Russia Shows Its Muscle As Crimea Breaks Away

Whatever the government in Ukraine says or does, events on the ground suggest that Crimea has already for all intents and purposes broken away; certainly Kiev's orders no longer stretch as far as this region.

Unidentified gunmen have taken over the parliament and the region's main airports in the space of 24 hours.

They would not answer when I questioned them and asked if they had been sent by Moscow.

In many ways it did not matter - their appearance pretty much gave the game away.

They carried Kalashnikovs, they spoke Russian and their combat fatigues looked suspiciously like Russian issue - albeit without insignia.

The way they moved and patrolled the airports suggested too that this was no dad's army but a well-trained unit doing a professional job.

At times as they stomped up and down ostentatiously it seemed as though they were there just for the cameras.

It was perhaps a signal from the Kremlin that it could put its men on the ground whenever it wanted and there was nothing anyone else could do.

It was a projection of power and reach.

Elsewhere images were captured of Russian helicopters flying into the airport at Sevastopol: yet another direct challenge to the authority of the government in Kiev.

The acting interior minister called the action an invasion and an occupation.

Moscow denies that it has violated Ukrainian sovereignty - officially at least it says it respects its neighbour's borders.

But the pro-European government setting itself up in Kiev is seen as a threat by Moscow.

Ukraine has always been viewed by the Russian ruling elite as part of its sphere of influence.

Moscow may have lost the Western part of Ukraine (for now?) but you can bet it will not allow the same thing to happen in the south and the eastern parts of the country.

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Newborn Baby Rescued After Rough Seas Hit Boat

A newborn baby was among 100 migrants who had to be rescued after their boat was caught in rough seas near Sicily.

The Italian Navy and coastguard intercepted the vessel off the coast of Lampedusa because of its precarious position and lack of life jackets.

The baby was treated by medical workers as a precaution but was said to be in good health.

Among the group were 23 women and 46 children, and the passengers were said to be of sub-Saharan origin.

In a separate operation, the Italian coastguard said it had rescued 12 Tunisian migrants whose dinghy had gone adrift near the island of Pantelleria.

The alarm had been raised by a relative of one of the passengers.

Two pregnant women were said to be among the group, who were then taken to port in Pantelleria.

The '"challenging" rescue operation had been slowed down by the darkness and lack of precise information about the migrants' location.

Last October, hundreds of people died after a boat carrying African asylum seekers caught fire and sank off Lampedusa.

It was one of the worst Mediterranean refugee disasters.

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Pistorius 'In Love' With Reeva: Exclusive

Reeva Steenkamp: The Girl Behind The Name

Updated: 2:00pm UK, Friday 28 February 2014

Reeva Steenkamp was born in the South African city of Cape Town in August 1983, to horse trainer Barry Steenkamp and his second wife, June.

The family later moved to Port Elizabeth where she and her siblings grew up.

She attended St Dominic's Priory High School and, at the age of 15, entered a beauty competition organised through her local newspaper where she was spotted by the paper's then beauty editor, Barbara Robertson

"She was 15, and a young 15," Ms Robertson told Sky News.

"There was nothing sophisticated about her. She was sweet, down to earth, earthy ... just one of those girls who had the 'it' factor ... a little bit (of an) early Kate Moss."

While friends speak of an ultimate desire to marry and have a family, the young woman always expected to enjoy a career of her own.

She took a law degree in case her modelling career did not work out.

But the modelling side took off and the gauche, unsophisticated girl from Port Elizabeth moved on to Johannesburg to seek her success.

Originally a brunette, Steenkamp dyed her hair blonde and soon after broke into the glossy world of magazine modelling.

She made the cover of FHM but, said Ms Robertson, the model remained true to herself.

"The front pages made out she was this brazen blonde with boobs hanging out," she said in an interview with The Guardian.

"She was more than a model. She was Reeva. She had studied law at university. I don't think she was seeking bright lights and fame and fortune.

"She was spreading her wings. If she got noticed, what's wrong with that? It doesn't make her a celeb-seducer."

While she continued modelling and was popular on South Africa's A-list circuit, Steenkamp's legal ambitions appeared to resurface.

The future looked bright as she applied to the Bar in 2011, hoping to qualify as a legal advocate by 2013.

Her TV career also looked promising, with a part in a reality TV show Tropika Island of Treasure that looked likely to lead to further opportunities in her professional life.

In November 2012, she began going out with Oscar Pistorius and the couple were said to be deeply in love.

Three months later, Reeva Steenkamp was dead.

:: Sky News will have live coverage of the trial from Monday, with a special highlights programme at 9.30pm.

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Ukraine Says Russia Has Sent In 6,000 Troops

Russia has been accused of sending 6,000 troops into the Ukraine despite calls by Britain and the US for Moscow to back off.

Reports suggest that Russian troops are trying to seize control of an anti-aircraft missile base and have taken control of airports in the Crimea region of the country.

Ukraine's border guard service said about 300 armed men were attempting to seize its main headquarters in the Crimean port city of Sevastopol.

Russian soldiers are guarding buildings in Crimea it has been confirmed

Russian helicopter gunships have also been seen in Ukrainian airspace.

The pro-Moscow Prime Minister of Crimea, Sergei Aksenov, has appealed to Russia for help in keeping the peace there.

He has confirmed service personnel from Russia's Black Sea Fleet, which is based in Sevastopol, were guarding key buildings.

And in an apparent orchestrated move, a referendum on whether residents in Crimea want greater independence from Ukraine has been brought forward by two months to March 30.

Meanwhile, Russia's Foreign Ministry has claimed there had been an overnight attempt by "unidentified gunmen sent from Kiev" to seize the offices of Crimea's interior ministry.

After unrest in Kiev, tensions have shifted to the Crimea region

It said in a statement: "As a result of the treacherous provocation, there are wounded.

"With decisive actions by self-defence groups, the attempt to seize the interior ministry building was averted.

"This confirms the desire of prominent political circles in Kiev to destabilise the peninsula."

Russia's Lower House of Parliament, the Duma, has called on President Vladimir Putin "to take measures to stabilise the situation in Crimea".

A soldier stands next to a sign that says: "Crimea Russia"

And in a further ratcheting up of pressure on Ukraine, Russia said it saw "no reason" to extend a previously agreed gas discount due to unpaid debts.

To add to Ukraine's financial woes, the country's finance minister said it is unlikely to receive financial assistance from the International Monetary Fund before April due to the continuing turmoil.

US President Barack Obama has warned Moscow that any military intervention in Ukraine would be "deeply destabilising".

British Foreign Secretary William Hague says he has spoken to his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov calling for a de-escalation in Crimea, and respect for Ukraine sovereignty.

France and Germany have also raised concerns over developments in Ukraine.

A man holds a Soviet Navy flag next to an armed patrol in Simferopol

Ukraine's Prime Minister said his country would not be drawn into a military conflict by Russian "provocations", and appealed to Moscow to halt military movements in the region.

Arseny Yatseniuk said: "It is unacceptable when armoured Russian military vehicles are out in the centre of Ukrainian towns."

Mr Obama has called on Russia to respect the independence and territory of Ukraine.

"Any violation of Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity would be deeply destabilising," he said.

"The United States will stand with the international community in affirming that there will be costs for any military intervention in Ukraine."

Mr Hague will visit the country on Sunday and hold talks with Ukraine's new leaders.

Crimea has become a flashpoint for tensions between Russia and Ukraine after the overthrow of President Viktor Yanukovych, a Moscow ally, following months of protests which escalated into deadly violence.

Ukraine's population is divided in loyalties between Russia and the West, with much of western Ukraine advocating closer ties with the European Union while eastern and southern regions look to Russia for support.

Crimea has 2.3 million inhabitants, most of whom identify themselves as ethnic Russians and speak Russian.

More follows...

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'Boiler Room Fraud' Smashed In Police Raids

Suspected fraudsters who led extravagant lifestyles like Leonardo DiCaprio's character in hit film The Wolf Of Wall Street by conning victims out of millions of pounds have been targeted in an international clampdown.

Police swooped in a series of raids stretching from London and Barcelona to the US and Serbia in a move to smash the so-called boiler room fraud, where investors are duped into buying worthless or non-existent shares.

A total of 110 alleged fraudsters were held in what was one of the biggest anti-fraud operations ever staged.

To date, 850 British victims, many of them pensioners and one of whom killed themselves after being defrauded, have been identified.

They lost a total of around £15m - ranging from between £2,000 and £500,000 per person - but police believe this figure is only "the tip of the iceberg" and suspect thousands more people may have been duped.

A suspect's lavish home in Marbella, Spain. Pic: City of London Police

The operation, which was two years in the making, saw 40 officers from City of London Police join 300 of their Spanish counterparts from the Policia Nacional to target a number of organised crime gangs.

It aimed to take out criminal kingpins, as well as scores of conmen who work for them, including lawyers, money launderers and financiers.

The alleged fraudsters spent their ill-gotten gains on sports cars, designer watches, drugs and prostitutes.

One of the suspects was believed to have been paying £40,000 per month to rent an apartment.

An Aston Martin and Ferrari were among the cars seized by police, along with various watches and £500,000 in cash.

One suspect wrapped watches around his slippers

The raids took place earlier this week, but can only now be revealed after a reporting ban was lifted by a Spanish judge.

Speaking near the site of one of the searches in Barcelona on Tuesday, City of London Police Commander Steve Head said: "You see real victims in real communities whose lives have been devastated. Savings that they thought they could rely on in their old age have gone in a heartbeat."

He added: "These people have no conscience in terms of what they do to people's lives. This is not at all a victimless crime. We've seen lives that have been utterly devastated.

"We have dismantled an international network of fraudsters. Make no mistake, this will make a difference to the ability of fraudsters to operate at this level.

"This network has been dismantled, hopefully we have sent a message to those who think that it's an easy crime that it doesn't matter where you are, we will come after you."

Expensive cars including a Ferrari and an Aston Martin were confiscated

In total, the international team executed 35 warrants on offices from where the fraud is said to have been run, as well as the alleged criminals' luxury homes.

The operation closed down 14 boiler rooms in Spain, two in the UK and one in Serbia.

As well as the fraud, the gangs were also allegedly involved in drug dealing, money laundering and gun crime.

Most of the suspects targeted are British and a main group is expected to be extradited back to the UK to face trial.

Commissioner Jose Luis Andre Vega from the Spanish national police, said: "This sort of crime knows no frontiers or boundaries. It's important to investigate this sort of organised crime on an international level."

Of the 110 arrests, there were 84 in Spain, 20 in the UK, two in the United States and four in Serbia, with most of the suspects arrested on suspicion of money laundering and fraud offences.

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China Baby Trafficking: 1,094 Suspects Arrested

Chinese police have arrested 1,094 people and rescued hundreds of infants in a crackdown on baby trafficking.

Four online rings using "unofficial adoption" as a front have been targeted.

Trafficking is a major problem in China, in part due to population controls encouraging a bias towards sons.

There is a demand for kidnapped or bought baby boys, as well as girls who could attract lucrative dowries as brides in sparsely populated areas.

It is not clear what will now happen to the rescued babies

"Child traffickers have now taken the fight online, using 'unofficial adoption' as a front," state news agency Xinhua quoted an unidentified police official as saying.

"They are well-hidden and very deceptive."

Websites called "China's Orphan Network" and "Dream Adoption Home" have been exposed in the crackdown.

It is not yet clear if or how the 382 rescued babies will be reunited with their parents.

Traffickers have taken their business online in a bid to evade detaction

Xinhua is warning parents to beware of kidnappers posing as nurses in hospitals or waiting outside school gates ready to bundle children into a vehicle.

Approximately 118 boys are born for every 100 girls in the world's most populous country, compared to the global average of 103 to 107.

Sons are preferred as support for elderly parents and heirs to the family name, leading to the abortion, killing or abandonment of girls.

Last month a Chinese court gave a suspended death sentence to a doctor who sold seven newborns to human traffickers.

Population controls were eased by the Chinese government last year

Obstetrician Zhang Shuxia, 55, was found guilty of selling the babies in the Shaanxi province for as much as 21,600 yuan (£2,200).

The Chinese government announced last year that family restrictions would be eased, allowing families to have a second child in some circumstances.

China has a population of 1.4 billion.

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Ukraine 'Regains Airports From Russia'

Ukraine security sources say they have regained control of two airports amid claims Russian forces tried to seize them.

Earlier Ukraine's interior minister accused Russian forces of staging an "armed invasion" in Crimea, something Russia has firmly denied.

The accusations came after armed men were seen patrolling the perimeter at the Simferopol airport.

An armed man patrols at the airport in Simferopol in Crimea

There were also reports that Russian forces were blocking an airport in Sevastopol.

More than 10 Russian military helicopters have also flown from Russia into Ukrainian airspace over the Crimea region, the Ukrainian border guard service said.

Reacting to the reports, Interior minister Arsen Avakov said: "I consider what is happening to be an armed invasion and an occupation."

Mr Kerry called on Russia to work with the US

However, Ukraine's security authorities later said they had regained control of the two airports.

"There was an attempt to seize the airports, but we have localised those attempts," Ukraine's National Security and Defence Council chief Andriy Parubiy said.

"The airports are now controlled by Ukrainian law enforcement authorities."

Russian forces have been accused of an 'occupation' and 'invasion'

The accusations come a day after dozens of pro-Moscow gunmen seized government buildings in the Crimean capital of Simferopol.

These included the regional parliament, which subsequently voted to hold a referendum on May 25 to expand the region's autonomy from Kiev.

France, Germany and Poland said that they were "very worried" by events in Crimea and urged all parties to refrain from any action endangering Ukraine's territorial integrity.

Meanwhile, Ukraine's acting president has dismissed the head of the country's armed forces.

Admiral Yuriy Ilyin had been appointed at the height of protests against President Viktor Yanukovich, who was ousted last Saturday.

No reason was given for his dismissal in a brief statement on the presidential website.

It has also emerged that Swiss prosecutors have launched a money-laundering probe against Mr Yanukovych and his son Aleksander.

The parliament building has been seized in Simferopol

Austria has also frozen the bank accounts of Mr Yanukovych. 

Ukraine will ask Russia to extradite the ousted president if it is confirmed that he is in Russia, the general prosecutor's office said this morning.

Mr Yanukovych is expected to make a televised statement this lunch time.

Mr Lavrov says Russia will respect Ukraine's territorial integrity

Russia earlier reaffirmed its pledge to "respect the territorial integrity of Ukraine", despite placing fighter jets on combat alert along the countries' shared border.

The pledge came after US Secretary of State John Kerry spoke to Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov amid ongoing tension in Ukraine.

Mr Kerry sought assurances from Mr Lavrov that Russia would work with the United States to create unity in Ukraine.

"I asked specifically that Russia work with the United States and our friends and allies in order to support Ukraine to rebuild unity, security and a healthy economy," Mr Kerry told reporters.

Viktor Yanukovich is being investigated by Swiss authorities

Mr Lavrov reaffirmed President Vladimir Putin's statement that Russia "will respect the territorial integrity of Ukraine," Mr Kerry added.

Mr Lavrov also denied that Moscow had any hand in the takeover of government buildings in the Crimea, over which a Russian flag was hoisted on Thursday.

The White House has reinforced its warnings to Russia that it must avoid "miscalculations" in military drills along the border of Ukraine.

The comments appeared to reflect Washington's concern that Russian manoeuvres near the ex-Soviet state could trigger events which may get out of control.

Mr Kerry said his Russian counterpart had assured him that the exercises were long-planned and had nothing to do with the fast-moving events in Ukraine.

Mr Yanukovych has announced that he will hold a press conference today in the southern Russian city of Rostov-on-Don.

He has reportedly been spotted in a luxury five-star hotel and spa outside Moscow, in an exclusive enclave favoured by Russia's super-rich.

The 63-year-old fugitive, who is wanted in Ukraine on charges of mass murder after police opened fire on demonstrators, released a statement on Thursday insisting he is still president.

Mr Yanukovych and his government are facing charges of stripping Ukraine's coffers bare before they were toppled from power.

Shortly before being appointed as head of the crisis-hit country's national unity government, Arseny Yatseniuk said $37bn (£22bn) had disappeared in an "unknown direction", while $70bn (£42bn) had been siphoned out of the economy into offshore accounts.

But Russia has questioned the legitimacy of the new Ukrainian authorities and has pledged to defend the rights of its "compatriots".

Crimea is an autonomous republic in the south of Ukraine, around 500 miles from the capital Kiev.

There have been mounting signs of separatism in the region, which has strong ties to Moscow and where the majority of the population are Russian speakers.

Meanwhile, Ukraine central bank governor Stepan Kubiv has said that the bank will limit foreign currency withdrawals from banking deposits to 15,000 hryvnia (about £898) per day.

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Pistorius At Gun Range: Exclusive Pictures

Oscar Pistorius Trial: Case Background

Updated: 12:49pm UK, Friday 28 February 2014

Two very different versions of what happened in the moments before Oscar Pistorius' girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp died have already been heard in court.

The athlete stands trial on Monday accused of her murder in a case that will make South African history as the first to be broadcast live for millions around the world to follow.

He denies the charge, claiming he mistook Ms Steenkamp for a burglar when he shot her in the early hours of Valentine's Day, 2013.

The prosecution says Pistorius, 26, fired his gun four times into the door of a bathroom, knowing his girlfriend was inside after an argument.

It is alleged she locked herself in the room after fleeing down a seven-metre passage from the bedroom at the runner's luxury home in Pretoria.

According to details outlined at previous hearings, the prosecution argues Pistorius followed her with his 9mm pistol, first putting on his prosthetic legs.

It is claimed he shot his gun four times through the door, killing an "unarmed and defenceless" woman, before the door was broken open from the outside.

The prosecution has rejected claims of mistaken identity - that Pistorius believed the person inside the bathroom was a burglar.

The defence, meanwhile, has alleged the defendant had "no intention" of killing Ms Steenkamp and was bereft at her death.

According to this version of events, Pistorius heard a noise in the early hours and thought an intruder had come through a bathroom window and was hiding there.

Defence lawyers claim he felt vulnerable and shouted for the intruder to get out and for Ms Steenkamp to call police.

It was dark and Pistorius thought Ms Steenkamp was lying on her bed, not that she was in the bathroom, lawyers have argued.

They claim Pistorius hobbled to the bathroom on his stumps and fired his gun - a 9mm pistol he kept under his bed because he had received death threats.

After the shooting, they said, he returned to his bed and saw Ms Steenkamp was not there.

It is alleged he shouted for help, broke open a door with a cricket bat and found she was alive before carrying her downstairs.

Pistorius wanted to protect Ms Steenkamp, not kill her, his lawyers claim.

The court battle will pit the wits of two of South Africa's leading lawyers and is expected to hear from 100 witnesses.

Pistorius has hired Kenny Oldwage, famous for helping acquit the man accused of killing Nelson Mandela's great-granddaughter Zenani in a drink-driving car crash.

He has also hired Barry Roux, known in court for his scarlet ties.

The trial will be one of South Africa's biggest ever legal showdowns, with Pistorius' team going up against veteran prosecutor Gerrie Nel.

The judge will be Thokozile Matilda Masipa, a former crime reporter who became only the second black woman to be appointed to the high court in 1988.

The trial, which takes place in Pretoria, will have no jurors, since trial by jury was abolished in South Africa under apartheid in 1969.

Ms Steenkamp's mother, June, has indicated she will attend the trial.

However, her father, Barry, is expected to be at home, recovering from a near-fatal stroke, which his brother said happened while reading a newspaper report about the trial.

Cameras will be able to "obtain a video and audio recording of the permitted portions" of the trial.

However, they will not be able to film the Olympic champion, defence witnesses or anyone else who objects to being on camera.

The mandatory sentence for someone convicted of premeditated murder in South Africa is life with a minimum of 25 years in prison.

:: Sky News will have live coverage of the trial from Monday, with a special highlights programme at 9.30pm.

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Police Fly To US To Crack Pistorius' iPhone

South African investigators have flown to America to ask for help from Apple to retrieve information from the iPhone of paralympian Oscar Pistorius.

The three investigators want to access any messages which may have been deleted from the athlete's iPhone device.

The double-amputee runner goes on trial on Monday accused of the murder of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp.

The model was shot and killed in a toilet cubicle in the athlete's home in Pretoria a year ago.

The runner has already admitted he fired the gun but says he mistook his girlfriend for a burglar.

For more than a year the state has been battling to get the information on the phone.

Newspapers in South Africa have reported that the information being sought relates specifically to SMS and Whatsapp messages sent from and received on Pistorius' phone.

Other information that investigators are trying to recover includes the times of calls and messages as well as deleted data.

Pistorius shot Steenkamp through a locked toilet door in his Pretoria home on Valentine's Day last year.

He claims it was a case of mistaken identity as he had believed Steenkamp was an intruder. The state says he planned her death.

:: Sky News will have live coverage of the trial from Monday, with a special highlights programme at 9.30pm.

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US and EU Urged To Halt Weapon Sales To Israel

By Tom Rayner, Middle East News Editor

The US and EU governments must suspend all supplies of crowd-control "weapons and devices" to Israel until the country reigns in its use of force against Palestinians on the West Bank, a report has demanded

In the report "Trigger Happy: Israel's Use of Excessive Force on the West Bank", Amnesty International criticises what it calls Israel's "callous disregard for human life" in its handling of Palestinian protests against occupation.

It points to an increase in the number of Palestinians killed by Israeli forces - with 27 people killed last year, in comparison to eight in 2012 and 10 in 2011, according to figures from the UN.

The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) say the report "wholly ignores the substantial increase in Palestinian violence initiated over the past year".

However, Amnesty International claims in all the cases it investigated, it found no evidence to suggest those killed were posing a "direct and immediate threat" to the lives of the Israeli forces - a key criteria in the UN Basic Principles of the Use of Force and Firearms.

Amnesty's Middle East and North Africa Director Philip Luther said the failure to properly investigate and punish such acts means those responsible were acting with impunity.

"The report presents a body of evidence that shows a harrowing pattern of unlawful killings and unwarranted injuries of Palestinian civilians by Israeli forces in the West Bank.

"If the Israeli authorities wish to prove to the world they are committed to democratic principles and international human rights standards, unlawful killings and unnecessary use of force must stop now.

"The current Israeli system has proved woefully inadequate. It is neither independent nor impartial and completely lacks transparency."

Palestinian-Israeli clashes in Jenin in the West Bank

One case highlighted is that of 16-year-old Samir Awad, from the village of Bordrus near Ramallah, who was shot dead last January.

Accounts collected by Amnesty suggest he had walked into the "no man's land" near the separation barrier which runs through the village, as part of a protest with school friends.

When soldiers shouted at him and fired warning shots in the air the teenager started to run away, but he was hit by three bullets in the leg, shoulder and then in the back of the head.

He was pronounced dead 40 minutes after arriving at Ramallah Hospital.

At the time Israeli media reported statements from a military spokesman claiming force had been used to prevent an "infiltration attempt".

The office of the Military Advocate General opened an investigation, and requested Military Police conduct further inquiries, but as yet the findings have not been released.

Amnesty claims that since 2011 the Military Police Criminal Investigation Division has opened investigations into 24 Palestinians killed in 20 different incidents, but only one so far has resulted in prosecution and conviction of a soldier for unlawful killing.

The report claims the case of Samir Awad is just one example of forces resorting to lethal or less lethal means to crack down on protests and "low-level violence", such as stone-throwing, when there was no direct threat to the lives of the soldiers involved.

Among its recommendations, the report calls on Western governments, including EU member states, to stop sending crowd-control equipment, such as tear gas, stun grenades and rubber-coated metal bullets to Israel, until steps are taken to "achieve accountability for previous violations" and "effective mechanisms" are established to ensure against further violations.

"This recommendation is particular relevant to the USA" the report states, "as the largest foreign source of supply of weapons, munitions, police equipment and military aid to Israel."

The US State Department said they would not comment on the report at this time.

The West Bank was captured by Israel in the Six Day War in 1967

Last year, following the deaths of two young people in the Bethlehem area, the UK government made representations to the Israeli authorities regarding what it described as its "longstanding concerns about the manner in which the IDF polices non-violent protests and the border areas, including use of live ammunition".

Responding to Amnesty's latest report, a spokesperson for the UK Foreign Office said: "To date, we have no evidence of the use of UK manufactured munitions, weapons, or related equipment by the Israeli military forces to commit or facilitate violations of international human rights law or international humanitarian law.

"We will continue to monitor the situation carefully, and ensure that all our licensing decisions remain consistent with our human rights commitments and all applicable criteria.

"We continue to call on Israel to abide by its obligations under international law, including the appropriate use of force by Israeli military forces."

In a statement, a spokesperson for the IDF accused Amnesty of ignoring the "operational challenges" faced by its forces in "containing Palestinian-incited violence" in the West Bank.

"2013 saw a sharp increase in rock hurling incidents, gravely jeopardising the lives of civilians and military personnel.

"132 Israelis were injured during that year alone, almost double the year previous, which is no surprise considering that over 5,000 incidents of rock hurling took place, half of which were towards main roads.

"Sadly, rock throwing and violent demonstrations present only part of the operational challenges posed to the IDF by Palestinian violence in Judea and Samaria. 

"Indeed in 2013 there were 66 further terror attacks which included shootings, the planting of IEDs (Improvised Explosive Devices), blunt weapon attacks and the abduction and murder of a soldier."

"The IDF holds itself to the highest of professional standards and trains and equips itself as such. When there is any suspicion of wrong doing, or breach of discipline, the IDF reviews, investigates and takes action where appropriate."

The report concludes by calling on Israel to swiftly implement the recommendations of the Israeli-appointed Turkel Committee - which investigated the IDF's deadly sea raid on the Turkish Mavi Marmara ship in 2010, as it tried to break the maritime blockade of Gaza.

The Turkel Committee concluded that "direct criminal responsibility" should be put on commanders and civilian superiors for violations of law committed by subordinates, and recommended judicial investigations into such incidents should be conducted independently of the military's own operational investigations.

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Ukraine: Russia Puts Fighter Jets On Alert

Fighter jets have been put on combat alert by Russia along its border with Ukraine as it pledged to defend the rights of its "compatriots" in the strife-torn country.

It came amid escalating tensions after armed men seized the parliament building and the regional government headquarters in the southern Ukrainian region of Crimea, and hoisted Russian flags.

Meanwhile in the capital Kiev, Ukraine's parliament formally approved the formation of a national coalition government, which faces the hugely complex task of restoring stability in the country.

Police outside the parliament building after it was stormed by armed men

It is also being reported that deposed Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych has been spotted in a luxury five-star hotel and spa outside Moscow, in an exclusive enclave favoured by Russia's super-rich.

Mr Yanukovych, who was driven out of office after three months of protests which spiralled into bloody violence, insists he is still president.

Russia has granted protection to the 63-year-old fugitive, who is wanted in Ukraine on charges of mass murder after police opened fire on demonstrators.

The dawn raid in the Crimean capital of Simferopol saw up to 50 gunmen in combat fatigues storm the official buildings, erect barricades, and put up signs saying 'Crimea is Russian'.

The parliament building has been seized in Simferopol

They are also reported to be wearing black and orange ribbons, a Russian symbol of victory in World War Two.

Ukraine's acting president Oleksandr Turchinov has appealed for calm, and branded the armed raiders as "criminals in military fatigues".

He also urged Russian forces not to leave their base in southern Crimea, warning that it "would be considered a military aggression".

Ukraine's interim interior minister Arsen Avakov said security forces had been put on alert  in Simferopol and the buildings cordoned off "to prevent bloodshed".

It has led Poland's Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski to warn of a "very dangerous game" in Crimea, amid concerns it could trigger a regional conflict.

Barricades have been erected by the gunmen

Crimea is an autonomous republic in the south of Ukraine, around 500 miles from the capital Kiev.

There are mounting signs of separatism in the region which has strong ties to Moscow, and where the majority of the population are Russian speakers.

On Wednesday there was a confrontation between pro-Russia separatists and ethnic Tatars, who support Ukraine's new leaders, outside the parliament building.

Russia has questioned the legitimacy of the new Ukrainian authorities, and has pledged to defend the rights of its "compatriots".

It would react "uncompromisingly" if these were violated, the foreign ministry said in a statement.

President Vladimir Putin has put the military on alert for major exercises

President Vladimir Putin has put the military on alert for major exercises, and announced measures to tighten security at the headquarters of Russia's Black Sea Fleet in Crimea.

The move prompted a rebuke from US Secretary of State John Kerry, who warned Russia against any military intervention in Ukraine.

Stressing the Ukraine crisis should not be seen in a Cold War context, he said: "I want to underscore to everybody that this is not Rocky 4. It is not a zero-sum game."

Nato Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen has also said he was concerned about developments in Ukraine's Crimea, and urged Russia not to do anything that would "escalate tension or create misunderstanding".

Russia has been warned against any military intervention over Ukraine

Ukraine's newly appointed Prime Minister Arseny Yatseniuk, who was a prominent protest leader, has insisted the country would not accept the southern Crimea region breaking away.

Crimea "has been and will be a part of Ukraine," he said.

He also revealed that in the last three years about $70bn had been siphoned out of Ukraine's financial system into offshore accounts.

It came as Russia confirmed it will take part in talks on an International Monetary Fund (IMF) financial package for Ukraine, where the economic situation continues to worsen after months of unrest.

Debt-hit Ukraine has said it needs $35bn (£21bn) over the next two years to avoid bankruptcy.

The European Commission says Russia should be included in efforts to provide financial assistance.

Ukraine has also seen continuous devaluation of its currency amid the political upheaval, which led to Mr Yanukovych being toppled.

Mr Yatseniuk said securing a new loan agreement with the IMF was vital for the country to be able to stabilise the currency.

He also said tough reforms are needed to prevent Ukraine, divided in loyalties between Russia and the West, from collapsing economically and politically.

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Man Faces Charges After Taking Tiger To Bar

A man walks into a bar … with a tiger on a leash.

It sounds like the beginning of a joke but it is not.

John Basile faces misdemeanour charges after he took the big cat into Uncle Richie's bar in Lockport, Illinois.

Mr Basile owns Big Run Wolf Ranch, a run-down animal rescue centre where he keeps wolves, a bear and the tiger.

Witnesses say people started screaming "Is that a tiger?" in disbelief after Mr Basile and his feline companion walked in.

Terry Lemming, Lockport police chief, said: "My concern really was for the people that frequent the downtown area.

"This was at 7.30 at night on a Sunday in an area that has a lot of people walking around."

It is not the first time a big cat has visited the bar - after a woman was bitten by a tiger at the same drinking spot last December.

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Polar Vortex Sends US Into Deep Freeze Again

Weatherman's Woe As US Polar Vortex Returns

Updated: 1:15pm UK, Wednesday 26 February 2014

By Dominic Waghorn, US Correspondent

People in Minneapolis have woken to sub zero temperatures for 49 days this winter.

Local weatherman Ian Leonard has run out of ways of telling them what is on its way.

"How do I make it entertaining?" he asks, only half in jest.

Imagine his predicament. It is not exactly fair, but someone has to take the blame for the worst winter the state of Minnesota has seen in decades.

He said: "People hate me right now. You go into a coffee shop, they give you a sideways glance. It's a tough place to be."

Minnesotans are tough, known for their forbearance in a state that plunges them into the freezer in winter and the sauna in summer.

They are used to being asked by other Americans why they live here.

But Mr Leonard say this winter, "they're asking themselves, why DO we live here?"

On the streets of a residential suburb we found Letitia de-icing her car in just a pair of jeans and a shirt. 

She said: "This is one of the coldest years this is really cold. Keeps getting colder."

Snow drifts four or five feet deep line deserted streets. People hurry from their homes to their cars, warned more than a few minutes outside exposes them to the risk of frostbite.

Temperatures this cold have not been seen here since the early 80s, but even then they did not start as early as they did this winter or last as long.

The polar vortex is being blamed again. An area of rotating very cold air above the North Pole, kept there normally by a belt of high winds. 

This year, the belt has loosened - letting slip polar air as far south as Alabama.

As many as 180 million Americans are expected to be affected as the polar vortex strikes again this week.

The freak weather has killed people, brought frostbite, traffic chaos and power cuts and astronomical heating bills.

It will not make people like Ian Leonard any more popular, but weather experts like him say there is no sign of any let up. 

The polar vortex is here to say. For now at least.

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Gay Conversion Therapy 'Could Be Harmful'

By Amanda Walker, US Correspondent

So-called gay conversion therapy is ineffective and potentially harmful, the American Psychiatric Association has told Sky News.

Moves to end the practice are growing across the US with bans in New Jersey and California.

Virginia is the latest state to debate the therapy which practitioners claim can stop someone being gay.

In the state's general assembly, emotions run high as people who have gone through it offer their story.

Fighting back tears, 36-year-old Gail Dickert said: "There was the 10-year-old girl that was taught she would be bullied because I wasn't right with God.

"The 12-year-old taught she was molested because God was trying to teach her something about boys and she's gay because her mom is too strong and her dad must be a bad man."

Counsellors told Gail Dickert her homosexual feelings were caused by abuse

From the age of 12, counsellors told Ms Dickert her homosexual feelings must have been caused by her father sexually abusing her. He died before she could tell him her accusations were false.

"No I never got to say, on this side of his presence: 'No dad I know that really wasn't a memory'. I never got to say that to him and that is not something I can do anything about. It's the reality so all I can do is say - enough."

For 10 years, Apryl Prentiss was told being a lesbian was evil - her church therapy group went to extreme measures to rid her of it.

"As we were trying these techniques none of them were working," she said.

"It became much more aggressive and we got into praying and laying on of hands with them screaming to renounce the demon of homosexuality and renounce the demon of rebellion.

"It was an exorcism. It did eventually lead to an exorcism - an attempted one obviously."

Christopher Doyle says he is no longer gay. Now married with three children, he works as a therapist treating clients who want to rid themselves of same sex attraction. I asked him if he ever experiences homosexual feelings.

"Not at all. Not at all. I have absolutely no same sex attractions and I have clients and colleagues that have also had similar experience to me where they once felt this way and they don't anymore. Now let's be clear - not everybody is going to have that story.

Christopher Doyle says he is no longer gay

"Not all clients that go into therapy are going to completely eliminate their same sex attractions and that's a reality but there are some that do."

As well as therapy sessions, healing weekends offer group therapy techniques to get rid of homosexual attractions.

Back in Virginia's general assembly, powerful testimony was not enough to sway the largely republican panel - they voted not to ban conversion therapy.

For Mr Doyle's client, Nathan Gniewek, that's good news.

"The tendencies for attraction to the same sex have definitely declined," he said.

"There's no doubt that is so much less severe than it used to be. And as of late I've begun to notice women in ways that I hadn't before - it's like 'oh this is new and interesting'."

But for those who testified it is a devastating blow - but they say they will continue their fight to protect children from suffering the way they did.

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'Italian Job' Rescue Saves Man In China

Rescuers saved a man from a truck hanging off a bridge in scenes reminiscent of The Italian Job.

The driver died after crashing into a viaduct wall in southwest China - but emergency crews were able to rescue another man as the vehicle teetered on the edge of a 20-metre drop.

They used steel wires and a crane to hoist him from the cabin, where he had become trapped when the truck veered off road.

The cabin was crushed in the accident

The entire rescue was captured on film.

Chen Keqi, squadron head of a highway rescue team covering Guiyang City, said: "At the time when our rescuers tied steel wires onto the roof, the truck shook a little - very dangerous.

"The truck damaged in this accident could have broken up at any time."

The crash happened just after 8am in Guiyang City

One third of the truck was hanging off the bridge and the rescue was mounted in the knowledge it could plunge at any time.

Yang Yongjin, head of the rescue team, said: "It was possible to fall from the 20-metre-high bridge amid the operation, so we had to take the driver's life into consideration."

The man escaped with injuries to his feet and legs.

Michael Caine in The Italian Job

The famous ending to the original film version of The Italian Job saw Charlie Croker - played by Michael Caine - and his gang escape from a bus as it wobbled precariously on a cliff edge.

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Ukraine Tensions Rise Amid Crimea Clashes

Pro-Russia separatists and supporters of Ukraine's new leaders have come head to head outside Crimea's regional parliament before a key debate.

Around 2,000 people, many of them ethnic Tatars who are the indigenous group on the Black Sea peninsula, gathered outside the parliament building in Sevastopol in support of the 'Euro-Maidan' movement which ousted President Viktor Yanukovich.

Russia's foreign minister Sergei Lavrov

Meanwhile, several hundred pro-Russia demonstrators chanted their loyalty to Moscow and denounced the "bandits" who had seized power in Ukrainian capital Kiev.

Isolated skirmishes could be seen among the crowds and there were reports of missiles being hurled, but police appeared to be holding the two sides apart as the emergency session took place inside the parliament to discuss the crisis.

Sky News' Alex Rossi, in Sevastopol, said: "A group of Russian supporters tried to storm the parliament, which is in session at the moment, but the police do seem to have things pretty much contained."

Crimea was gifted to Ukraine in 1954 in the Soviet-era by then Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev. With a part of Russia's Black Sea fleet based in the port of Sevastopol, it remains the only region of Ukraine where ethnic Russians dominate in numbers.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered an urgent drill to test the combat readiness of the armed forces across western Russia.

"In accordance with an order from the president of the Russian Federation, forces of the Western Military District were put on alert at 1400 (10am UK time) today," Interfax quoted Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu as saying.

Members of Ukraine's Berkut riot police unit

Russia's foreign minister said the "nationalist and neo-fascist" sentiment in western Ukraine must be "decisively condemned", .

Sergei Lavrov's warning came as Ukraine's acting interior minister said he had disbanded the elite Berkut riot police that protesters blamed for scores of deaths in last week's clashes.

Mr Lavrov made his call to democracy watchdog the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe, which he also said should condemn attempts by nationalists to ban the Russian language in Ukraine.

"Lavrov called on the OSCE to decisively condemn the rise of nationalist and neo-fascist sentiment in the west of the country, (to condemn) calls to ban the Russian language, to turn the Russian-speaking population into 'non-citizens' and to restrict freedom of expression," his ministry said in a statement.

References to fascism are evocative of the Cold War period, when authorities in the East routinely described the West as fascist.

Those who died in the Kiev clashes are being mourned

It came as Ukraine's acting interior minister, Arsen Avakov, announced the end of the riot police unit involved in violence that left almost 100 people dead last week.

"The Berkut is no more," he wrote on his Facebook account.

"I have signed Decree No 144, dated February 25, 2014 on the dissolution of the Berkut special police units of civil defence."

Britain and the US had earlier sought to ease tensions, saying Ukraine should not be a battleground between East and West.

Foreign Secretary William Hague, after talks with his American counterpart John Kerry, backed Ukraine's territorial integrity amid fears that the nation could be torn apart following the protests that ousted pro-Moscow president Viktor Yanukovych.

"This is a country that needs financial assistance from many sources, including from Russia," Mr Hague said.              

"It's not about pulling them away from Russia. It's about enabling them to make their own choices."

Mr Kerry said: "This is not a zero-sum game, it is not a West versus East.

"This is about the people of Ukraine and Ukrainians making their choice about their future."

His comments echoed those previously made by Mr Lavrov, who had said: "We confirmed our principled position of non-intervention in Ukraine's internal affairs.

"We are interested in Ukraine being part of the European family, in all senses of the word. It is dangerous and counterproductive to force Ukraine into a choice."

Meanwhile, former president Mr Yanukovych has been missing since Friday when he fled Kiev. He is wanted by police in the country on charges of mass murder.

His offices and other buildings in Ukraine, including the national bank, are being searched as part of an investigation into his actions.

Hundreds of mourners have been gathering in the centre of Kiev where flowers and other tributes have been left in honour of those who died.

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