Billionaire Feared Dead In Helicopter Crash

A Chinese billionaire and his young son are among four people feared dead after the helicopter from which they were viewing his newly-purchased French chateau crashed into a river.

Lam Kok, the 46-year-old head of the Hong Kong-based Brilliant group, had just bought Chateau de la Riviere, a major Bordeaux vineyard.

The accident happened at the end of a festive day marking Thursday's sale of one of the region's oldest wine estates reportedly worth 30m euros (£25m).

He and his 12-year-old son were on the helicopter piloted by James Gregoire, the former owner, when the accident happened on Friday. An interpreter was also a passenger.

Rescuers search the Dordogne river for the victims of the helicopter crash

Emergency workers pulled a still-unidentified body from inside the helicopter after finding the wreckage in the Dordogne river, said local officials.

A large search operation was called off just before midnight with the helicopter's other three occupants still missing. The search is due to resume.

Lam Kok's wife had pulled out of the aerial tour at the last minute, saying she was "scared of helicopters", said a photographer at the event.

After a press conference, an introduction to the staff and dinner, Mr Gregoire was taking his buyer on a short tour of the 65-hectare (160-acre) vineyards and surrounding grounds.

When they did not return after 20 minutes, employees at the vineyard contacted emergency services.

A major search operation was launched using emergency helicopters, inflatable boats, rescue divers and around 100 officers on foot.

Lam Kok and his wife pose among the vines hours before the crash

Emergency workers managed to locate the wreckage in the river after police received a call from a witness who had seen the helicopter go down.

A previous owner of the Chateau de la Riviere, Jean Leprince, was killed in a plane crash in 2002.

Mr Gregoire bought the property, the largest in Bordeaux's Fronsac wine-producing region, the following year.

Earlier on Friday, the vineyard's managing director, Xavier Buffo, said during a press conference the sale marked the largest Chinese investment in Bordeaux property to date.

Hong Kong-based Brilliant, which specialises in rare teas and luxury hotels in China, had said it wanted to turn the chateau into a high class tea and wine tasting centre with a hotel nearby.

:: Watch Sky News live on television, on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 82 and Freesat channel 202.

20.18 | 0 komentar | Read More

Lockerbie Anniversary: Cameron Praises Victims

Relatives of those killed in the Lockerbie bombing are due to attend memorial services in the UK and US to mark the 25th anniversary of the atrocity.

Pan Am flight 103 was on its way from London to New York when it exploded above Lockerbie, in southern Scotland, on the evening of December 21 1988, killing 270 people - everyone on board and 11 on the ground.

British Prime Minister David Cameron described it as "one of the worst aviation disasters in history and the deadliest act of terrorism" ever committed in the UK.

Eleven people were killed on the ground in Lockerbie

He said: "Though 25 years have passed, memories of the 243 passengers, 16 crew and 11 Lockerbie residents who lost their lives on that terrible night have not dimmed.

"Over the last quarter of a century much attention has been focused on the perpetrators of the atrocity. Today our thoughts turn to its victims and to those whose lives have been touched and changed by what happened at Lockerbie that night.

"To families, friends, neighbours, loved ones, and all those caught up in the painful process of recovery, let us say to them: our admiration for you is unconditional. For the fortitude and resilience you have shown. For your determination never to give up. You have shown that terrorist acts cannot crush the human spirit. That is why terrorism will never prevail.

"And even in the darkest moments of grief, it is possible to glimpse the flickering flame of hope."

Memorial events attended by politicians, officials, families and members of the community are to take place in Lockerbie, London and at Arlington National Cemetery in the US, where most of the victims were from.

Scotland's First Minister Alex Salmond and Lord Wallace, Advocate General for Scotland, will attend a service at 2pm at Dryfesdale Cemetery in the Dumfries and Galloway town, followed by a 30-minute wreath-laying ceremony.

Later, simultaneous remembrance services in Lockerbie and the States will get under way from 6.30pm (UK time) during which relatives will read the names of the victims and hold a minute's silence at 7.03pm (UK time) to mark a quarter of a century since the tragedy.

Westminster Abbey will also hold a service for the victims, from 21 countries, which will begin at 6.45pm and will include readings and a moment of silence.

Mr Salmond said: "As the community of Lockerbie marks the milestone, memorial events will be held in Westminster Abbey, Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia and at Syracuse University which lost 35 students in the bombing.

"But, inevitably, a focus of the day will be on the memorial in Lockerbie and it is there that I will pay my respects and condolences on behalf of the people of Scotland."

Abdelbaset al Megrahi was the only person to be convicted of the bombing

Dr Jim Swire, whose daughter Flora died in the disaster, told Sky News: "Anniversaries aren't in a sense that big a deal for the families of victims because we have to live with the lovely memories of those that we lost all that time ago, every day of every year. Bereavement in itself is sometimes a life sentence."

Graham Herbert, former rector at Lockerbie Academy which lost three students in the atrocity, said the market town "has always tried to move forward".

He told Sky News: "I know today there will be a lot of closed doors. A lot of people will not go out of their houses. The memories are just too bitter, there are still open wounds there.

"There are quite a lot of American families in the town today. Each year it just comes back to them, they are not allowed to heal. They want to commemorate, they want to be here where their loved ones fell, but it's hard, it's tough."

Libyan Abdelbaset al Megrahi was found guilty of the bombing in January 2001 and given a life sentence.

He was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2008, leading to a decision to free him under compassionate release rules.

Scotland's Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill took that decision on August 20 the following year, sparking a row among politicians on both sides of the Atlantic.

Megrahi died in Tripoli, Libya in May last year. His family is considering lodging a fresh appeal to clear his name.

British relatives of victims who believe he was wrongfully convicted of the bombing are also planning another appeal against the conviction when they meet with lawyers in the new year.

:: Watch Sky News live on television, on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 82 and Freesat channel 202.

20.18 | 0 komentar | Read More

Morsi Faces Trial Over Egypt Prison Break

Egypt's ex-president Mohamed Morsi will stand trial for a prison break during the 2011 uprising against dictator Hosni Mubarak.

The deposed former leader and 132 others, including members of the Palestinian group Hamas and Lebanon's Hizbollah, face charges including killing policemen.

The case relates to a mass prison break during the protests against ex-president Hosni Mubarak.

Several Hamas and Hizbollah members were in jail and escaped during the unrest.

Almost 70 of the defendants are members of the Palestinian and Lebanese militant groups, who will be tried in absentia.

Protesters in Cairo's Tahrir Square in July 2011

It marks the third set of charges brought against Mr Morsi since he was ousted by the army in July following major demonstrations against his rule.

He also faces trial along with 35 other Muslim Brotherhood leaders over allegations he conspired with foreigners to carry out terrorism in his country.

The investigating judge did not name any members of Hizbollah or Hamas in the latest charges.

Mr Morsi is already standing trial for inciting violence during protests outside the presidential palace a year ago when he was still in office.

:: Watch Sky News live on television, on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 82 and Freesat channel 202.

20.18 | 0 komentar | Read More

South Sudan: US Military Aircraft Hit By Rebels

Two US military aircraft have been fired at during an evacuation mission in South Sudan, wounding three service personnel, according to reports.

One is said to be in a critical condition. It is thought at least one of the planes was damaged.

South Sudan has blamed the attack on renegade troops.

Officials said the aircraft were heading to Bor, the capital of the state of Jonglei and the scene of some of the country's worst violence in the past week.

After being fired at the planes turned around and headed to Kampala in Uganda. From there the wounded service personnel were flown to Nairobi, Kenya for medical treatment.

Fighting broke out in the South Sudanese capital Juba between army factions last Sunday and has since spread to other regions.

Men displaced by the fighting in South Sudan

Kenya said on Saturday it will be sending troops to South Sudan to evacuate some 1,600 citizens. Many are trapped in Bor, which has been taken by rebels.

President Uhuru Kenyatta has "ordered the KDF (Kenya Defence Force) to commence immediate evacuation of the 1,600 Kenyans stranded in South Sudan", a spokesman said in a statement.

"Despite the relative calm in Juba, a number of other South Sudan towns have come under fire," he added, saying that Kenyans "are mainly in the town of Bor".

Others, in the towns of Rumbek, Ayod, and Panyabol "will also be airlifted to safety."

People being evacuated to Uganda in a RAF C17 plane

"The president has also ordered the immediate delivery of food, water and medicine to South Sudan (to help) tackle the emergency," the spokesman added.

"The delivery of these emergency supplies started this morning. Kenyan military aircraft are delivering consignments to South Sudan."

Kenya, which hosted the peace talks that ended the 1983-2005 civil war in Sudan, and which paved the way for South Sudan's independence two years ago, is also supporting efforts to end the latest crisis.

On Friday Uganda deployed troops to South Sudan to boost security and help its people escape safely.

A number of other nations including Britain have sent in emergency flights to evacuate their citizens.

:: Watch Sky News live on television, on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 82 and Freesat channel 202.

20.18 | 0 komentar | Read More

South Sudan Evacuations Amid Deadly Violence

A second flight will be sent to evacuate Britons fleeing fighting in South Sudan, after three United Nations peacekeepers were killed amid escalating violence.

The three Indian soldiers were killed when armed youths breached a UN compound in the country's Jonglei state.

The government says it has lost control of the region's capital, Bor, and fighting continues to spread through the newly-formed East African state following a reported coup attempt in national capital Juba on Sunday.

President Salva Kiir, above, blamed the coup on his ousted vice president

An estimated 20,000 people have sought refuge at two UN compounds in Juba, and another 14,000 in Bor.

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has strongly advised all remaining British nationals to leave the country as fears grow that it may prove difficult to get out if the situation continues to deteriorate.

One group of British nationals has already left on a Foreign Office flight and a second is due to leave from the city.

Displaced men wait inside a UN compound in Juba

An FCO spokesman said: "The UK plans to send a second flight to South Sudan to evacuate British nationals who wish to leave from Juba airport on Friday December 20, following the evacuation of some British nationals on December 19.

"We strongly advise all British nationals in South Sudan to leave the country if they can do so safely. You may have difficulty leaving in the event of a further deterioration in security."

US President Barack Obama has deployed 45 military personnel to help bolster security at the US Embassy.

A young boy waits for supplies of water at the Juba compound

Non-emergency government personnel were ordered to leave earlier this week and a fifth evacuation flight is due to arrive.

In a written statement, Mr Obama said: "South Sudan stands at the precipice. Recent fighting threatens to plunge South Sudan back into the dark days of its past."

The United Nations has estimated that up to 500 people have been killed in fighting between rival factions following the coup attempt against the president by soldiers loyal to his former deputy, Riek Machar.

An estimated 34,000 people have been displaced by the violence

South Sudan's numerous ethnic groups have battled each other for decades.

On Sunday, violence broke out when the presidential guard splintered along ethnic lines.

Guards from the president's majority Dinka tribe tried to disarm guards from the Nuer ethnic group, triggering violence in the capital which has extended out into the country.

:: Watch Sky News live on television, on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 82 and Freesat channel 202.

20.18 | 0 komentar | Read More

Russia: Khodorkovsky Freed After Putin Pardon

Mikhail Khodorkovsky has been freed from a Russian prison camp after receiving a pardon from President Vladimir Putin.

The former oil tycoon was released within an hour of the Kremlin publishing a decree, which stated: "Guided by humanitarian principles, I decree that Mikhail Borisovich Khodorkovsky... should be pardoned and freed from any further punishment in the form of imprisonment.

"This decree comes into force from the day of its signing."

Mr Putin surprised journalists at the end of his annual end-of-year news conference on Thursday by announcing that he was planning to pardon Mr Khodorkovsky.

Mr Putin meets Mr Khodorkovsky at the Kremlin in May 2001

The 50-year-old former Yukos oil tycoon has been in prison since 2003 after being convicted in two trials on charges including fraud and embezzlement.

Human rights groups criticised both trials and have said they considered Mr Khodorkovsky a political prisoner.

The circumstances surrounding the pardon remained unclear.

Mr Khodorkovsky, once the richest man in Russia, previously said he would not request one because he would be seen to be admitting guilt.

Mr Khodorkovsky has been held at a prison camp in Segezha, northwest Russia

However, the newspaper Kommersant reported that he changed his mind after a meeting with Russian security services, who raised the possibility of a third trial and warned him that his mother's health was deteriorating.

"This conversation, which was conducted without lawyers, forced Mr Khodorkovsky to turn to the president," the article said. 

Mr Khodorkovsky gained considerable political influence under President Boris Yeltsin in the 1990s as one of the so-called "oligarchs" who surrounded the ailing leader.

However, when Mr Putin became president in 2000, their influence quickly faded.

Pussy Riot's Maria Altokhina and Nadezhda Tolokonnikova are set to be freed

Economic and political analysts said the announcement was an attempt by Russia to improve its human rights record and international image ahead of the Winter Olympics in February.

Meanwhile, a Kremlin-backed bill is set to end the ordeal of a group of Greenpeace activists who were arrested near an Arctic oil rig in September, and allow two Pussy Riot protesters to be freed.

The amnesty laws would allow investigators to drop charges against the 30 activists, including six Britons who have not been allowed to return home.

Protesters Nadezhda Tolokonnikova and Maria Alyokhina, who were jailed for two years after a demonstration in a Moscow cathedral, would be released early.

:: Watch Sky News live on television, on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 82 and Freesat channel 202.

20.18 | 0 komentar | Read More

Tuscany Hit By Mafia Toxic Waste Dumping

The Mafia has expanded its multi-billion pound toxic waste disposal racket to middle-class holiday hotspot Tuscany, a top prosecutor has warned.

Franco Roberti said that after flooding their Naples backyard with poisonous materials, the Camorra syndicate is now polluting one of the country's most famous tourist regions, as well as moving beyond Italy to eastern Europe.

The discovery of poisoned farmlands around Naples prompted street protests

Mr Roberti, Italy's national anti-Mafia prosecutor, said investigators have uncovered Camorra toxic waste-dumping in the Prato area just 10 miles (17km) north of Florence, the capital of Tuscany.

He said Italy is also investigating a trail of waste being shipped to countries in eastern Europe, although he would not reveal which ones because the probe is ongoing.

Franco Roberti warned the toxic waste trade has spread to Tuscany

Until recently, the toxic waste - mostly from industries in northern Italy - had been dumped in Naples and the surrounding area.

Investigators recently discovered that farmlands around Naples are contaminated with dangerous levels of arsenic, lead and other harmful materials.

The revelations prompted tens of thousands of people to march through the city's streets last month.

Mr Roberti said the southern territory where the Camorra holds sway "is a little saturated", pushing the mob into new areas.

Increasingly close ties between the Naples-based gangsters and Chinese organised crime make the Prato area a logical choice for new dumping grounds.

The Camorra has a long-running and profitable relationship with Chinese mobsters, who use the Prato area as a base for the manufacturing and illicit sale of fake designer clothing.

Mr Roberti said the Camorra has no need to shop around for customers among the factories, processing plants and hospitals of northern Italy.

Rows over the waste business have led to rubbish piling up in Naples

After two decades in the racket, the Camorra are the go-to people for anyone who wants toxic waste to disappear for a fraction of the cost of what it takes to do it legally.

Past probes have found that the Camorra and their Chinese contacts have schemed together in the lucrative waste racket.

A 2005 operation code-named Marco Polo, carried out by Carabinieri paramilitary police, resulted in the confiscation in Naples' port of 20 containers loaded with toxic waste and hospital refuse ready for shipping to China and Hong Kong.

:: Watch Sky News live on television, on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 82 and Freesat channel 202.

20.18 | 0 komentar | Read More

Woolwich Killer Adebolajo 'A Hero' In Kenya

By Alex Crawford, Special Correspondent, in Mombasa

The young man, who we believe is an al Shabaab recruit, glared at me.

"If it wasn't for the cleric being here with us, I would cut off your head," he said.

His view is not unusual among his particular Muslim group in the Kenyan coastal town of Mombasa.

Michael Adebolajo was found guilty of murdering soldier Lee Rigby

Here, Michael Adebolajo is considered a hero, while British soldiers and even, in some quarters, British people, are considered justifiable targets because of what is perceived to be the British Government's aggressive involvement in Islamic countries like Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iraq.

It is the same terror network which British intelligence believes Adebolajo plugged into when he set off from south London to try to join the al Shabaab fighting brigade in Somalia in 2010.

It is the same network and the same people which the British woman Samantha Lewthwaite, also known as the White Widow, connected with and moved amongst. Lewthwaite is being hunted by Interpol in connection with a string of terror incidents in Kenya.

Influential Muslim leader Makaburi says Britain is "at war" with Islam

The cleric he is referring to tells me he isn't a cleric, although everyone else says he is.

He is undoubtedly an influential leader and he has delivered several speeches inside a number of mosques. He is known by most people in Kenya as Makaburi, meaning grave in Swahili, although his real name is Abubaker Shariff Ahmed.

He is named by the United Nations as a recruiter and facilitator of al Shabaab. His response to that accusation when I put it to him is always: "Let them prove it. There is no proof whatsoever I even know anyone from al Shabaab."

His views, and those of the young men who dote on his words, are astonishingly similar to the 'defence' put up in court by Adebolajo: that he, and others like him, are soldiers of Allah, fighting a Holy war.

Sky's Alex Crawford meets the alleged al Shabaab recruit

So the young man in front of us tells us with absolute conviction: "Britain is killing Muslims all over the world - in Iraq, in Afghanistan, in Pakistan. We are just defending ourselves. Adebolajo is a hero and he will receive glory from Allah."

And in Kenya, a significant number of Muslims feel persecuted and vulnerable.

They are the ones who are bitterly opposed to Kenya's military involvement across the border in Somalia, where soldiers are trying to stop the flood of al Shabaab recruits from crossing the border.

Police chief Samuel Obara says border security is an international problem

They believe Britain's support of that action - in words as well as in deeds through their training of Kenyan troops - justifies attacks against British soldiers, British targets, British interests.

Al Shabaab's claim that it carried out the attack on the Westgate shopping centre in Nairobi in September which killed nearly 70 people has made some Muslims in Kenya only feel more at risk and hunted.

It has resulted in much more intensive attention on the activities on the coast in Mombasa and further afield in Lamu County - the favoured route for radicalised youths to travel through to Somalia.

The residents of Faza island on the Lamu archipelago where Adebolajo stayed when he was trying to reach Somalia were very reluctant to talk to us. The few who did spoke in no uncertain terms about how virulently against al Shabaab they are.

The island is very much off the tourist trail. It is undeveloped and remote. A perfect cover for those who want to disappear under the authorities' radar and make their way to Somalia. It seems inconceivable that a young man from south London would be able to get around without some help and guidance.

The route from Lamu County into Somalia is favoured by radicalised youths

Senior Supt Samuel Obara, the head of Lamu East Border Police, told Sky News the border - part water and part land - is porous and difficult to monitor.

"We need international help," he said. "This is an international problem and we need other countries to help us."

He went onto say many of the border villages and towns were now 'cleansed' of al Shabaab.

"You can walk around here safely now," he said.

But he admits it is still being used as a route by extremists wanting to reach al Shabaab in Somalia, and British intelligence services believe there are several hundred Britons with links to the terror network.

Most have gone on to fight in Syria but there are concerns about those who may return to Britain, like Adebolajo, to carry out attacks on home territory.

:: Watch Sky News live on television, on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 82 and Freesat channel 202.

20.18 | 0 komentar | Read More

The World's Newest Country May Not Last

The world's newest country may not last the decade if the violence seen in South Sudan this week escalates.

Up to 500 people have died in days of fighting in the capital Juba and thousands, including foreign oil workers, are sheltering in or outside UN compounds. 

Amid talk of a possible coup attempt 10 senior politicians, including former cabinet ministers have been arrested and a night-time curfew imposed.

The authorities deny that the violence is on tribal lines, but the evidence suggests otherwise.

South Sudan, an oil-rich country, became independent from Sudan in 2011 following a long guerrilla war but has yet to knit itself into a unified nation.

During the war years the main ethnic groups in southern Sudan, the Dinka and the Nuer, each formed militias to fight the Sudanese army. Now the South Sudanese army is made up of units which are still divided on tribal lines.

President Salva Kiir Mayardit is a Dinka. In July he dismissed the vice president, Riek Machar, who is  Nuer, after Mr Machar announced he would compete for the presidency in the 2015 elections.

The fighting appears to have started after a Dinka unit was deployed at the presidential guard barracks which is dominated by soldiers who are Nuer. The Dinka came out on top, tensions rose throughout the capital, and the fighting spread. 

Although the city is reported to be calmer today there have been incidents of inter-ethnic violence outside of the capital.

The UK has sent an aircraft to Juba to evacuate some of the estimated 500 Britons in the country and has temporarily withdrawn some staff and dependants from its embassy.

Other countries are taking similar measures but the airport is still open and some commercial flights are operating.

:: Watch Sky News live on television, on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 82 and Freesat channel 202.

20.18 | 0 komentar | Read More

Gaia: Huge Billion-Star Telescope Launched

The world's most powerful satellite camera has been launched into space aboard a rocket.

Gaia blasts into space on the Soyuz rocket

The £620m observatory lifted off from the Sinnamary launch complex in French Guiana on time at 9.12am (UK time).

The huge telescope is going to map the precise positions and distances to more than a billion stars.

It is hoped that Gaia will give astronomers the first realistic picture of how the Milky Way galaxy is made up.

The observatory's exceptional sensitivity may also detect many thousands of previously unseen celestial objects, including new planets and asteroids.

As many as 50,000 planets outside our solar system could be spotted during the satellite's five-year life.

It will also keep a watch for exploding stars - supernovae - which are rarely observed in real time.

Gaia was aboard the Soyuz rocket which blasted off on time

The European Space Agency (Esa) satellite was sent up on a Soyuz rocket and Gaia was being released from the rocket 40 minutes later.

Gaia has been in development for more than 20 years.

20.18 | 0 komentar | Read More

Putin To Pardon Jailed Former Oil Tycoon

Russian president Vladimir Putin has said he will pardon jailed oil tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky.

The former head of Yukos Oil was originally imprisoned for nine years in 2005 after being convicted of fraud.

In 2010 he was put on trial again and found guilty of money-laundering and embezzlement. He and his business partner, Platon Lebedev, were jailed for another seven years.

Both trials have been criticised and Khodorkovsky has often been described as a prisoner of conscience.

Mr Putin's opponents have accused him of having the tycoon jailed to prevent him going into politics.

More follows...

20.18 | 0 komentar | Read More

Brits Evacuated From South Sudan Amid Fighting

World's Newest Country May Not Last

Updated: 12:55pm UK, Thursday 19 December 2013

By Tim Marshall, Foreign Affairs Editor

The world's newest country may not last the decade if the violence seen in South Sudan this week escalates.

Up to 500 people have died in days of fighting in the capital Juba and thousands, including foreign oil workers, are sheltering in or outside UN compounds. 

Amid talk of a possible coup attempt 10 senior politicians, including former cabinet ministers have been arrested and a night-time curfew imposed.

The authorities deny that the violence is on tribal lines, but the evidence suggests otherwise.

South Sudan, an oil-rich country, became independent from Sudan in 2011 following a long guerrilla war but has yet to knit itself into a unified nation.

During the war years the main ethnic groups in southern Sudan, the Dinka and the Nuer, each formed militias to fight the Sudanese army. Now the South Sudanese army is made up of units which are still divided on tribal lines.

President Salva Kiir Mayardit is a Dinka. In July he dismissed the vice president, Riek Machar, who is  Nuer, after Mr Machar announced he would compete for the presidency in the 2015 elections.

The fighting appears to have started after a Dinka unit was deployed at the presidential guard barracks which is dominated by soldiers who are Nuer. The Dinka came out on top, tensions rose throughout the capital, and the fighting spread. 

Although the city is reported to be calmer today there have been incidents of inter-ethnic violence outside of the capital.

The UK has sent an aircraft to Juba to evacuate some of the estimated 500 Britons in the country and has temporarily withdrawn some staff and dependants from its embassy.

Other countries are taking similar measures but the airport is still open and some commercial flights are operating.

:: Watch Sky News live on television, on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 82 and Freesat channel 202.

20.18 | 0 komentar | Read More

Greenpeace, Pussy Riot Activists 'To Be Freed'

Russian MP's have approved a Kremlin-backed bill that could see the Arctic 30 Greenpeace activists and jailed members of Pussy Riot going home.

The State Duma voted 446-0 in favour of the Kremlin-backed bill.

It will allow investigators to drop charges against the 30 members of Greenpeace's ship detained in Russia's Arctic in September.

The Arctic 30, who include six Britons, were arrested after Russian authorities boarded their vessel Arctic Sunrise following attempts by some of the activists to board an offshore oil platform.

They have been on bail but the 26 non-Russians among them were not allowed to go home.

Greenpeace said a last-minute amendment to the amnesty meant Russia would almost certainly end legal proceedings against 30 people who faced jail terms of up to seven years if convicted over the protest.

Lawyers said the amnesty, which could come into force this week, would lead to the early release of Pussy Riot members Nadezhda Tolokonnikova and Maria Alyokhina.

Jailed Pussy Riot members Nadezhda Tolokonnikova and Maria Alyokhina

Their two-year sentences over an anti-Putin protest in a cathedral have been criticised in the West as excessive.

The lower house of parliament passed the amnesty, which President Vladimir Putin proposed to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the passage of Russia's post-Soviet constitution.

The move has been largely viewed as the Kremlin's attempt to soothe criticism of Russia's human rights records ahead of the Winter Olympics in Sochi next year.

The measures mainly concern first-time offenders, minors and women with small children.

:: Watch Sky News live on television, on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 82 and Freesat channel 202.

More follows...

20.18 | 0 komentar | Read More

South Sudan: Hundreds Killed In Army Clashes

Hundreds of people have been killed in clashes between rival army factions in Juba, the capital of South Sudan.

Gunfire was ringing out into the early hours of Wednesday morning, according to a reporter on the scene.

"There are people walking in the city this morning, but it would be premature to say things are back to normal," he said.

A tank patrols a street in Juba

The government under President Salva Kiir has ordered the airport to reopen, although regional airlines said they are waiting for security guaranties before allowing flights bound for Juba to take off.

"We are waiting for confirmation that the airport is safe," a Kenya Airways official said. "For the moment it is 50-50".

The US has ordered non-essential embassy staff out of the country, the world's youngest nation, amid fears of a descent into wider ethnic violence.

President Salva Kiir (L) and Riek Machar

The fighting appears to be taking place along ethnic lines, UN Security Council president Gerard Araud, France's UN ambassador, told the 15-member council.

Mr Kiir has accused troops loyal to former vice-president Riek Machar - who was sacked in July - of staging a coup attempt in the oil-rich but deeply impoverished nation.

Mr Kiir is an ethnic Dinka while Mr Machar is a Nuer.

Riek Machar remains "on the run", say government officials

Mr Machar has meanwhile denied any attempt to topple the president, instead accusing the president of using the violence as a pretext to purge any challengers.

"What took place in Juba was a misunderstanding between presidential guards within their division, it was not a coup attempt," he told the Paris-based Sudan Tribune website, in his first public remarks since the fighting started.

"Kiir wanted to use the alleged coup attempt in order to get rid of us."

A child is treated in a Juba hospital

UN leader Ban Ki-moon spoke with Mr Kiir on Tuesday and urged him to offer "dialogue" with the opposition. Mr Ban also spoke with the president of neighbouring Uganda, Yoweri Musseveni, about the unrest.

The Security Council meeting was called at the request of the US, which has ordered non-essential diplomatic staff out of South Sudan.

:: Watch Sky News live on television, on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602 and Freeview channel 82.

20.18 | 0 komentar | Read More

Saudi Activists Defy Threats On Social Media

By Zein Ja'Far, in Abu Dhabi

Activists in Saudi Arabia, who are turning to social media to campaign for reforms in the country, face the threat of intimidation, arrest or imprisonment, according to a new report.

With protests banned in the country, and authorities cracking down on internal dissent, human rights campaigners are finding new ways to spread their messages online and out of sight from the authorities.

A Human Rights Watch report has highlighted the work of 11 Saudi activists campaigning for various issues ranging from women's rights to religious tolerance and greater political participation.

All of them have faced intimidation, arrest or imprisonment despite pursuing peaceful means. 

Saudi women are challenging a driving ban in their country

The kingdom's interior ministry and security forces have tried to quash protests in the country, but it has not stopped people taking to the streets in various cities calling for the release of political prisoners, greater gender equality and to demonstrate against sectarianism.

Twitter campaigns highlighting issues previously seen as taboo, such as poor living conditions or calling for better pay, have proven incredibly popular.

One of the most visible campaigns of 2013 has been the push to overturn the driving ban against women.

Despite threats of arrest, and even the possibility of force being used against them, the Women2Drive initiative received thousands of messages of support on Twitter and Facebook, with videos of the drivers uploaded moments after they were filmed. 

Adam Coogle, Middle East researcher at Human Rights Watch and author of the report, said: "Authorities think by arresting the most prominent activists for their social media activism, and their human rights activism in general, that they can intimidate everybody else into silence.

A Facebook campaign to allow women to drive

"But really the cat is out of the bag. People are talking on social networks now, they're expressing their views, and there's really nothing the Saudi authorities are going to be able to do to shut this thing down."

For many human rights campaigners in Saudi Arabia, online activism is the safest platform they have to push for reforms.

Human rights lawyer Waleed Abu El Khair was recently arrested for hosting a gathering of pro-democracy campaigners at his home.

In 2011 he was charged by authorities for providing legal assistance to other activists and the interior ministry has imposed a travel ban on him.

He told Sky News that at his last meeting with police they pressured him to stop his online activities.

"They said to us maybe we lose the control on the new media but we will never lose control in reality. That is why they blocked our accounts ... because they don't want anyone to say the true story, they just want one story which is said by the government.

Women activists are filmed in the back of a police vehicle

"Before I went to court they said to me clearly, stop everything, close your account and we will stop punishing you … but if you continue we will punish you."

Despite winning a seat on the UN's Human Rights Council last month, Saudi Arabia has continued to target anyone threatening the status quo.

An activist was recently sentenced to four years in jail and 300 lashes after he called for a constitutional monarchy, while new anti-terror laws have been introduced to criminalise acts which "disturb public order" and "defame the reputation of the state".

But Saudi Arabia is a young, and increasingly cyber-savvy society with some of the most active social media users in the world.

If the Government remains unwilling to introduce substantial reforms it is likely activists will take their demands off the streets and online, where there will be a substantial audience waiting for them.

:: Watch Sky News live on television, on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 82 and Freesat channel 202.

20.18 | 0 komentar | Read More

Italy Migrants Face 'Appalling' Treatment

The European Union has condemned the "appalling conditions" of Italian migrant centres after video emerged of apparent mistreatment on the island of Lampedusa.

Italy's Rai 2 TV broadcast secret footage shot inside a detention centre showing naked inmates being sprayed down with water after an alleged scabies outbreak.

The man who shot the mobile phone footage, reportedly an unnamed Syrian refugee, said men and women are regularly sprayed down. 

EU Home Affairs Commissioner Cecilia Malmstroem on Wednesday promised to take action if various detention centres are not improved.

"We have already started investigations into the appalling conditions in many Italian detention centres, including Lampedusa," she said on Twitter.

"The EU is committed to assist Italy in receiving migrants, but it has to be done in decent conditions."

Coffins laid out of those killed in the October sinking

Lampedusa made headlines in October after a migrant ship sank en route to the island, killing more than 300 people.

The overloaded boat was carrying hundreds of African asylum seekers from Libya and sank after a fire was started.

A second boat capsized in the same week in the Canal of Sicily, killing at least 27 people.

More than 13,000 people have tried to reach Lampedusa this year, more than double the population of the island.

Ms Malmstroem said: "We will not hesitate to launch an infringement procedure to make sure EU standards and obligations are fully respected."

A refugee is pulled out of the water by a coast guard

Earlier this month, the EU published a list of proposals aimed at tackling human trafficking and avoiding further boating disasters.

The proposals include increased border surveillance, boosting EU assistance to member states facing the biggest influx of migrants, improving the fight against human trafficking and opening more legal channels to reach Europe - including resettling more refugees in the EU.

They will be discussed in an upcoming EU leaders' summit later this week.

Up to 20,000 migrants have died at sea trying to reach Europe in the past 20 years, according to immigration charities.

However, tackling the complex issue is tricky at a time when Europe is in economic stagnation.

:: Watch Sky News live on television, on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 82 and Freesat channel 202.

20.18 | 0 komentar | Read More

New Pipeline To Loosen Russia's Grip On Energy

By Tim Marshall, Foreign Affairs Editor

The UK Foreign Secretary William Hague is in Azerbaijan today at a ceremony to sign a £27.6bn pipeline deal which will provide another alternative to energy supplies from Russia to Europe.

The deal will make Britain the biggest foreign investor in the country.

BP is the lead shareholder in an international consortium to bring gas from the Caspian Sea into Italy, Bulgaria, Turkey, and Greece.

British officials do not openly admit that part of the strategy behind the Shah Deniz 2 deal is to loosen Russia's grip on energy supplies to Europe, but Mr Hague did hint at that in a speech in the capital Baku saying: "Energy security is a major concern to much of Europe and this new gas corridor will bring a new supply of energy and will increase competition.

"With major involvement of BP and other British companies, it will also be a major boost to British companies and jobs."

Behind the statement lies the idea that countries west of Russia could become less beholden to Moscow for energy, and that Russian gas prices may have to come down due to this new route.

One source told Sky News: "Europe is too reliant on too few sources of gas and oil, this makes it vulnerable."

Human Rights campaigners have criticised the deal claiming it will boost Azerbaijan's President lham Aliyev who is accused of human rights abuses and of rigging elections.

In October a government phone app appeared to release the results of this year's Presidential election a day before the polls opened. It gave the President a landslide victory over his rival Jamil Hasanli.

According to the country's electoral commission it was a "technical glitch" and a "misunderstanding".

The manager of the company making the app told local media that the test result was data from the previous presidential election. Not everyone believed this and pointed out that Mr Hasanli had not then been standing for President.

Mr Aliyev duly won the election by a landslide.

:: Watch Sky News live on television, on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 82 and Freesat channel 202.

Related Stories

20.18 | 0 komentar | Read More

N Korea Marks Anniversary Of Kim Jong-Il Death

North Korea's political and military elite have publicly pledged their loyalty to Kim Jong-Un during a large memorial in Pyongyang to mark the second anniversary of the death of his father.

The public display of support came only days after the execution of the young leader's uncle, Jang Song Thaek, considered the second most powerful man in the secretive state.

The ousting of Jang overlaps with a propaganda drive that has tied the younger Kim to his father's legacy in the weeks leading up to the anniversary.

Official television footage showed Kim Jong-Un sitting centre stage beneath a huge red mural of a flag emblazoned with a picture of his smiling father Kim Jong-Il.

A noticeable absentee on the stage was his paternal aunt Kim Kyung Hui, Kim Jong-Il's sister and Jang's wife.

She and Jang had been the "Pyongyang power couple" considered to be the real force behind the North Korean leadership.

Mr Kim, who is believed to be about 30, took over when his father died suddenly in December 2011.

In a relatively short period of time he has followed his father's programme by ordering the North's third nuclear test and successfully launching a long-range rocket in the face of increasingly tight UN sanctions.

His first two years in power have also been marked by construction, with a flagship project being the Masik Pass ski resort near Wonsan, on North Korea's east coast.

:: Watch Sky News live on television, on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 82 and Freesat channel 202.

20.18 | 0 komentar | Read More

Fighting Continues In South Sudan After 'Coup'

Fierce gun battles continued in South Sudan overnight as troops loyal to the president fought rival soldiers accused of staging a coup.

Residents in the capital, Juba, barricaded themselves inside their homes as gunfire resumed in the early hours of Tuesday.

Oxfam worker Emma Jane Drew, who is working in Juba, told the AFP news agency that the atmosphere is extremely tense.

"We can still hear sporadic shooting from various locations. The situation is very tense," she said.

She said her team is holed up in their compound, unable to leave because of the fighting.

"It's continued shooting. Shooting could be heard all through the night. We don't know who is fighting who," she said.

South Sudan's president Salva Kiir (R)

Clashes began on Sunday after South Sudan's President Salva Kiir accused troops loyal to his arch-rival, former vice president Riek Machar who was sacked from the government in July, of a plot to overthrow the government.

On Monday, Mr Kiir said his troops were "in full control of the security situation in Juba" and imposed an overnight curfew.

However, the fighting resumed several hours later.

Officials said several former government ministers have been arrested over the violence, but the whereabouts of Mr Machar is unclear.

Former vice president Riek Machar

At least 26 people have been killed in the violence and 130 injured, according to South Sudan's Under-Secretary for Health Makur Korion.

Around 7,000 civilians have taken refuge at UN offices, according to UN radio.

Ms Drew told AFP there are unconfirmed reports of soldiers conducting violent house raids.

"We have heard unconfirmed reports of house-to-house military checks of civilians including the use of brutality and violence, though this is unconfirmed," she said.

South Sudan won its independence in 2011 after a vote to split from the north and form a new nation.

But the world's youngest country has struggled with ethnic violence and corruption, and political tensions have worsened in recent weeks.

20.18 | 0 komentar | Read More

Syria: Missing UK Doctor 'Dies In Detention'

The Foreign Office is investigating reports that British doctor Abbas Khan has died in custody in Syria.

Dr Khan, 32, an orthopaedic surgeon, had been held in Syria for more than a year.

A statement from the FCO said: "We are extremely concerned by reports that Dr Khan has died in detention in Syria and are urgently seeking confirmation from the Syrian authorities.

"If these tragic reports are true, responsibility for Dr Khan's death lies with them and we will be pressing for answers about what happened.

"We have consistently sought consular access to Dr Khan and information on his detention, directly and through the Russians, Czechs and others.

"In November, Minister Robertson wrote making clear our concerns about his welfare and treatment, stressing that the regime's failure to provide any information that would indicate Dr Khan's continued detention is legitimate meant his position should be reviewed immediately.

"These requests have consistently been ignored.

"All UK consular services in Syria were suspended some time ago and we continue to advise against all travel to Syria."

A statement issued by Bradford West MP George Galloway said the MP "had been negotiating for months with the Syrian government over the release of Dr Khan and was due to fly out this week to bring him home".

Mr Galloway said: "I think we will have to wait for clarification on how exactly he died but this is heartbreaking and devastating news for his family who have been working so hard for so long to secure his release, particularly because his freedom had been agreed and he was due to return with me in the next few days.

"My sincere condolences go out to his family whose pain is unbearable."

:: Watch Sky News live on television, on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 82 and Freesat channel 202.

20.18 | 0 komentar | Read More

Israeli Soldier Shot Dead On Lebanon Border

An Israeli soldier has been shot dead by a Lebanese army sniper on the border between the two countries.

Within hours, Israel's army said its troops had shot two Lebanese soldiers after it identified "suspicious movement" along the border.

The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) said the soldier who was shot had been driving along the border near Rosh Hanikra.

"The soldier was treated at the scene and was then evacuated to a hospital. He later died of his wounds," the IDF said in a statement.

"Initial enquiry confirmed that the sniper is a member of the Lebanese Armed Forces."

Lebanon's National News Agency confirmed the shooting was by a member of the Lebanese army.

The army has opened fire in the past after saying Israeli soldiers had tried to infiltrate Lebanese territory.

Lieutenant Colonel Peter Lerner, an Israeli army spokesman, said Israel had protested "this outrageous breach of Israel's sovereignty" with UN peacekeeping forces and heightened its state of preparedness.

"We will not tolerate aggression against the state of Israel, and maintain the right to exercise self-defence against perpetrators of attacks against Israel and its civilians," he said.

The shootings raise the possibility of renewed fighting in the volatile border region, which has remained mostly quiet since a month-long war in 2006.

Israel has responded with airstrikes and artillery fire following a number of rocket attacks and shootings across the border.

In the most serious incident, a high-ranking Israeli officer was killed by a Lebanese sniper in 2010 after Israeli forces tried to cut down a tree along the border.

Israel responded with artillery fire, killing two Lebanese soldiers and a journalist.

Andrea Tenenti, a spokesman for UN forces in southern Lebanon, said the UN was informed of a "serious incident" along the border.

:: Watch Sky News live on television, on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 82 and Freesat channel 202.

20.18 | 0 komentar | Read More

Reann Murphy Killing: Jerrod Metsker Held

A neighbour arrested over the killing of a nine-year-old girl whose body was found in a bin is due to appear in court.

Jerrod Metsker, 24, was held on a murder charge early on Sunday afternoon by police investigating the death of Reann Murphy.

Sheriff Travis Hutchinson described Mr Metsker as a family friend and neighbour but would not provide information about how Reann was killed or a possible motive for the crime.

Reann was last seen on Saturday night playing at the mobile home park where she lived in Smithville, around 30 miles southwest of Akron, Ohio.

Police found her body in the trash in a courtyard of the park at around 1.30am on Sunday, some five hours after she was reported missing by her family.

Wayne County Sheriff's Office said Mr Metsker was seen with Reann in the hours before she disappeared.

He is set to appear in the Wayne County Court of Common Pleas on an aggravated murder charge today.

Reann's father Richard Murphy told the Wooster Daily Record: "All she did was love people."

He said he wanted "the worst for the guy" who had killed his daughter.

Wayne County prosecutor Dan Lutz said: "Obviously, all of our thoughts and prayers go to the family. It's a horrific thing to take place at any time but especially before the holidays."

Marilyn Briggs, who lives in a house next to the mobile home park, said she didn't know Reann but was upset by her death.

She said: "It sickens me and I'm so sad for the family, and this close to Christmas. It's just awful. You never think something like that is going to happen in your area."

Ms Briggs said the park was a bit run-down but generally safe and that there had not been any serious crimes in the area in the eight years she had lived there.

The police investigation is continuing.

:: Watch Sky News live on television, on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 82 and Freesat channel 202.

20.18 | 0 komentar | Read More

China's Illegal Detention Of Christian Pastor

By Mark Stone, China Correspondent, in Henan Province

A Chinese Christian pastor and 23 members of his congregation have been held at an unknown location illegally and without access to lawyers since mid-November.

The case of Pastor Zhang Shaojie is evidence that in parts of China the violent suppression and unlawful arrests of the faithful by local government officials continues.

China's poor record on religious tolerance has been showing signs of improvement in recent years.

The Communist government had pledged to improve the rights of religious groups but this case suggests challenges remain.

Our research led us first to a small town on the border of Hebei and Henan Provinces.

We arrived at 1am to meet the daughter of Pastor Shaojie. Her name is Zhang Yunyun and she is a mother on the run.

We meet her in the hotel room she is hiding in for the night with her 11-month-old daughter Jessie.

Yunyun is on the run because she fears the arrest of her father could lead to her own detention.

She has received repeated threats on the phone from officials. One caller threatened to "wipe out her family" if she talks to reporters. But she is undeterred.

It is nearly a month since she last saw her father. Speaking in whispers, she explains what happened.

The pastor's daughter Zhang Yunyun and her 11-month-old daughter Jessie

"My father went to work (in the church) as usual, it was a Saturday.

"Suddenly a dozen police came, they forcefully took my father away.

"There was no paperwork at all, they just took him away. we haven't seen him since."

We look at photographs she took of the government men who turned up at the church on November 16.

"Government," she says, pointing at a group of plain-clothed men. They look threatening.

She describes how they tied up her father and took him away with some of his parishioners.

She selects another photograph and points to some of those who have disappeared.

"Her, her, him, her," she says. In all, 24 people were taken away.

This is a case that pits a Christian community, which had been growing in numbers and influence, against a local government that has seized the land bought for a new church.

Our conversation with Yunyun wakes Jessie, who begins to cry. It is time for us to leave.

A man defends himself with makeshift barricades

She shows us the location of her church on a map. It is in a town 20 minutes' drive away, over the border in Henan Province.

We arrive at Nanle County Church at dawn. It is a rundown building in centre of the town. The front door is closed but a side door is ajar. We go inside.

It does not resemble a European Christian church. It looks more like a theatre: 600 or so seats and a large stage with a pulpit in its centre.

This is where Pastor Zhang and his worshipers were dragged from a month ago.

There are two types of church in China: some are sanctioned and authorised by the state and others are not.

Nanle County Church is sanctioned and so, in theory, its worshippers should face no problems from the authorities.

As we are looking around, some of the parishioners emerge from a side room. They recall the day of the arrests.

"Pastor Zhang was negotiating with our local government here. Suddenly a dozen people arrived, and they took Pastor Zhang away," one woman says.

"We did some charity work, perhaps some of that was too much? They always discriminate towards religions."

"We are very worried about my dad," another says.

"My mother was arrested here too, at the church. No arrest warrant, no evidence, just arrested."

I ask whether it is hard to practise their religion in China.

"I think it's really unsafe here and there's no freedom. Whenever we come to services there are always restrictions."

The parishioners then receive a phone call. It is from one of a group of lawyers who have taken up the case and who have just arrived at the prosecutor's office across town.

We drive over to meet them. For 10 minutes we chat to them about the case.

A child seen inside the Nanle County Church in China

"Christianity in the Chinese system does not have any real standing," one lawyer explains.

The lead attorney for the detained Christians is Xia Jun. "Our rights as lawyers to meet our client have been blocked," he says.

"I've been in Nanle for more than 20 days, I'm representing Pastor Zhang Shaojie. We went to the detention centre to see him five times, but all been denied.

"Four times I went to the Public Security Bureau to report about it, all been rejected. Then I was followed, every day. I drive around the roundabout three times, the car following me drove three times too."

They explain the complexity of the case. It combines a number of themes: intolerance of religious groups, land-grabs for financial gain, and rampant local corruption by officials who operate above their own laws.

"The key problem is the power of officials in our country. They behave like uncaged monsters ... out to harm us all. For them, the law doesn't exist," Mr Xia says.

Moments later we all discover what he means. A coach pulls up next to us. We assume those who disembark are more Christian supporters, but they're not. They are just the opposite.

In a split second, our civilised chat with the lawyers turns into a melee of chaos. The coach-load of women backed by some men attack the lawyers, the Christians and us.

One of the lawyers is beaten and kicked in front of us. Our camera is then pulled from the Sky News cameraman's shoulder and damaged.

We retreat inside the prosecutor's office, which turns out to be deserted. One of the lawyers puts a chair leg through the door to stop the mob from entering the building. It doesn't work.

The mob move into the lobby and we retreat with the lawyer and one of the Christians into another room: a dead end.

The lawyer barricades us all inside the small room using a sofa, a chair, a desk and a drawer to wedge the door handle. Inches away on the other side of the door the determined mob are trying to get to us.

"Who are they? I ask.

"They are paid and backed by the local government. They come and go as required. All this is organised behind the scenes by the government," Mr Xia explains.

Xie Jun, the lawyer for Pastor Zhang Shaojie

The same group had attacked him the previous day.

We watched through the barred window as another lawyer, stuck outside, is struck on the head with a small rock.

"This case is for pure religious causes," Mr Xia says.

"More than 20 people were arrested. Pastor Zhang Shaojie and most of them are church staff: the core leaders of the church.

"When they are arrested, all the activities like worshiping and services, can't take place as normal."

For four hours, the local government rent-a-mob did their best to get inside. We watched a police car pull up outside and then drive away again.

The violent spectacle is a demonstration of a determined intolerance of religion incited by a corrupt local government.

The lawyers tell us that they believe the government seized the church land because it can be used for their own lucrative construction projects.

We call the Chinese Foreign Ministry in Beijing, who "handle" foreign reporters in China, to explain the situation.

Eventually, the same authorities who refuse to tell anyone why they are holding Pastor Zhang and his congregation escort us out of the building and out of the town.

They have given us safe passage out but continue to intimidate the Christians within their town.

"I miss my father very much," Zhang Yunyun had told me the previous night. It is exactly a month since she last saw him.

I ask if she thinks he will be home for Christmas.

She pauses: "I don't think so."

She and her baby daughter Jessie remain on the run, in hiding and frightened.

:: Watch Sky News live on television, on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 82 and Freesat channel 202.

20.18 | 0 komentar | Read More

Groom Killed Helping Motorist Stuck In Snow

A groom was killed hours after his wedding when he and a motorist stranded in snow were hit by several vehicles.

William Riley Knight, 49, was on his way from his wedding reception to a hotel with his new bride when the accident happened.

Mr Knight, from Crown Point, Indiana, stopped his truck when the couple saw a woman whose car had slid off the road into the snow.

He pulled into a nearby driveway and left his wife Nikki Knight waiting while he went to help 42-year-old Linda Darlington.

The pair were standing at the side of the road when they were struck by one vehicle and then by two more, the Lake County Sheriff's office said.

Mrs Knight, a registered nurse, said neither her husband nor Ms Darlington had pulses when she got to the accident scene. Both were pronounced dead early on Sunday morning.

Parts of the US have been gripped by a winter freeze

She told the Chicago Sun-Times: "I went from being a newlywed to a widow in less than 48 hours - the highest high to the lowest low. It's a blur.

"He said 'we've got to stop, it's late and they need help'.

"He was the type of person who was willing to put himself on the line and support you no matter what."

Mr Knight, who went by his middle name of Riley, had served in the US Army Rangers before retiring in the mid-1990s, his ex-wife told WBBM.

He had two daughters, a stepson and stepdaughter.

All the drivers involved in the accident stayed at the scene and police said no charges had been filed.

20.18 | 0 komentar | Read More

Ireland Exits Bailout As Economy Turns Around

Ireland has become the first country in the eurozone to exit a bailout programme it was forced to take when it fell on hard times.

The country's economy, previously dubbed the Celtic Tiger because of it incredible growth, needed the emergency measure because its revenues fell and expenses increased in the wake of the financial crisis.

The bailout programme allowed the country access to £72bn (85bn euros) in cash to help pay its bills.

But the ready supply of money, from the International Monetary Fund, European Central Bank and EU, came at a price.

Experts from the IMF, ECB and EU were able to take partial control of Ireland's economy.

It led to a period of austerity, with taxes being raised and government spending cut, resulting in thousands of public jobs being lost.

It was also viewed as a national humiliation, with the public appalled that its leaders had been forced to go 'cap in hand' to outside bodies.

The government claims that the measures have helped Ireland's economy and jobs are now being created at a faster rate than for years.

The amount of interest Ireland was paying on its government debt began to increase as uncertainty over the country's future intensified and this is widely seen as the main reason for the problems.

The rate at which it borrows money has now fallen, which has allowed it to bring public expenditure under control.

Ireland is some distance ahead of other countries that suffered a similar fate.

Portugal is predicted to complete its programme next year, but Greece could be many years away yet. Other EU countries that are not members of the euro also face controls on their economies for some time.

Despite the bailout exit, Ireland's finance minister has warned the country is not out of danger yet.

He said the signs of sustained improvement were good, but it depended on the country's economy continuing to grow.

Michael Noonan said on Friday: "This isn't the end of the road. This is a very significant milestone on the road. But we must continue with the same types of policies.

"The real heroes and heroines of this are the Irish people. People are beginning to spend. Property prices are improving... it's fragile.

"But in my view things are building well and I would hope that next year would be better for a lot of people who have made a lot of sacrifices."

:: Watch Sky News live on television, on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 82 and Freesat channel 202.

20.18 | 0 komentar | Read More

Nelson Mandela Funeral: Live Updates From Qunu

This website uses cookies. Cookies remember you so we can give you a better service online. By using this website or closing this message you are agreeing to our cookies notice. Cookies FAQs.

x

11:36am UK, Sunday 15 December 2013

Nelson Mandela guided South Africa from the shackles of apartheid

20.18 | 0 komentar | Read More

Mandela Funeral: End Of 'Extraordinary Journey'

Nelson Mandela, hailed as "Africa's greatest son" at an emotional state funeral, has been laid to rest near his childhood home.

The burial of the anti-apartheid icon followed a service attended by 4,000 mourners from across the world, at which South African President Jacob Zuma declared Mr Mandela's "extraordinary journey" was now over.

"It is the end of 95 glorious years of this freedom fighter, a dedicated and humble servant of the people of South Africa," he said during a poignant speech.

Mr Mandela's coffin is carried along a hilltop overlooking Qunu village

"He was a fountain of wisdom, a pillar of strength and a beacon of hope for all those fighting for a just world order."

In contrast to the funeral, held in a huge tent at Mr Mandela's ancestral home of Qunu, in South Africa's Eastern Cape, the burial service was a smaller affair.

Several hundred of Mr Mandela's family and closest friends gathered at the grave site, as military jets and helicopters performed a fly past.

Television cameras cut away as officials lowered his body into the ground.

Earlier, Mr Mandela's coffin was carried to the funeral on a military carriage and covered with the South African flag, as a 21-gun salute echoed around his childhood home.

It was placed in front of a stage, on which 95 candles - one for each year of his life - were lit and a huge portrait of the smiling former president was displayed.

Mourners heard from political leaders, Mr Mandela's family and some of his closest friends during an emotional service that brought both tears and laughter.

Mr Mandela's family and South Africa's president sit beside his coffin

Ahmed Kathrada, who was imprisoned on Robben Island for 26 years with Mr Mandela, gave a memorable speech, recalling a man he described as his "elder brother".

Speaking directly to his friend, he said: "What can we say ... in these, our last, final moments together?

"Your abundant reserves of love, simplicity, honesty, service, humility, care, courage, foresight, patience, tolerance, equality and justice continually serve as a source of enormous strength to millions."

Mr Kathrada said his close friend was an "enormous" source of strength

Holding back tears, he added: "My life is in a void and I don't know who to turn to."

Hailemariam Desalegn, the Ethiopian Prime Minister and chairman of the African Union, said: "His was a life of struggle in the face of unparalleled odds. A life of suffering in the hands of malicious perpetrators of injustice. A life of perseverance in the face of challenge.

"But we are not mourning. We are celebrating humanity at its finest. We should find consolation that his legacy will live on for eternity."

Mr Mandela's ex-wife Winnie Mandela (left) and widow Graca Machel (centre)

Jakaya Kikwete, the President of Tanzania, described Mr Mandela as "our leader, our hero, our icon and our father", while Kenneth Kanda, the former president of Zambia, added: "As we go on without Madiba ... let us remember the love he had for us all. Without that, we cannot succeed."

High-profile guests included businessman Sir Richard Branson, TV chat show host Oprah Winfrey and actor Idris Elba, who plays Mr Mandela in a forthcoming film about his life, while prominent US civil rights activist Reverend Jessie Jackson and Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams also made the journey.

Archbishop Desmond Tutu was in the audience after earlier claiming he had not received an invitation, while the Prince of Wales attended on behalf of the Queen.

Oprah Winfrey and Sir Richard Branson attended the service

During his speech, Mr Zuma described his predecessor as a man "so great and yet so humble".

"We wish to express two simple words," he said. "Thank you. Thank you for being everything we wanted and needed in a leader during a critical period in our lives."

He added: "We'll cherish every moment we spent with you.

"You were an exceptional human being and you will remain our guiding light as we continue our journey to build the South Africa of your dreams."

Archbishop Desmond Tutu initially thought he had missed out on an invite

As the funeral was beamed to specially erected big screens on hillsides around Mr Mandela's home, warriors, dressed in their colourful tribal outfits, gathered to sing, dance and clap.

Sky's Special Correspondent Alex Crawford, in Qunu, said: "The authorities and the Mandela family have always insisted this should be a coming together of a huge, important state funeral with all its pomp and ceremony, and the traditions of Mr Mandela's tribe.

"These past 10 days have been a chance not just for local people to grieve and to mourn, but also to remember how much of a colossus this man was, both in world politics and South African history."

Members of the armed forces marched alongside Mr Mandela's coffin

Mr Mandela's body arrived in South Africa's Eastern Cape on board a military plane, escorted by two fighter jets.

Tens of thousands of people lined the roads as the funeral procession made the short journey from Mthatha airport to Qunu, although some were angry the cortege did not stop to allow them time to pay their respects.

Preparations for service - the first ever state funeral in South Africa - were also marred by a public spat between the country's government and Mr Tutu, one of the most prominent survivors in the long struggle against apartheid.

A 21-gun salute heralded the arrival of Nelson Mandela's coffin

Mr Tutu, a Nobel laureate who has been critical of the ruling African National Congress (ANC) party, initially said he was not invited - an apparent snub denied by the government.

More than 100,000 people saw Mr Mandela's body lying in state in Pretoria over the last three days, but some had to be turned away.

The former leader, who was imprisoned for 27 years for opposing racist apartheid before emerging in 1990 to forge a new democratic South Africa, died on December 5.

:: Watch Sky News live on television, on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 82 and Freesat channel 202.

20.18 | 0 komentar | Read More