plane. The search is due to be complete by May.

"Of course she knows we miss her. She is my mum and we have a very, very good relationship just like friends and we can talk [about] everything. We like to 'date' every week," Wang Le tells us.

I ask if he and his father blame anyone for what has happened. "We don't know what happened exactly, we don't know the truth so [to] blame anyone is not helpful," he says.

"For me I just think if my mother can see me, she can watch me somewhere. She doesn't want to see her son very sad every day so maybe she is happy to see me work hard and take care of my father, my grandmother, my whole family."


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MH370 Search Could 'Go Back To Drawing Board'

By Mark Stone, Asia Correspondent, in Kuala Lumpur

A year since MH370 disappeared, the Malaysian transport minister has said his country remains committed to finding the plane but refused to pledge that the search would continue beyond May.

In an interview with Sky News, Liow Tiong Lai said that when the current search of the southern Indian Ocean is completed, "we will have to go back to the drawing board".

Families of those on board MH370 are holding the Malaysian government to a previous pledge to "never give up" in the search for the plane.

The ongoing search of a "priority search area" of some 60,000 square kilometres of seabed is due to be completed in May.

Four ships from the Dutch firm Fugro, jointly funded by the Malaysian and Australian governments and coordinated by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB), are scanning a mountainous seabed.

Mr Liow said: "Beyond May, if we have completed the 60,000 square kilometres, if we still cannot find the plane, then we have to go back to the drawing board, we have to go back to the expert group and discuss further what we should do next."

Pressed on whether he would give up or continue, the minister said that the next of kin needed answers but was not explicit in committing to a continued search.

"These are important issues not only for the next of kin but for the world and we are trying our level best as you can see and we stand guided by the expert search group.

"We are in the same shoes as the next of kin. We are together with the next of kin. We want to find the plane."

On the first anniversary, the minister again offered his condolences to the families.

"My heart goes out to the families and loved ones," he said.

"My thoughts and prayers are always with them. Malaysia together with others stand together with the families at this difficult time. I would like to commit to the families that we will continue the search."

The Malaysian government and Malaysia Airlines have been continually criticised for their handling of the tragedy.

Family members have complained of a lack of compassion, a flow of misinformation and have accused the authorities of knowingly misleading them.

In an open letter, published this week, one group of families said they were "subjected to a disorganised barrage of information from varied sources, much of which later proved to be incorrect".

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  1. Gallery: Vigils Take Place To Remember Missing Flight MH370 One Year After Disappearance

    A Chinese relative of passengers on board the airliner attends a gathering to mark the one-year anniversary of the disappearance in Kuala Lumpur

A child is comforted by her mother during a vigil to remember the victims

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Obama: Ferguson 'Oppressive And Abusive'

By Greg Milam, US Correspondent

Barack Obama has labelled what happened in the Missouri city of Ferguson as "oppressive and abusive", on the eve of a visit to one of the civil rights movement's most historic landmarks.

The US President will speak in Selma, Alabama, later to mark the 50th anniversary of the marches that took place to protest against the lack of voting rights.

The anniversary comes with America digesting the report from the Department of Justice detailing racial bias in Ferguson, a city which saw violent protests over the killing of an unarmed black man by a white police officer last summer.

"What we saw was that the Ferguson Police Department in conjunction with the municipality saw traffic stops, arrests, tickets as a revenue generator, as opposed to serving the community, and that it systematically was biased against African-Americans in that city who were stopped, harassed, mistreated, abused, called names, fined," Mr Obama said at a town hall-style meeting in Columbia, South Carolina.

He said Ferguson must now make a decision about how to move forward.

"Are they going to enter into some sort of agreement with the Justice Department to fix what is clearly a broken and racially biased system?" Mr Obama said.

"Or, if they don't, then the Justice Department has the capacity to sue the city for violations of the rights of the people of Ferguson."

Mr Obama will later be joined in Selma by the first family and former president George W Bush.

"Selma is not just about commemorating the past, it's about honouring the legends who helped change this country through your actions today, in the here and now," Mr Obama said at the South Carolina meeting.

"Selma is now."

The city has been propelled into the global spotlight again this year with the release of the movie Selma and the controversy over its shortage of Oscar nominations.

In March 1965, the city saw police beat back crowds attempting to march to the state capital Montgomery to protest over the inability of black people to register to vote.

The violent images broadcast on national television helped lead to passage of the Voting Rights Act after protesters were joined by Dr Martin Luther King.

Dr F D Reese, who invited Dr King to Selma to lead the protests, says some of the legacy has been wasted.

He told Sky News: "The civil rights movement still has more to do because when you deal with human beings, people have opportunities to do great things but then after doing great things, they fail to do certain things that they should do in the future."

The anniversary events will be focussed on the Edmund Pettus Bridge.

A unity march of leaders from all faiths will be staged over the weekend.

Dr Jerry Light, leader of the First Baptist Church, said: "1965 was a horrible time for Selma but it was a horrible time for all of the South and, just like many of the other cities, we have overcome.

"We are not where we want to be but we are working in that direction."

Selma, which sits on the Alabama River, grew as a cotton port but its economy has suffered with the loss of a major military base.

Some in the city say it suffers a stigma from its association with such a notorious chapter in American history and has struggled to attract investment, but the mayor denies that.

George Evans told Sky News: "I think there is still a lot of room for improvement when it comes to race relations.

"There are still people living in the past but I think the mass majority of people in the United States and Selma are interested in moving forward.

"What happened in '65 is what happened in '65, what is happening now is another world.

"The idea now is not to try and get even but to get it right."

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  1. Gallery: Nov 25 - Protests Turn Ugly In Missouri

    A man watches a burning building after a grand jury returned no indictment in the shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri

Lesley McSpadden, mother of Michael Brown, reacts to hearing the grand jury decision over the death of the 18-year-old unarmed black teenager, shot by a white police officer in Ferguson, Missouri

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Two Suspects Held Over Boris Nemtsov Shooting

Two Suspects Held Over Boris Nemtsov Shooting

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Two suspects have been detained over the murder of Russian opposition leader Boris Nemtsov.

Russian state TV Rossiya-24 quoted the head of Russia's Federal Security Service, Alexander Bortnikov, as saying President Vladimir Putin has been informed of the detention.

"I would like to inform you that the work that has been conducted has resulted in two suspects in this crime being detained today. They are a Gubashev, Anzor and a Dadayev, Zaur," he said in a video posted on state TV Channel One's website.

No further details were provided about the suspects, but RIA Novosti news agency quoted Mr Bortnikov as saying that both were from the Caucasus.

No charges were immediately announced.

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  1. Gallery: Boris Nemtsov: Funeral Of Murdered Putin Opponent Held In Moscow

    People stand in line at a memorial service before the funeral of leading Russian opposition figure Boris Nemtsov in Moscow

Several hundred Russians, many carrying red carnations, queued to pay their respects. Mr Nemtsov was shot dead by an unknown gunman last week as he walked with his girlfriend

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The apparent assassination has shocked Russia. President Putin has blamed the killing on enemies trying to discredit the Kremlin

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Continue through for more pictures of the memorial service and funeral

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Two Suspects Held Over Boris Nemtsov Shooting

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

Two suspects have been detained over the murder of Russian opposition leader Boris Nemtsov.

Russian state TV Rossiya-24 quoted the head of Russia's Federal Security Service, Alexander Bortnikov, as saying President Vladimir Putin has been informed of the detention.

"I would like to inform you that the work that has been conducted has resulted in two suspects in this crime being detained today. They are a Gubashev, Anzor and a Dadayev, Zaur," he said in a video posted on state TV Channel One's website.

No further details were provided about the suspects, but RIA Novosti news agency quoted Mr Bortnikov as saying that both were from the Caucasus.

No charges were immediately announced.

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  1. Gallery: Boris Nemtsov: Funeral Of Murdered Putin Opponent Held In Moscow

    People stand in line at a memorial service before the funeral of leading Russian opposition figure Boris Nemtsov in Moscow

Several hundred Russians, many carrying red carnations, queued to pay their respects. Mr Nemtsov was shot dead by an unknown gunman last week as he walked with his girlfriend

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The apparent assassination has shocked Russia. President Putin has blamed the killing on enemies trying to discredit the Kremlin

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Continue through for more pictures of the memorial service and funeral

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Terror Suspect: I Would Have Shot Obama

By Sky News US Team

An Ohio man accused of plotting to attack the US Capitol called a television station and said he would have to gone to Washington and shot President Barack Obama in the head if he had not been arrested.

Cincinnati television station WXIX-TV said Christopher Lee Cornell called the station from his Kentucky jail, confessed to being a supporter of Islamic State (IS) and said he planned to kill government officials in retaliation for US airstrikes on the militant group.

The station broadcast part of the interview on Friday, not long after the 20-year-old's attorney argued unsuccessfully that it could violate Cornell's right to a fair trial.

When asked what he would have done had he not been arrested in January, Cornell said he would have taken one of his guns, "I would have put it to Obama's head, I would have pulled the trigger, then I would unleash more bullets on the Senate and House of Representative members, and I would have attacked the Israeli embassy and various other buildings."

Cornell, who repeatedly identified himself as Muslim, said "the continued American aggression against our people and the fact that America, specifically President Obama, wants to wage war against Islamic State" was the reason for his planned attack.

He said: "They might say I'm a terrorist, but you know we see American troops as terrorists as well, coming to our land, stealing our resources and killing our people, raping our women."

Cornell said support for IS is widespread in the US.

"We're here in Ohio, we're in every state," he said.

"We're more organised than you think."

The federal indictment against Cornell charges him with two counts that carry possible sentences of up to 20 years for each conviction.

They are attempted murder of government employees and officials and solicitation to commit a crime of violence.

Cornell, who grew up in the Cincinnati suburbs and lived with his parents, also faces a firearms-related charge.

He has pleaded not guilty and awaits trial.

Cornell was arrested outside a gun shop near his home in January after the FBI said he purchased two M-15 assault weapons and 600 rounds of ammunition.

In court documents, the FBI said Cornell planned to "wage jihad" by attacking the Capitol with pipe bombs and shooting government officials and employees.

Cornell's father said his son was coerced and misled by "a snitch" trying to better his own legal situation.


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Tunisia: A Breeding Ground For Jihadists

Written By Unknown on Jumat, 06 Maret 2015 | 22.57

By Sherine Tadros, Middle East Corrrespondent

It's seen as the success story of the Arab uprisings. In four years Tunisia has gone from revolution to reform - a stable democracy in a region blighted by conflict.

There may have been bumps along the road but it's been a relatively peaceful transition culminating in the first freely elected president in the country's history.

So many are asking why Tunisia is currently the biggest exporter of foreign fighters in the world, with thousands of young men travelling to Syria and Iraq to fight with the extremists.

Khalil (not his real name), 24, says he fought with Islamic State in Iraq's second city Mosul. Eventually he left, after being shot in the leg during battle.

But Khalil was not recruited to be a fighter. He says he was sought out by the group and offered money for a specific task.

"They told me you are doing something focusing on telecommunications, which is your specialty, so nobody can hack our communications. And in case someone is listening in, you would be notified," Khalil told Sky News.

"In terms of their structure, it was very strong. Everything was carefully calculated … even if you were going to the battlefield they would arrange things so a group would fight and another would pray and then they would swap ... there were even a group of therapists available."

Khalil describes himself as a moderate Muslim and admits he was attracted to join IS because it sounded adventurous, but after six months he started having doubts.

The Tunisian government says there are around 1,200 men who have left to fight in Syria, Iraq and now increasingly Libya, while other organisations say it's more than double that figure.

Tunisia has a history of exporting fighters to other countries like Iraq and Afghanistan. But since the toppling of former president Ben Ali's regime in 2011, the numbers have spiralled. The declining economy has certainly contributed to this phenomenon but not all the fighters come from poor backgrounds.

Mounir, 19, like hundreds of others here, was radicalised by Muslim preachers in his neighbourhood despite not being particularly interested in religion.

Seven of his friends have died fighting alongside extremist groups, including IS in Iraq and Syria. Although he says he's never gone to fight, he admits he and his friends do think about it.

"All of my friends have dropped out of school at an early stage. Their understanding of social science, politics, even in religion is very little. Even in schools they don't teach us about deep religious issues, you study simple Koran verses to please your parents, nothing complicated," Mounir told Sky News.

Although they are operating less visibly now than in 2012, ultra conservative - or Salafi - mosques and associations in Tunisia actively recruit and traffic young men through a network of intermediaries that facilitate their entry into Syria and Iraq.

Under the 23-year rule of former president Ben Ali, Islamist movements were persecuted, mosques shut down and thousands imprisoned.

Some Tunisians blame the moderate Islamist Ennahda government, which took over after Ben Ali was ousted in 2011, for the spike in numbers of foreign fighters.

They may not have agreed with the former president's crackdown but are also weary of the influence of hardliners within the Ennahda party.

One imam taking matters into his own hands is Sheikh Farid Beiji, a moderate cleric. He works with the government to identify extremist mosques and preachers.

For him, deradicalisation is possible by using the Koran to counter extremist ideology, but he admits it doesn't always work.

"We have studied how to turn young people from violence to non-violence... but for those who have reached an advanced state in adopting Islamic State's thinking, they don't listen to anyone," says Sheikh Farid.

Hundreds of fighters are returning home. A crackdown on so-called extremists under the new president has resulted in mass arrests, but with an increase in attacks on the police, some think the government's strategy is backfiring.

The heavier the crackdown, the more fuel you give to extremists to recruit young men, especially in prisons.

What's happening today is sure to have repercussions in Tunisia and elsewhere for generations to come.


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IS Militants 'Bulldoze' Ancient City In Iraq

Islamic State militants have started bulldozing the ancient Assyrian city of Nimrud in northern Iraq, the country's tourism and antiquities ministry has said.

In a statement on its Facebook page, the ministry said IS had "assaulted the historic city of Nimrud and bulldozed it with heavy vehicles".

The statement did not elaborate on the damage, saying only the group continues to "defy the will of the world and the feelings of humanity" with its actions.

Officials said the destruction began after noon prayers on Thursday and that trucks that may have been used to take away artefacts had also been spotted at the site.

"Until now, we do not know to what extent it was destroyed," the official said on condition of anonymity.

UNESCO has said the destruction, if true, "constitutes a war crime" and called on people around the world "especially youth" to protect "the heritage of the whole of humanity".

Built in the 13th century BC, Nimrud is located on the Tigris River just south of Iraq's second largest city, Mosul, which was captured by IS in June.

The extremists, who control a third of Iraq and Syria, have attacked other archaeological and religious sites, claiming they encourage people to abandon Islam.

Abdulamir Hamdani, an Iraqi archaeologist from Stony Brook University, said: "I'm sorry to say everybody was expecting this. Their plan is to destroy Iraqi heritage, one site at a time.

"Hatra, of course, will be next," he said, referring to a beautifully-preserved city in Nineveh that is more than 2,000 years old and is a UNESCO world heritage site.

The destruction at Nimrud came a week after IS released a video showing militants armed with sledgehammers and jackhammers smashing priceless ancient artefacts at the Mosul museum.

That attack sparked widespread condemnation, with some archaeologists and heritage experts comparing it with the 2001 demolition of the Bamiyan Buddhas in Afghanistan by the Taliban.

Last year, IS destroyed the Mosque of the Prophet Younis - or Jonah - and the Mosque of the Prophet Jirjis, two revered ancient shrines in Mosul.

The group also threatened to destroy the city's 850-year old Crooked Minaret, but local residents surrounded the structure, preventing the militants from approaching.

Iraq's national museum in Baghdad opened its doors to the public last week for the first time in 12 years in a move Prime Minister Haider al Abadi said was to defy efforts "to destroy the heritage of mankind and Iraq's civilisation".

IS has imposed a harsh and violent version of Islamic law in the territories it controls and has terrorised religious minorities.

A US-led coalition has launched a military campaign against the group, and this week Iraqi forces began an offensive to try to retake the city of Tikrit, on the main road linking Baghdad to Mosul.


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Israel: Suspect Shot After Car Rams Crowd

A Palestinian suspect has been shot and five people have been injured after an attack on pedestrians in Jerusalem, police say.

The attacker ploughed onto the curb next to an Israeli paramilitary border police station in East Jerusalem.

The vehicle hit three border policewoman and lightly injuring them, according to police spokeswoman Luba Samri.

The assailant then drove forward again, hitting another policewoman and an Israeli man.

A border police officer and a security guard began firing at the vehicle from the station's entrance.

The man got out of the car and tried to attack the guards with a butcher's knife, Ms Samri added.

The suspect was then shot and seriously wounded by the guards.

The driver and those who were injured have been taken to hospital.

Moshe Edri, a regional police commander, said: "The swift and determined response stopped the attack as it was beginning and prevented more innocents from being injured."

The attack is being treated by police as a suspected terror attack, and happened on the Jewish holiday of Purim, when the streets are busy with pedestrians.

The attacker has been identified as a Palestinian man in his 20s from East Jerusalem, police said.

Tensions flared in Jerusalem last year, both before and after the war in Gaza, but the city has been relatively calm recently.

The attack mirrors a series of incidents in the city last year in which Palestinians ploughed vehicles into groups of pedestrians, killing several people.

Friday's attack happened at the same intersection where a Palestinian rammed his car into a crowded train platform and attacked people with an iron bar.

That attack, which happened last November, left one person dead and 13 injured.

It comes after the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) agreed on Thursday to suspend security coordination with Israel in the occupied West Bank.

Officials are concerned this could have a knock-on effect on security throughout the territory.

The Palestinians want a state in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, which have been occupied by Israel since the 1967 Middle East War, and in Gaza, a strip of land on the Mediterranean coast that is separated from the West Bank.


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Mob Lynches Rape Suspect After Storming Jail

A rape suspect was kidnapped from jail, strung up and beaten to death by a mob in northeastern India.

The man was accused of raping a female student multiple times - but had yet to stand trial.

He had reportedly been held at the Dimapur Central Prison in Nagaland since 24 February.

The Hindustan Times newspaper said the crowd "tore down two gates and took custody".

The suspect was then dragged to Dimapur's clock tower, where he was stripped, beaten and pelted with stones.

Photographs show the apparently gleeful mob capturing the incident on their phones.

They had reportedly marched four miles to the prison as part of a protest against the high rate of sexual violence in the country.

"The situation is very tense," said Superintendent Meren Jamir. "We are trying our very best to restore order."

The suspect, reportedly a 35-year-old car dealer, was also accused of being an illegal immigrant from Bangladesh.

The Indian government recently sparked outrage by banning a British-made documentary about the gang-rape of a student in 2012.

Officials even asked YouTube to block access to the film - but more than 100,000 people have managed to watch it online.


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Boko Haram Are Massing For Battle - Reports

Boko Haram militants are gathering en masse in the northeast Nigerian town of Gwoza in preparation for a showdown with international forces, according to an intelligence officer.

The source said security forces from Chad are in the area and moving slowly for fear of harming civilians and because the Islamist group is surrounding the town with landmines.

A woman trapped in Gwoza since it was seized in July told her daughter that last week the group urged civilians to leave the town to avoid being killed in crossfire in an anticipated battle.

Hajiya Adama said her mother said the fighters were releasing young women being held against their will, including some made pregnant during their captivity.

She said her mother left Gwoza last week and escaped to the town of Yola, in the neighbouring state of Adamawa.

Boko Haram declared an Islamic caliphate across a swath of northeast Nigeria last August and continue to kill dozens in suicide bombings and village attacks, though troops from Chad and Nigeria have retaken dozens of towns in recent weeks.

Safety has come at a heavy price for tens of thousands of Nigerians who have fled the fighting and are now sheltering in neighbouring Cameroon.

Many of them scratch around for food and complain bitterly at the shortage of water in the huge refugee camp north of Maroua which is now their home.

Retaking Gwoza would be a major coup for Nigeria and for the campaign of President Goodluck Jonathan for re-election at critical 28 March ballots.

The polls have been delayed for six weeks in the hope the threat from Boko Haram can be more adequately contained.

The six-year conflict in Nigeria has killed an estimated 12,000 people and left 1.6 million people homeless.


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Hundreds Forced To Flee Cape Town Wildfires

Written By Unknown on Kamis, 05 Maret 2015 | 22.57

Hundreds of people have been forced to leave their homes in the South African city of Cape Town because of wildfires.

The fires have been burning for several days and swept out of control, with smoke and flames illuminating the night sky around Table Mountain National Park.

People who could not stay with family were housed in a community centre and later returned home even though the fire was not yet fully under control.

An emergency services spokesman said 150 firefighters had been working 24-hour shifts in hot summer temperatures of up to 29C (84F) to tackle the blaze, which started on Sunday.

Rain showers were not enough to put it out, he said.                 

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  1. Gallery: Wildfires Rage Near Cape Town

    A firefighter hoses down smouldering vegetation, as one of the largest wildfires in recent times is brought under control, near Fishoek in the greater Cape Town area

It has taken more than 1,000 professional and volunteer firefighters three and half days to bring the fire under control

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North Korea: Envoy Attack 'Just Punishment'

North Korea: Envoy Attack 'Just Punishment'

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By Sky News US Team

North Korea has called a knife attack on the American ambassador in Seoul "just punishment" for the US decision to push ahead with joint military exercises with South Korea.

Mark Lippert was slashed on the face and wrist by a knife-wielding attacker shouting for unification of the divided peninsula.

The 42-year-old was taken to hospital after the attack during a breakfast speech in Seoul, and underwent surgery for more than two hours. His injuries were not life-threatening.

Mr Lippert needed 80 stitches for an 11cm (4in) gash to the right of his face and a cut to his left arm which ruptured a tendon and caused nerve damage.

Secretary of State John Kerry said the US would not be intimidated by the attack and vowed that anyone who threatens or harms American diplomats would be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.

Earlier, the official North Korean KCNA news agency had described the attack as "just punishment for US warmongers" and called it a valid "expression of resistance".

Footage taken after the attack showed Mr Lippert being rushed out of the building holding one hand to his bleeding right cheek, with his other hand smeared with blood.

Security staff and police officers were seen jumping on the ambassador's assailant, who was armed with a 10-inch blade.

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  1. Gallery: US Envoy Injured In Knife Attack

    US Ambassador Mark Lippert was slashed on the face and wrist by a knife-wielding attacker

The suspect, identified as im Ki-Jong, screamed demands for a unified North and South Korea

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The attack took place during a breakfast speech in Seoul

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Police patrol the US Embassy after the attack

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Several hours after the attack, Mr Lippert tweeted that he was "doing well&in great spirits" and would be back "ASAP" to advance the US-South Korean alliance.

Doctors said he would probably be in hospital for up to four days and may experience sensory problems in his left hand for several months.

President Barack Obama called Mr Lippert, a former aide, to wish him a swift recovery, while a US State Department spokeswoman said: "We strongly condemn this act of violence."

Police have identified the suspected attacker as 55-year-old Kim Ki-Jong, who was protesting against the US-South Korean military drills that he claims ruined efforts for reconciliation between the two Koreas.

"I carried out an act of terror," he shouted as he was pinned to the floor before being arrested.

Sky News producer Jen Kwon in Beijing said: "Kim Ki-Jong seems to think that he is a patriot. He had visited North Korea eight times during 2006 and 2007, tried to set himself of fire on 2007 in front of the South Korean president's residence, and had attacked the Japanese ambassador in 2010.

"South Korean politicians are worried that this might affect relations with the US. Soon after the incident, the South Korean president, lawmakers, left-wing and right-wing NGOs all condemned the attack."

South and North Korea have been divided since the 1950-53 Korean War and are still technically at war because the fighting ended in a truce.

The US and South Korea launched annual joint military exercises on Monday, leading to heightened tensions with the communist North.

Pyongyang claims they are rehearsals for an invasion, while South Korea and the US argue they are purely defensive. America has almost 30,000 troops permanently stationed in the South.

Following the attack on the ambassador, a South Korean defence ministry spokesman said the exercises would continue as planned.

Mr Lippert, a long-time adviser to Mr Obama and a former US assistant secretary of defence for Asian affairs, only took up his post in South Korea last October.

His wife recently gave birth to their son, to whom they gave a Korean middle name.

Mr Lippert has previously served as an intelligence officer for naval special operations, and won a Bronze Star Medal following a tour in Iraq.

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North Korea: Envoy Attack 'Just Punishment'

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

North Korea has called a knife attack on the American ambassador in Seoul "just punishment" for the US decision to push ahead with joint military exercises with South Korea.

Mark Lippert was slashed on the face and wrist by a knife-wielding attacker shouting for unification of the divided peninsula.

The 42-year-old was taken to hospital after the attack during a breakfast speech in Seoul, and underwent surgery for more than two hours. His injuries were not life-threatening.

Mr Lippert needed 80 stitches for an 11cm (4in) gash to the right of his face and a cut to his left arm which ruptured a tendon and caused nerve damage.

Secretary of State John Kerry said the US would not be intimidated by the attack and vowed that anyone who threatens or harms American diplomats would be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.

Earlier, the official North Korean KCNA news agency had described the attack as "just punishment for US warmongers" and called it a valid "expression of resistance".

Footage taken after the attack showed Mr Lippert being rushed out of the building holding one hand to his bleeding right cheek, with his other hand smeared with blood.

Security staff and police officers were seen jumping on the ambassador's assailant, who was armed with a 10-inch blade.

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  1. Gallery: US Envoy Injured In Knife Attack

    US Ambassador Mark Lippert was slashed on the face and wrist by a knife-wielding attacker

The suspect, identified as im Ki-Jong, screamed demands for a unified North and South Korea

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The attack took place during a breakfast speech in Seoul

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Police patrol the US Embassy after the attack

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Several hours after the attack, Mr Lippert tweeted that he was "doing well&in great spirits" and would be back "ASAP" to advance the US-South Korean alliance.

Doctors said he would probably be in hospital for up to four days and may experience sensory problems in his left hand for several months.

President Barack Obama called Mr Lippert, a former aide, to wish him a swift recovery, while a US State Department spokeswoman said: "We strongly condemn this act of violence."

Police have identified the suspected attacker as 55-year-old Kim Ki-Jong, who was protesting against the US-South Korean military drills that he claims ruined efforts for reconciliation between the two Koreas.

"I carried out an act of terror," he shouted as he was pinned to the floor before being arrested.

Sky News producer Jen Kwon in Beijing said: "Kim Ki-Jong seems to think that he is a patriot. He had visited North Korea eight times during 2006 and 2007, tried to set himself of fire on 2007 in front of the South Korean president's residence, and had attacked the Japanese ambassador in 2010.

"South Korean politicians are worried that this might affect relations with the US. Soon after the incident, the South Korean president, lawmakers, left-wing and right-wing NGOs all condemned the attack."

South and North Korea have been divided since the 1950-53 Korean War and are still technically at war because the fighting ended in a truce.

The US and South Korea launched annual joint military exercises on Monday, leading to heightened tensions with the communist North.

Pyongyang claims they are rehearsals for an invasion, while South Korea and the US argue they are purely defensive. America has almost 30,000 troops permanently stationed in the South.

Following the attack on the ambassador, a South Korean defence ministry spokesman said the exercises would continue as planned.

Mr Lippert, a long-time adviser to Mr Obama and a former US assistant secretary of defence for Asian affairs, only took up his post in South Korea last October.

His wife recently gave birth to their son, to whom they gave a Korean middle name.

Mr Lippert has previously served as an intelligence officer for naval special operations, and won a Bronze Star Medal following a tour in Iraq.

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Embattled Clinton Urges Release Of Her Emails

By Sky News US Team

Hillary Clinton has urged the State Department to release the emails she wrote from a private email account while serving as Secretary of State.

It was the first time Mrs Clinton had weighed in over a mounting controversy.

In a tweet late on Wednesday, she said: "I want the public to see my email. I asked State to release them. They said they will review them for release as soon as possible."

The stance was aimed at cooling a political firestorm over allegations that she inappropriately used her personal email for work during her stint at the State Department from 2009 to 2013.

The row has suddenly put Mrs Clinton into trouble just as she is planning to launch a bid for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2016. It has raised questions about transparency and security of her communications, and Republicans were quick to criticise her.

The State Department said it would review the emails provided by Clinton "using a normal process that guides such releases".

"We will undertake this review as quickly as possible. Given the sheer volume of the document set, this review will take some time to complete," spokeswoman Marie Harf said.

Mrs Clinton's tweeted statement came hours after a congressional committee investigating the September 2012 attack on a US diplomatic facility in Benghazi, Libya, issued subpoenas for her emails.

Mrs Clinton's team said this week she acted no differently from her predecessors at the State Department who also used private email addresses.

Last year, she provided the State Department 55,000 pages of emails after the department asked her and other former secretaries for records that should be preserved.

Yet her team alone decided what would be turned over and should not, without any outside control or clarity on how those decisions were made.


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Boston Survivor To Accused: You Saved My Life

By Sky News US Team

A survivor of the Boston marathon blasts has told the alleged bomber, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev: "You saved my life."

Rebekah Gregory DiMartino wrote in a Facebook post addressed to the accused that she had turned the ordeal of losing her leg into a positive experience.

The 27-year-old described how she had been afraid of testifying on Wednesday just a few feet away from Tsarnaev at the opening of his trial.

But she said that when the 21-year-old refused to look her in the eye as she took the stand, she realised he was a "coward".

Tsarnaev and his brother allegedly placed two pressure-cooker bombs near the marathon finish line on 15 April 2013, killing three people and injuring 264 others.

Ms DiMartino's former partner, Pete DiMartino, was also wounded in the bombings. The couple married in April 2014, but split last month.

Despite having her leg amputated as a result of her injuries, Ms DiMartino is training for the Boston marathon in April this year.

She wrote: "Over the last two years, I have seen your face not only in pictures, but in almost every one of my nightmares.

"Moments before the first blast, your stupid backpack even brushed up against my arm, but I doubt you remember because I am no one to you."

She said the ordeal had gifted her and other survivors "a tremendous platform" to help others.

"You can't handle the fact that what you tried to destroy, you only made stronger," she wrote.

Ms DiMartino said she now especially treasures her relationship with her young son, also a survivor.

She adds: "In so many ways, you saved my life. Because now, I am so much more appreciative of every new day I am given. And now, I get to hug my son even tighter than before."

Ms DiMartino concluded: "To me you're a nobody, and it is official that you have lost. So man that really sucks for you bro. I truly hope it was worth it."

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  1. Gallery: Boston Bombings Trial: Who's Who

    Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, 21, has gone on trial accused of the Boston Marathon bombings. If convicted, he could face the death penalty. He denies wrongdoing

His older brother, Tamerlan Tsarnaev, 26, was killed days after the bombings on 15 April 2013

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Cops Rescue Dog Shot And Tied To Rail Tracks

By Sky News US Team

A dog has been rescued by police from an oncoming train after it was shot and tied to railway tracks in Florida.

Police responded to reports of gunfire to find the animal strapped with a belt to the tracks in Tampa's Sulphur Springs area at about 5:30pm on Wednesday.

The female mixed breed, named Cabela by police, had been shot twice in her neck above her right shoulder.

Authorities halted an approaching train so they could free the dog, before rushing it to Tampa Bay Veterinary Emergency Center.

Cabela's right front leg will have to be amputated, police said, but the dog is expected to survive.

Police have appealed to the public for information to find the culprit or the pet's owner.


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Video: Islamic State-Themed Wedding Party

Written By Unknown on Rabu, 04 Maret 2015 | 22.57

An Egyptian bride and groom were placed in a cage by masked men brandishing knives as part of an Islamic State-themed wedding.

The video, which was shot in Menoufia, Egypt, begins with a wedding attendant with his face covered conducting as a jihadi anthem used in propaganda released by the militants is played.

He then leads the bride and groom into the cage, similar to that used in the horrific video of Jordanian pilot Mu'ath Al Kassasbeh being burned alive in February.

Inside the newlywed break into dance along with the masked attendants as other guests clap and cheer them on.

The idea was apparently thought up by the groom, who had told his bride-to-be he was planning something different for the wedding.

Only the groom, his attendants and the photographer, Ahmed Kassem, knew of the plan beforehand.

As the scene unfolded, some guests believed the wedding was being stormed by IS militants, according to the Youm7 newspaper.

Last month, footage emerged showing the beheading of 21 Egyptian Coptic Christians by IS militants in Libya.

Egypt responded by bombing IS camps, training sits and weapons storage areas along the border with Libya.


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Family 'Devastated' After Son Dies Fighting IS

The family of the first Briton to be killed fighting IS in Syria have said they are "devastated" but "very proud" of him.

Konstandinos Erik Scurfield, a former Royal Marine, was fighting alongside Kurdish YPG forces in the northern province of Hasakah.

A statement from the family, said: "We are devastated to confirm the death of our son Konstandinos Erik Scurfield in Syria where he went to support the forces opposing Islamic State. 

"His flame might have burned briefly but it burned brightly with love, courage, conviction and honour and we are very proud of him."

Earlier, his mother, Viki Scurfield, told Sky News the family were "reeling" and struggling to "get our heads round everything".

Neighbours said the lights had been on all night at the family's house in Royston, a village on the edge of Barnsley.

The YPG has contacted the family about repatriating his body to the UK, according to Sky sources, but have also offered to bury him as one of their own at a special burial site.

It is understood the 25-year-old died on 2 March and had been fighting alongside the Kurds since the start of December.

Kurdish rights activist Mark Campbell told Sky he had broken news of the man's death to his family.

"To be honest it was a harrowing phone call," he said.

"There were three questions really his mother wanted to know immediately...

"She wanted to know if there's a body - and there is. She wanted to know when he died - he died yesterday. And she wanted to know if he died in combat - which he had."

Mr Scurfield was reportedly fatally wounded in a mortar attack during fighting near the town of Tal Barak.

Jordan Matson, a former US soldier believed to be fighting with the Kurds, described him on Facebook as a "disciplined warrior".

He wrote: "Kosta volunteered for every attack and guard duty opportunity. He wanted nothing more than to bring the fight to the enemy.

"I'm going to carry on your legacy, brother, I will never forget you. I love you, man. Save me a place up there, big guy."

Barnsley MP Dan Jarvis told Sky News he believed Mr Scurfield had gone to Syria to provide humanitarian help and for "honourable reasons".

"My understanding is that he had very significant ideological concerns about what is happening, about the actions Islamic State were taking in the region, and he wanted to make a contribution.

"He went there to make a humanitarian contribution, he didn't go there to fight, he provided medical assistance."

Rami Abdulrahman, the head of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, said just over 100 Westerners had joined Kurdish forces in Syria from countries including the US, France, Spain and the Netherlands.

Their numbers are small in comparison with those foreign recruits who have joined IS and other hardline groups.

An Australian man fighting with Kurdish forces was killed in the country last week, the Observatory and a Kurdish source said.


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Los Zetas Kingpin Morales Captured In Mexico

The boss of the notorious Los Zetas drugs cartel, Omar Trevino Morales, has been captured in Mexico.

Morales, alias 'Z-42', was arrested in a pre-dawn raid in a suburb of the northern city of Monterrey.

The drugs kingpin was one of the country's most wanted men and had a 30 million peso (£1.3m) bounty on his head.

He was wanted on weapons and organised crime charges.

Los Zetas are considered "the most technologically advanced, sophisticated and dangerous cartel" by the US government.

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  1. Gallery: Mexico's Drug War

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'Jihadi John' Family Moved To Secret Location

Counter-terrorism officers have moved members of Mohammed Emwazi's family from their west London home to a secret location, Sky News understands.

The move is believed to have taken place on Monday night, with the family being escorted out of their home in Paddington.

Sky's Mark White said it is not clear how many people were moved, or who the family members are.

"It's possible it's his mother. We know he has brothers and sisters in the UK as well," said White.

There are also unconfirmed reports from Kuwait that Emwazi's family there might also have been moved to a safe house.

Mohammed Emwazi's father, who lives in the Gulf country, has reportedly said there is no proof his son is the Islamic State killer known as Jihadi John.

Kuwaiti newspaper Al Qabas says Jassem Emwazi dismissed claims he and his wife had told officials they recognised their son from the group's videos.

"There is nothing that proves what is being circulated in the media, especially through video clips and footage, that the accused is my son Mohammed, who is being referred to as the alleged executioner of Daesh (Islamic State)," Mr Emwazi was quoted as saying.

Mohammed Emwazi, from London, was named in the media last week as the masked man who appears in IS beheading videos posted on the internet.

But his father said: "I have a message to the Kuwaiti people that many of the rumours are false.

"Because I felt that some people have believed it, I have assigned a lawyer to defend me and to prove ... that what is being said is untrue."

Jassem Emwazi's lawyer, Salem al Hashash, said his client had been questioned by Kuwait's interior ministry for three hours but released because he is not suspected of doing anything wrong.

He threatened legal action against people making unsubstantiated accusations and said a lawyer had also been appointed to defend family members in the UK.

Mohammed Emwazi, 26, was born in Kuwait and his parents moved to the UK in 1993 and settled in London.

The alleged killer graduated from the University of Westminster with a computing degree in 2009.

In an audio recording from that time Emwazi denied plans to become an extremist and condemned the 9/11 and 7/7 attacks.

But security experts believe he travelled to Syria in 2013 to join the terror group, eventually taking on the mantle of IS "executioner", responsible for beheading at least five hostages, Britons David Haines and Alan Henning and Americans James Foley, Stephen Sotloff and Peter Kassig.


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Boston Bomb Accused 'Had Murder In His Heart'

Boston Bomb Accused 'Had Murder In His Heart'

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By Sky News US Team

Boston marathon bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev "had murder in his heart" when he placed a bomb in the deadly attack, a prosecutor has said.

In the hotly anticipated trial's opening statements on Wednesday, federal prosecutors said the accused had wanted to "tear people apart and create a bloody spectacle".

Tsarnaev, 21, wearing a white shirt without tie and blazer, stared straight ahead as the case against him was laid out at the US District Court in Boston, where security was tight.

He faces 30 charges in connection with the double bombing near the marathon finish line on 15 April 2013, which killed three people and injured 264 others.

Tsarnaev, who has pleaded not guilty, is also charged in the killing of a police officer days after the attacks.

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  1. Gallery: Boston Bombings Trial: Who's Who

    Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, 21, is on trial in the Boston Marathon bombing. If convicted, he could face the death penalty. He denies wrongdoing

Tamerlan Tsarnaev, 26, was killed in a shoot-out with police days after bombings on 15 April 2013

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Tamerlan Tsarnaev's widow, Katherine Russell, is under investigation and could face charges

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Robel Phillipos, a friend of Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, was found guilty of lying to investigators

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Dias Kadyrbayev (L) has admitted removing evidence of the deadly attack

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Boston Bomb Accused 'Had Murder In His Heart'

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

Boston marathon bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev "had murder in his heart" when he placed a bomb in the deadly attack, a prosecutor has said.

In the hotly anticipated trial's opening statements on Wednesday, federal prosecutors said the accused had wanted to "tear people apart and create a bloody spectacle".

Tsarnaev, 21, wearing a white shirt without tie and blazer, stared straight ahead as the case against him was laid out at the US District Court in Boston, where security was tight.

He faces 30 charges in connection with the double bombing near the marathon finish line on 15 April 2013, which killed three people and injured 264 others.

Tsarnaev, who has pleaded not guilty, is also charged in the killing of a police officer days after the attacks.

1/10

  1. Gallery: Boston Bombings Trial: Who's Who

    Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, 21, is on trial in the Boston Marathon bombing. If convicted, he could face the death penalty. He denies wrongdoing

Tamerlan Tsarnaev, 26, was killed in a shoot-out with police days after bombings on 15 April 2013

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Tamerlan Tsarnaev's widow, Katherine Russell, is under investigation and could face charges

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Robel Phillipos, a friend of Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, was found guilty of lying to investigators

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Dias Kadyrbayev (L) has admitted removing evidence of the deadly attack

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