Middle East: Complex Web Of Friends And Foes

Rockets fired from Lebanon into Israel at dawn. The opening of a new front for Israel already engaged in an escalating air campaign in the Gaza Strip? No.

Neither the Israelis nor Hezbollah, which has an arsenal of 100,000 rockets and controls southern Lebanon, are that stupid.

The missile attack on Israel's north was an attempt by Sunni militants to spark a confrontation between Hezbollah and Israel that both know would be a zero sum.

Why would Sunnis, in all probability descendants of Palestinian refugees from what is now Israel, want to do that?

It's Hezbollah, a Shia movement, after all, that has been a major conduit of experts, funding and modern rockets to Hamas, a Sunni organisation, in Gaza. Hamas and Hezbollah are allies.

Hamas has condemned the Hezbollah-backed regime of Bashar al Assad

But only when it comes to fighting Israel.

In Syria, Hamas has condemned the Assad regime, which like Hezbollah is backed by Iran.

Sunnis of Palestinian descent are among volunteers who have joined rebel groups fighting Damascus, while Hezbollah has sent thousands of its best fighters to the frontlines to defend the regime of Bashar al Assad.

There is a logic at work here.

If Sunni groups in south Lebanon can sucker the Israelis into a war with Hezbollah they could enjoy the double whammy of reduced pressure on Gaza, and the use of Israel's devastating air power against Hezbollah, the Sunni's enemies in Syria.

No better example of an attempt to kill two birds with one stone.

It won't happen because both Hezbollah and Israel, foes who have the greatest respect for one another, saw through the plot some time back. It's not the first time it has been tried.

But it does signal just how the Middle East's tectonic plates of conflict have shifted and can overlap.

The explosion of sectarian Muslim war between Sunni and Shia in Syria, which has spread into Iraq and has destabilised Lebanon, has become the defining clash in a new age of chaos.

Rival regional powers Saudi Arabia and Iran use proxies to vie for influence and control.

The Saudis have become increasingly nervous of the spread of a Shia crescent from Tehran through Baghdad to Damascus and south Lebanon.

But Tehran has also used enemy forces to bolster the positions of its allies.

According to intelligence sources Muhsin al Fadhli, once a senior al Qaeda figure based in Iraq has taken up an operational roles inside Syria - at the instigation of the Iranian government.

Why would Tehran release someone to fight a key client an ally in Damascus?

Because radical groups like the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) have fought harder against fellow rebel groups than they have against the Assad regime.

Tehran has split the rebels.

But now ISIS threatens Iran's client government in Baghdad showing that an enemy's enemy may be a friend from time to time, but will remain an enemy.

This may be complicated but there is no excuse for stupidity in the Middle East. Failure to comprehend this can be fatal.

20.18 | 0 komentar | Read More

Croc On A Plane: Reptile 'May Have Caused Crash'

An escaped crocodile may have caused a plane crash which killed a British pilot and 18 others, an inquest has heard.

Chris Wilson died when the jet he was co-piloting plunged to the ground during a routine flight across the Congo in August 2010.

No cause for the crash has ever been established but an inquest was told a crocodile may have sparked a stampede by roaming around the aisles moments before the aircraft came down.

It is thought the plane, which was travelling from Kinshasa to Bandundu, may have nosedived as passengers and crew members ran from the reptile.

Assistant Coroner David Dooley said it was "apparently quite normal" for animals to be carried on the plane, adding: "It was used like a taxi in this regard."

"There is apparently a video of the crocodile being taken out of the plane," he told the hearing at Gloucester Coroner's Court.

"(Investigators) think it may have frightened the cabin crew member and she ran forward, with the other passengers following.

"The weight shift caused by the panic may have affected the plane, causing it to nosedive or stall."

Mr Wilson moved to the Democratic Republic of Congo in 2010 after giving up his job as a cabin crew member to follow his dream of becoming a commercial pilot.

The 39-year-old worked for local company Filair but is said to have become increasingly concerned about the flying ability of co-pilot Danny Philemotte, who owned the firm.

In a statement read to the court, his brother, Martin, said:  "Every time he flew with Mr Philemotte, there was always one incident or another.

"He said he didn't want to fly with him anymore.

"He said if it wasn't for the fact they could see where they were going, they wouldn't ever get anywhere because Mr Philemotte couldn't read the instruments.

"He said he didn't know how Mr Philemotte was still alive (because) his flying was so bad."

Timothy Atkinson, an air accident investigator, said he had reviewed evidence from the Congolese authorities but was unable to draw any definitive conclusions because they were not given the plane's black box data recorder.

"There is no evidence suggesting an engine failure or a nose dive, although I cannot be sure without looking at the plane," he told the court.

"The accident appears to have the hallmarks of a stall and spin, which may have been from a variety of causes.

"Essentially, it fell out of the sky."

Mr Dooley recorded an open conclusion, saying a lack of witnesses and data from the black box "have only resulted in vague guesses as to what happened".

20.18 | 0 komentar | Read More

Ukraine Rights Abuses Flagged Up By Amnesty

By Lisa Holland, Foreign Affairs Correspondent

Hundreds of people have been abducted and subjected to horrific beatings in the troubled eastern region of Ukraine, according to campaign group Amnesty International.

After the collapse of the pro-Russian government of President Yanukovych in February this year, Russia seized control of Crimea and separatists in the east of the country have been fighting Ukrainian government forces, prompting the biggest East-West showdown since the Cold War.

Amnesty International gathered information on abductions and attacks such as beatings and torture meted out to activists, protesters and journalists as Kiev lost its hold over the region.

A soldier looking out from an armoured vehicle in eastern Ukraine

"With hundreds abducted over the last three months, the time has come to take stock of what has happened, and stop this abhorrent ongoing practice," said Amnesty's Denis Krivosheev.

There are no comprehensive or reliable figures for the number of abductions - Ukraine itself says there were nearly 500 cases between April and June 2014, but the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission for Ukraine says it recorded 222 cases of abductions in the last three months.

Amnesty says most are being carried out by armed separatists, with the victims often subjected to beatings and torture. But it says there is also evidence of a smaller number of abuses by pro-Kiev forces.

A pro-Russian separatist in the eastern town of Donetsk

It says abductions have taken place across eastern Ukraine in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions.

"Now that pro-Kiev forces are re-establishing control over Slavyansk, Kramatorsk and various other places in eastern Ukraine, new captives are being released almost daily with an increasing number of disturbing cases emerging," said Mr Krivosheev.

"It is time that these are meticulously documented with perpetrators brought to justice with victims awarded compensation."

Hanna, a pro-Ukrainian activist, told Amnesty International how she was abducted by armed men in the eastern city of Donetsk on May 27.

Ukraine troops took control of Slavyansk

She said she was held for six days before being released in a prisoner exchange. She described how she was violently interrogated.

"My face was smashed, he punched me in the face with his fist, he was trying to beat me everywhere, I was covering myself with my hands," she said.

"I was huddled in the corner, curled up in a ball with my hands around my knees. He was angry that I was trying to protect myself. He went out and came back with a knife."

The eastern town was badly shelled last week

Hanna showed scars on her neck, arms and legs where she says she was sliced with the blade: there is a stab wound in her knee, her right index finger is still heavily bandaged in a plastic splint.

She also described how her interrogator made her write a separatist slogan on the wall, in her own blood.

While most abductions appear to have a "political" motivation, there is clear evidence that abduction and torture is being used by armed groups to exert fear and control over local populations. People have also being abducted for ransom.

President Poroshenko was elected in May

Sasha, a 19-year-old pro-Ukrainian activist, fled to Kiev after he was abducted by separatists at gunpoint in Luhansk. He said he was beaten repeatedly for 24 hours.

"They beat me with their fists, a chair, anything they could find. They stubbed out cigarettes on my leg and electrocuted me. It went on for so long, I couldn't feel anything anymore, I just passed out," he said.

He was finally released after his father paid a $60,000 ransom (£35,010).

There are allegations of atrocities on both sides.

One local government official in Mariupol, who wished to remain anonymous, told Amnesty International how they heard a captive separatist fighter wailing in pain at the hands of pro-Kiev forces who were seemingly trying to extract information about the separatists.

The report was published as Ukrainian officials said a missile attack in by pro-separatist fighters may have killed at least 30 soldiers and border guards, with final figures possibly even higher.

20.18 | 0 komentar | Read More

Gaza: Hague 'Concerned About Loss Of Life'

A Complex Web Of Friends And Enemies

Updated: 5:06pm UK, Friday 11 July 2014

By Sam Kiley, Foreign Affairs Editor

Rockets fired from Lebanon into Israel at dawn. The opening of a new front for Israel already engaged in an escalating air campaign in the Gaza Strip? No.

Neither the Israelis nor Hezbollah, which has an arsenal of 100,000 rockets and controls southern Lebanon, are that stupid.

The missile attack on Israel's north was an attempt by Sunni militants to spark a confrontation between Hezbollah and Israel that both know would be a zero sum.

Why would Sunnis, in all probability descendants of Palestinian refugees from what is now Israel, want to do that?

It's Hezbollah, a Shia movement, after all, that has been a major conduit of experts, funding and modern rockets to Hamas, a Sunni organisation, in Gaza. Hamas and Hezbollah are allies.

But only when it comes to fighting Israel.

In Syria, Hamas has condemned the Assad regime, which like Hezbollah is backed by Iran.

Sunnis of Palestinian descent are among volunteers who have joined rebel groups fighting Damascus, while Hezbollah has sent thousands of its best fighters to the frontlines to defend the regime of Bashar al Assad.

There is a logic at work here.

If Sunni groups in south Lebanon can sucker the Israelis into a war with Hezbollah they could enjoy the double whammy of reduced pressure on Gaza, and the use of Israel's devastating air power against Hezbollah, the Sunni's enemies in Syria.

No better example of an attempt to kill two birds with one stone.

It won't happen because both Hezbollah and Israel, foes who have the greatest respect for one another, saw through the plot some time back. It's not the first time it has been tried.

But it does signal just how the Middle East's tectonic plates of conflict have shifted and can overlap.

The explosion of sectarian Muslim war between Sunni and Shia in Syria, which has spread into Iraq and has destabilised Lebanon, has become the defining clash in a new age of chaos.

Rival regional powers Saudi Arabia and Iran use proxies to vie for influence and control.

The Saudis have become increasingly nervous of the spread of a Shia crescent from Tehran through Baghdad to Damascus and south Lebanon.

But Tehran has also used enemy forces to bolster the positions of its allies.

According to intelligence sources Muhsin al Fadhli, once a senior al Qaeda figure based in Iraq has taken up an operational roles inside Syria - at the instigation of the Iranian government.

Why would Tehran release someone to fight a key client an ally in Damascus?

Because radical groups like the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) have fought harder against fellow rebel groups than they have against the Assad regime.

Tehran has split the rebels.

But now ISIS threatens Iran's client government in Baghdad showing that an enemy's enemy may be a friend from time to time, but will remain an enemy.

This may be complicated but there is no excuse for stupidity in the Middle East. Failure to comprehend this can be fatal.

20.18 | 0 komentar | Read More

Ukraine Rights Abuses Flagged Up By Amnesty

By Lisa Holland, Foreign Affairs Correspondent

Hundreds of people have been abducted and subjected to horrific beatings in the troubled eastern region of Ukraine, according to campaign group Amnesty International.

After the collapse of the pro-Russian government of President Yanukovych in February this year, Russia seized control of Crimea and separatists in the east of the country have been fighting Ukrainian government forces, prompting the biggest east-west showdown since the Cold War.

Amnesty International's report has gathered information on abductions and attacks such as beatings and torture meted out to activists, protesters and journalists as Kiev lost its hold over the region.

A soldier looking out from an armoured vehicle in eastern Ukraine

"With hundreds abducted over the last three months, the time has come to take stock of what has happened, and stop this abhorrent ongoing practice," said Amnesty's Denis Krivosheev.

There are no comprehensive or reliable figures for the number of abductions - Ukraine itself says there were nearly 500 cases between April and June 2014 but the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission for Ukraine says it recorded 222 cases of abductions in the last three months.

Amnesty says most are being carried out by armed separatists, with the victims often subjected to beatings and torture. But it says there is also evidence of a smaller number of abuses by pro-Kiev forces.

A pro-Russian separatist in the eastern town of Donetsk

It says abductions have taken place across eastern Ukraine in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions.

"Now that pro-Kiev forces are re-establishing control over Slavyansk, Kramatorsk and various other places in eastern Ukraine, new captives are being released almost daily with an increasing number of disturbing cases emerging," said Mr Krivosheev..

"It is time that these are meticulously documented with perpetrators brought to justice with victims awarded compensation."

Hanna, a pro-Ukrainian activist, told Amnesty International how she was abducted by armed men in the eastern city of Donetsk on May 27.

Ukraine troops took control of Slavyansk

She said she was held for six days before being released in a prisoner exchange. She described how she was violently interrogated.

"My face was smashed, he punched me in the face with his fist, he was trying to beat me everywhere, I was covering myself with my hands … I was huddled in the corner, curled up in a ball with my hands around my knees. He was angry that I was trying to protect myself. He went out and came back with a knife."

Hanna showed scars on her neck, arms and legs where she says she was sliced with the blade: there is a stab wound in her knee, her right index finger is still heavily bandaged in a plastic splint.

The eastern town was badly shelled last week

She also described how her interrogator made her write a separatist slogan on the wall, in her own blood.

While most abductions appear to have a "political" motivation, there is clear evidence that abduction and torture is being used by armed groups to exert fear and control over local populations. People have also being abducted for ransom.

Sasha, a 19-year-old pro-Ukrainian activist, fled to Kiev after he was abducted by separatists at gunpoint in Luhansk. He said he was beaten repeatedly for 24 hours.

President Poroshenko was elected in May

"They beat me with their fists, a chair, anything they could find. They stubbed out cigarettes on my leg and electrocuted me. It went on for so long, I couldn't feel anything anymore, I just passed out," he said.

He was finally released after his father paid a $60,000 ransom (£35,010).

There are allegations of atrocities on both sides.

One local government official in Mariupol, who wished to remain anonymous, told Amnesty International how they heard a captive separatist fighter wailing in pain at the hands of pro-Kiev forces who were seemingly trying to extract information about the separatists.

The report was published as Ukrainian officials said a missile attack in by pro-separatist fighters may have killed at least 30 soldiers and border guards, with final figures possibly even higher.

20.18 | 0 komentar | Read More

'Omar The Chechen' Should Come Home, Says Dad

By Katie Stallard, Moscow Correspondent, in Pankisi, Georgia

The father of ISIS commander Omar al Shishani has told Sky News his son felt rejected by his country when he left to fight jihad.

With his distinctive red beard, al Shishani has become one of the most recognisable faces of a group now notorious for extreme brutality in its pursuit of an Islamic state across large swathes of Iraq and Syria.

But his father remembers a young man who was never particularly religious, but who always wanted to be a soldier.

Born in the remote Pankisi Gorge in Northern Georgia, an area once seen as a stronghold for Chechen militants, his real name is Tarkhan Batirashvili.

When he was younger, he worked as a shepherd boy in the hills above the gorge, where he reportedly first met Chechen fighters, crossing the Caucasus mountains to fight Russian forces across the border.

Al Shishani was 'tormented' when he was not allowed back in the army

"He was a very good boy, very well behaved," Timur Batirashvili remembers.

"Always very intelligent, very nice, he hated when people lied.

"Do you know what I think now? I didn't know my son. I didn't know him at all."

Tarkhan joined the Georgian army and served in the Russia-Georgia war in 2008. His father said he seemed happy, that he had found his place in the world.

Mr Batirashvili says he son told him to convert to Islam and hung up on him

He was due to be promoted to become an officer, and told his father their lives were about to change, that he was going to earn so much more money.

But then he was diagnosed with tuberculosis and admitted to hospital, after which he was discharged from the army on medical grounds.

He tried and failed to get back in - Mr Batirashvili said he was "tormented" - sent from office to office to no avail.

'Omar the Chechen' comes from Georgia's Pankisi Gorge

A few months later he was arrested and sent to prison for possession of illegal weapons.

"When he came back from prison he was really thin," Mr Batirashvili said.

"He lost his colour in prison, and he told me, 'Father, this means that this country doesn't need me.'

"I haven't seen him ever since. He felt really bad, he was really angry.

"He made a pact that if he left the prison alive he would start a holy war for God.

"'I will start a holy war in the name of God', he said, and that's what he's doing right now."

He reappeared in Syria last year under a new name, Omar al Shishani - which translates as Omar the Chechen - and became the leader of an al Qaeda-inspired group, The Army of Emigrants and Partisans, before pledging his allegiance to ISIS.

Mr Batirashvili said his son phoned him once, asking whether everything was okay, and whether he was praying to God.

When he replied that he was praying to Saint George, a Christian saint, al Shishani told him he should convert to Islam and hung up.

We asked him what he would say to his son if he could speak to him now.

He said: "Come back home. I am an old man. I need to be taken care of, I need to be looked after. Come home."

20.18 | 0 komentar | Read More

Israelis Using Apps To Avoid Incoming Rockets

It is an app that has been described as pointless and stupid, but a new use for Yo is potentially saving lives in Israel.

It is one of a range of apps and web services on which Israelis are increasingly relying to alert them to incoming rocket attacks from Gaza.

The Red Alert: Israel app's notification screen

The app lets users send just one word - Yo - to friends and followers. People who are friends with an account called Red Alert: Israel get a Yo message every time a missile is incoming.

There is also a standalone Red Alert app, which has been downloaded by more than 500,000 people in recent days - which provides real-time information on rocket launches.

It is not the only alert system - warning sirens wail and radio stations and TV channels interrupt broadcasts to alert citizens of incoming rockets.

But as more people embrace smartphone technology, demand for alternative ways to be notified of potential blasts has grown.

Developer Ari Sprung told the Washington Post: "I don't know if it's saving lives, but it's a great tool for letting people know what is going on in real time, and it gives them a personal alarm system.

"People who have families in the south are downloading it because they want to see what is going on there."

Israel's air strikes on Gaza have killed 80 people - mostly civilians

He says the information on rocket launches comes directly from Israeli military sources.

Meanwhile an app called SOS NowForce was developed by volunteer emergency service United Hatzalah after the kidnapping of three teenagers in June - who were later found shot dead.

Users can swipe the screen rather than make a phone call to notify emergency services of an incident.

The app sends the GPS co-ordinates to United Hatazalah, and contacts pre-programmed friends and family members.

Also, when the sirens wail people often need to find a secure spot in which to shelter in.

An app called Secure Space shows iPhone users where the nearest bomb shelter can be found.

More than 550 rockets have been fired from Gaza into Israel since Tuesday when the Israeli army launched an operation targeting Hamas militants.

The Iron Dome defence system means most rockets don't land in Israel

Most have been intercepted by its Iron Dome missile defence system and no fatalities have been reported.

Israel's offensive has killed an estimated 100 Palestinians, according to medics there.

20.18 | 0 komentar | Read More

Hamas: Israel's Main Airport Will Be Targeted

The armed wing of Hamas has threatened an imminent attack on Israel's main airport in response to Israeli airstrikes on Gaza that have now reportedly killed 100 Palestinians.

The Izz el-Deen al-Qassam Brigades warned they planned to fire rockets at Tel Aviv's Ben-Gurion international airport through the course of the day.

It urged airlines to divert their flights for the safety of their passengers.

Israeli airstrikes have killed at least 100 people, most of them civilians

"In the light of Israel's ... attacks on the residents of Gaza Strip ... The armed wing of Hamas movement has decided to respond to the Israeli aggression and we warn you against carrying out flights to Ben Gurion airport, which will be one of our targets today because it also hosts a military air base," it said.

A spokesman for Israel's Airports Authority said activity at Ben Gurion was briefly halted after an air raid siren sounded, but operations has since resumed.

The Israeli army launched an offensive targeting Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip on Tuesday. 

A rocket from Gaza hit a petrol station in Israel early Friday

Hamas health ministry spokesman Ashraf al Qudra was quoted by AFP as saying 100 Palestinians had been killed since then after two men were killed in the Bureij area.

Hours earlier, the military bombarded the city of Rafah, killing six people. Five of them, including a seven-year-old child, died in a strike on the home of an alleged Islamist militant.

According to Palestinian officials most of the victims over the past four days have been civilians, many of them children.

The Israeli military says the offensive, named Operation Protective Edge, comes in the wake of persistent rocket fire from Gaza into Israel. 

It says more than 550 rockets have been fired into Israel since Tuesday alone, but there have so far been no Israeli fatalities.

Many rockets, including three spotted over Tel Aviv on Friday, have been intercepted by Israel's partly US-funded Iron Dome missile defence system.

Five Palestinians were killed overnight in a strike on a home in Rafah

However, one struck a petrol station in the Israeli city of Ashdod in the early hours of the morning, triggering a major blaze.

The Israeli fire service said several people were injured in the attack, one of them seriously.

One witness told Sky News' Alex Rossi he was filling up his car when air raid sirens went off. 

"We heard a huge explosion and after (that) a big ball of fire and (there were) a lot of people injured," he said. "We are lucky to be alive."

Soldiers inspect a shell thought to have been launched from Lebanon

For the first time at least one rocket was also reportedly launched from southern Lebanon which, according to Israeli army spokesman Lt. Col. Peter Lerner, struck Israel's northern border, prompting the military to respond with artillery fire.

It is not yet known who was responsible for the attack, although fire from Lebanon has previously been blamed on radical Palestinian factions. 

Southern Lebanon is also a stronghold of the Shia militant group Hezbollah which has battled Israel on numerous occasions.

Rocket fire from Gaza aimed at Israel has increased in recent days

With no end to the violence in sight, US President Barack Obama has told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that Washington would be willing to help negotiate a truce.

Mr Obama said he was concerned the fighting could escalate and "called for all sides to do everything they can to protect the lives of civilians", the White House said.

"The United States remains prepared to facilitate a cessation of hostilities, including a return to the November 2012 ceasefire agreement."

20.18 | 0 komentar | Read More

Recovery Fears Return To World Stock Markets

Stock markets are taking a pounding due to fears over the global economic recovery and a crisis of confidence at Portugal's largest bank.

Weak economic data from Italy and mounting concern about the future of Banco Espirito Santo drove the sell-off, spreading from southern euro nations across Europe.

Portugal's PSI was almost 4.5% down by 12:30pm BST - with banking stocks worst affected as allegations surfaced that Banco Espirito Santo's parent firm covered up a €1.3bn (£1bn) hole in its accounts.

The Italian MIB and IBEX in Spain had both lost more than 2% - with the DAX in Germany and French CAC shedding 1.5%.

The rush for safe havens, and gold in particular, was also seen in London - the FTSE 100 losing just shy of 1% after bleeding value each day over the course of the week amid fears of a looming correction.

The problems in Portugal were blamed on shares and bonds of Espirito Santo Financial Group, the chief shareholder in Banco Espirito Santo, being suspended over "material difficulties" at the parent firm.

It was reported earlier by the Portuguese newspaper Diaro Economico that Espirito Santo FG was considering filing for controlled insolvency if debt renegotiations with clients failed.

Banco Espirito Santo shares dived more than 17% at one stage despite government assurances the bank was solid.

Trading in the bank's shares was later suspended - pending an announcement.

Italy's contribution to the sell-off was economic data which showed Italian industrial output posting its steepest monthly fall since
November 2012 in May, casting doubts over the country's economic recovery.

Nerves were already frayed across world stock markets after confirmation the previous evening that the US Federal Reserve would end its quantitative easing programme in October if the US recovery continued on its current course.

The move would effectively cut off the supply of cheap credit the financial markets had grown used to since after the financial crisis - the stimulus being cited as artificially lifting world stock market values - some to record highs in recent months.

Dow Jones futures showed a 1% tumble was expected, 90 minutes ahead of opening on Wall Street.

Alistair McCaig, market analyst at IG, said of activity on the FTSE 100: "That 6,700 from a psychological point of view was giving it a bit of confidence, and with the 200 day moving average around there as well, we were looking for some support.

"When that didn't transpire and we have broad weakness across Europe, it's a risk off day on the FTSE 100."

20.18 | 0 komentar | Read More

Kim Jong-Un Pictured Watching Rocket Launch

Photographs of North Korea's leader Kim Jong-Un at a rocket firing drill have been released by the secretive state.

The country's state-run television station KRT broadcast the stills showing Mr Kim speaking to military officials.

Mr Kim called on troops to prepare for both words and actions, stressing to keep up combat readiness, KRT said.

The drills took place on the western border

The exact date and location of the visit on the western border are not known.

The images emerged a day after the North launched short-range missiles into its eastern waters.

The missiles, which an official of the South Korean joint chiefs of staff said appeared to be ballistic Scud-class, were launched from a province in western North Korea and flew about 500km (310 miles) before falling into waters to the northeast.

South Korea condemned the launch as a "serious provocation" that threatened stability on the peninsula.

Mr Kim appears in good spirits with military officials

UN resolutions bar the North from conducting any ballistic missile tests.

Wednesday's test was "unusual", ministry spokesman Kim Min-Seok said, because the missiles were fired from a sensitive location close to the demilitarised zone (DMZ) which has bisected the peninsula since the Korean war ended in a fragile armistice.

"It appeared to be aimed at delivering a message ... that South Korea could be the target of surprise attacks by North Korean ballistic missiles anytime and from any place," he said.

20.18 | 0 komentar | Read More

Funerals In Gaza As Hamas And Israel Trade Fire

The Calculus Of Conflict For Hamas

Updated: 3:54pm UK, Wednesday 09 July 2014

By Sam Kiley, Foreign Affairs Editor

In the morbid calculus of conflict between Israel and Palestinian militants, both sides are drawing satisfaction from the recent bout of violence.

Hamas and its allies will be delighted to know that some 3.5 million Israelis have been added to their potential target list with the launching of long-range rockets which have landed close to Haifa, over 100 miles north.

The Israelis have mobilised 40,000 troops and are systematically smashing Hamas' military infrastructure with scores of air raids and naval bombardments every day.

It's clear this is now seen as the opportunity for Israel to rid the region of Hamas.

Mark Regev, the Israeli spokesman, told Sky News: "Our strategic goal is ultimately defensive. We want to end rocket attacks not just on southern Israel (as) rockets hit further north."

He added: "Over the last few years, Hamas has built up, in Gaza, a formidable terrorist machine. We're now acting to dismantle that machine".

Mr Regev went on to confirm there were no realistic diplomatic avenues to explore and that Israel was escalating its military operations to "once and for all" destroy Hamas' military capabilities.

Hamas will take a nihilistic satisfaction from this explicit threat.

It is opposed to the existence of the Jewish State.

It recently agreed to form a technocratic government with the Palestinian Authority of Mahmoud Abbas, which includes no Hamas members but is a 'technocratic administration'.

Facing declining popularity and economic ruin in Gaza, Hamas will now claim that an attack on it is an attack on all Palestinians.

So a ground invasion is just what a movement, which specialises in suicide attacks, most relishes.

It would be an opportunity for volunteers to ascend to paradise while taking enemy soldiers to "hell".

Israel must know that a ground assault might offer it the opportunity to destroy Hamas, blow up its honeycomb of tunnels beneath Gaza and blow up the vast stockpiles of missiles the militant group is believed to have.

But there is a risk of counter attack from the rear.

The West Bank is already close to a third uprising against Israel.

There were already fears that Israel's mass arrests, house demolitions and the killings of several Palestinians following the murder of three Jewish settler youths near Hebron would trigger a new intifada.

So far, the Palestinian Authority has managed to keep a lid on a wider insurrection but at the cost of being seen as collaborating with Israel in an occupation which shows no sign of ending after the collapse of peace talks earlier this year.

If Israel makes good on its threat to "dismantle" Hamas, Palestinians on the West Bank may rise up.

Or, less likely but now conceivable, the Palestinian Authority may seize a moment of Israeli distraction to dissolve itself, forcing Israel to effectively re-occupy the cities handed over to Palestinian control and turn the clock back over 20 years of largely fruitless negotiation.

A move like that would be a gamble and appear a fatal blow to long-term peace.

It could also be seen as the drastic measure needed to focus the calculations of both sides beyond narrow equations in the conflict.

20.18 | 0 komentar | Read More

Video Of Narrow Tornado Escape For Sailors

Dramatic footage has been released of two British sailors being washed off the side of a yacht as it is knocked flat by a tornado in the middle of the ocean.

The video shows Sarah Usher and Liz Richards desperately trying to grab hold of the boat as they were swept overboard in the freak weather.

The yacht is blown on to its side

Their 70ft yacht - part of the Clipper Round The World Yacht Race for novice sailors between the ages of 18 and 74 - was blown on to one side, then smashed to the other side as the tornado struck.

It was all over within a minute

Winds of more than 115mph pinned the yacht down for around 60 seconds.

Paul Hardy says the incident was a reminder that the sea 'is boss'

As they eased, the footage shows the boat's crew pulling the pair out of the water and back on board.

In the video, crew member Paul Hardy, a 43-year-old IT consultant from Brighton, is seen describing what happened and how he himself was submerged by the sea.

He said: "All of a sudden the wind picked up and the noise picked up … water started to rise and I knew there was something wrong … I tried to get out of the water and climb up on to the mast and then saw the water spout."

It happened when the team were a week out of Australia heading towards the equator with heavy rain and squalls battering the fleet.

The round-the-world race is described by organisers as the world's longest and toughest ocean race, taking place over 11 months and covering more than 40,000 miles across six continents.

Now in its ninth year, the race comes to an end this Saturday in London.

20.18 | 0 komentar | Read More

World Cup: Brazil Defeat Sparks Unrest Fears

Brazil Coach: 'The Worst Day Of My Life'

Updated: 7:18am UK, Wednesday 09 July 2014

Luiz Felipe Scolari has said watching his side being crushed 7-1 by Germany was the worst day of his life.

And Brazil president Dilma Rousseff said she was sad and sorry.

Argentina coach Alejandro Sabella, whose side play the Netherlands in the other semi-final on Wednesday, said the result was "not normal" but showed "why (football) is beautiful".

Here is more of what they and others had to say about the "extraordinary" and "bewildering" game in Belo Horizonte:

BRAZIL COACH LUIZ FELIPE SCOLARI

"If I were to think of my life as a footballer, as a coach, as a physical education teacher, I think it was the worst day of my life.

"I'm going to be remembered probably because I lost 7-1, the worst defeat in Brazil's history, but that was a risk I knew I was running when I walked into this position.

"My message for the Brazilian people and fans is that we tried to do what we could, we lost to a great team who had the skill to end the game in just six or seven minutes with four goals."

BRAZIL STAND-IN CAPTAIN DAVID LUIZ

"I just wanted to make my people happy. Unfortunately, we couldn't. I'm sorry, I'm sorry to all Brazilians, I just wanted to see them smile, everyone knows how important it was."

BRAZIL GOALKEEPER JULIO CESAR

"It's very hard to explain the unexplainable."

BRAZIL PRESIDENT DILMA ROUSSEFF

"Like every Brazilian, I am very, very sad about this defeat. I am immensely sorry for all of us. But we won't let ourselves stay down. Brazil, get up, dust yourself off and move forward."

BRAZIL FAN RIBEIRO FRANCA AFTER GERMANY'S FIFTH GOAL

"Five-nil is so embarassing, we're not going to stay any longer. One-nil is fine, one-one, two-one, two-two, but five-nil is shameful for a country that has a tradition of football. Bye. Bye."

GERMAN COACH JOACHIM LOEW

"They were shocked and didn't expect to fall behind. And after that it was an easy match for us. I feel sorry for him (Scolari). I think I know how he feels."

ARGENTINA COACH ALEJANDRO SABELLA

"Seven-one is not a normal result between two world footballing powers. (But) football can be like that. Sometimes things happen that you don't expect, and that is why it is beautiful."

FORMER BRAZIL MIDFIELDER JUNINHO PAULISTA

"It will be difficult to recover. Some players I don't think will be back to wear the Brazilian shirt. It is wrong now to criticise the players. On the field, Germany taught us how to play football."

FORMER ENGLAND STRIKER GARY LINEKER

"In nigh on half a century of watching football, that's the most extraordinary, staggering, bewildering game I've ever witnessed."

FORMER GERMANY MIDFIELDER DIETMAR HAMANN

"Master class from Germany. Clinical, organised, hard-working, unselfish and humble. Very proud of the team. One to go."

FORMER ENGLAND DEFENDER RIO FERDINAND                           

"I would worry that the Brazilian players might never recover from this. Some might not be able to come back."

20.18 | 0 komentar | Read More

Israel Pounds Gaza As Hamas Fires Across Border

The Israeli military says it has shot down more rockets sent by Palestinian militants as Israel's major air offensive over the Gaza Strip enters its second day.

A spokesperson for the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) said the military intercepted a total of eight rockets sent from Gaza on Wednesday.

Two were intercepted over Tel Aviv, three over Ashdod and three over the city Ashkelon.

In Gaza, meanwhile, news agency AP has reported that a further 14 Palestinians have been killed in fresh Israeli strikes.

The fatalities come after at least 23 people, including children, were killed overnight in the biggest Israeli assault on Gaza in nearly two years.

A wounded Palestinian is stretchered into hospital

The Israeli military said it targeted 160 sites, bringing the total number of targets hit as part of "Operation Protective Edge" to 440.

Israeli government spokesman Mark Regev told Sky News the operation is a "defensive" measure, taken in response to scores of rockets fired across the border by the Islamist militant group Hamas.

The exchange of fire marks the heaviest fighting between Israel and Hamas, which controls Gaza, since an eight-day battle in November 2012.

The Israeli cabinet has warned it may now send ground troops into Gaza, and has authorised the call-up of as many as 40,000 reservists.

Hamas has targeted numerous cities including Tel Aviv and Jerusalem in recent days.

IDF confirmed that one rocket landed as far away as Hadera, which is 60 miles from the Gaza Strip.

In Holon, in central Israel, wedding guests were forced to run to shelter after sirens alerted them to incoming missiles.

A house in Gaza destroyed by an Israeli attack

Video footage shows the Iron Dome defence system intercept an incoming rocket.

IDF also posted an image on Twitter which it said shows rockets being sent from civilian areas in Gaza.

It captioned the picture: "PROOF: #Hamas fires at Israel from populated areas and uses Palestinians in #Gaza as human shields."

Announcing the start of "Operation Protective Edge", Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said continued rocket attacks on Israeli communities would not be tolerated.

The IDF says Hamas is firing from civilian areas. Pic: IDF/Twitter

"Therefore I have ordered the military to significantly broaden its operation against Hamas terrorists and against the other terrorist groups inside Gaza," he said on national TV.

However Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas condemned the Israeli offensive as an "orchestrated and brutal aggression."

He said he had called on the international community and the United Nations to "provide international protection for our people."

Israel and Hamas had, until recently, been observing a truce that ended the 2012 hostilities.

Israeli tanks at the southern border with the Gaza Strip

Tensions increased last month after three Israeli teenagers were kidnapped and killed in the West Bank.

Israel blamed Hamas and launched a crackdown on the group's members and arrested hundreds of people.

The situation deteriorated last week when a Palestinian teenager in Jerusalem was abducted and burned to death in what was viewed as a revenge attack.

According to news agency Reuters, a US official involved in the investigation into the deaths of the three Israeli youths has revealed they were shot at least 10 times with a silenced gun, indicating premeditated murder.

20.18 | 0 komentar | Read More

Brazil In Hell But Germany In Seventh Heaven

Brazil Coach: 'The Worst Day Of My Life'

Updated: 7:18am UK, Wednesday 09 July 2014

Luiz Felipe Scolari has said watching his side being crushed 7-1 by Germany was the worst day of his life.

And Brazil president Dilma Rousseff said she was sad and sorry.

Argentina coach Alejandro Sabella, whose side play the Netherlands in the other semi-final on Wednesday, said the result was "not normal" but showed "why (football) is beautiful".

Here is more of what they and others had to say about the "extraordinary" and "bewildering" game in Belo Horizonte:

BRAZIL COACH LUIZ FELIPE SCOLARI

"If I were to think of my life as a footballer, as a coach, as a physical education teacher, I think it was the worst day of my life.

"I'm going to be remembered probably because I lost 7-1, the worst defeat in Brazil's history, but that was a risk I knew I was running when I walked into this position.

"My message for the Brazilian people and fans is that we tried to do what we could, we lost to a great team who had the skill to end the game in just six or seven minutes with four goals."

BRAZIL STAND-IN CAPTAIN DAVID LUIZ

"I just wanted to make my people happy. Unfortunately, we couldn't. I'm sorry, I'm sorry to all Brazilians, I just wanted to see them smile, everyone knows how important it was."

BRAZIL GOALKEEPER JULIO CESAR

"It's very hard to explain the unexplainable."

BRAZIL PRESIDENT DILMA ROUSSEFF

"Like every Brazilian, I am very, very sad about this defeat. I am immensely sorry for all of us. But we won't let ourselves stay down. Brazil, get up, dust yourself off and move forward."

BRAZIL FAN RIBEIRO FRANCA AFTER GERMANY'S FIFTH GOAL

"Five-nil is so embarassing, we're not going to stay any longer. One-nil is fine, one-one, two-one, two-two, but five-nil is shameful for a country that has a tradition of football. Bye. Bye."

GERMAN COACH JOACHIM LOEW

"They were shocked and didn't expect to fall behind. And after that it was an easy match for us. I feel sorry for him (Scolari). I think I know how he feels."

ARGENTINA COACH ALEJANDRO SABELLA

"Seven-one is not a normal result between two world footballing powers. (But) football can be like that. Sometimes things happen that you don't expect, and that is why it is beautiful."

FORMER BRAZIL MIDFIELDER JUNINHO PAULISTA

"It will be difficult to recover. Some players I don't think will be back to wear the Brazilian shirt. It is wrong now to criticise the players. On the field, Germany taught us how to play football."

FORMER ENGLAND STRIKER GARY LINEKER

"In nigh on half a century of watching football, that's the most extraordinary, staggering, bewildering game I've ever witnessed."

FORMER GERMANY MIDFIELDER DIETMAR HAMANN

"Master class from Germany. Clinical, organised, hard-working, unselfish and humble. Very proud of the team. One to go."

FORMER ENGLAND DEFENDER RIO FERDINAND                           

"I would worry that the Brazilian players might never recover from this. Some might not be able to come back."

20.18 | 0 komentar | Read More

'Flash Raid' On World Cup Crowd Sparks Panic

Brazil In Hell, Germany In Seventh Heaven

Updated: 9:59am UK, Wednesday 09 July 2014

By Paul Kelso, Sports Correspondent, Rio de Janeiro

Brazil's coach Luiz Felipe Scolari said winning this World Cup would take "seven steps to reach paradise".

In Belo Horizonte, at the sixth step, with the summit in sight, they tripped and fell. Who knows when they will land.

The scale of their defeat to Germany was so shocking it needs spelling out. Seven-one is a Sunday morning scoreline, not one to be inked into the record books of football's greatest tournament.

For a team that has traded so deliberately on faith and emotion, this was a descent into hell. Judging by the public mood in the immediate aftermath, Brazilians may demand a long stay in purgatory before they can think of moving on.

It represents a deep humiliation for the five-times champions. It is their worst ever World Cup defeat and their heaviest since a 6-0 loss to Uruguay in 1920.

In the litany of national sporting disasters it ranks alongside the 3-0 defeat to France in the 1998 World Cup final, and more painfully the 1950 loss to Uruguay in the Maracana.

That loss earned an epithet, "Maracanaza", a shorthand for national shame. This tournament was meant to offer redemption for the sins of the last century. Instead, Brazil now has a "Mineiraozo", a fresh catastrophe to make Brazilian's shudder whenever the stadium in Belo Horizonte is mentioned.

If you think that sounds dramatic consider the headlines. "Shame of shames" said Globo's website. Lance! went for "The biggest shame in history".

To their credit - about the only thing that was on a traumatic night - Scolari and his players did not duck responsibility. Captain David Luiz, the poster boy for a derelict defensive display - only stopped crying long enough to apologise. And the coach, plain "Felipao" to the nation in happier times 24 hours earlier, accepted all responsibility.

And so he should. His attacking selection, featuring just two holding midfield players, was fatally exposed as reckless by a German side who outnumbered their opponents and then destroyed them.

Scolari's deeply melodramatic approach must also be questioned. They tried every emotional trick in the book, even holding up the missing Neymar's No 10 shirt during the national anthem to stir the stadium to its foundations.

But what Brazil needed in the face of a dazzling German display was clear heads, not misty eyes. Perhaps as a result, having conceded a dreadful opening goal to Thomas Muller, they froze, like perhaps no team before them in international football. Four more goals followed in six minutes, five in 19 minutes in total, and with not even half an hour played.

So good were Germany, and so complete was Brazil's loss of poise, it could have been 10.

The impact of Brazil's loss is compelling, but it should not detract from the German achievement here.

This is a side that has reached the semi-final in each of the last four major tournaments, and has only been denied a title by the brilliant Spanish side that gave up its world crown here.

They possess a wonderfully talented generation of players who combine a fluid, modern style with the focus and resilience of their forebears. They are a delight to watch, a surprise apparently even to themselves at times, and would be worthy winners of a dazzling World Cup.

Only a Dutch side marshalled by the formidable Louis Van Gaal or a Messi-inspired Argentina stand in their way. On this form, neither will be enough to stop Germany completing the seventh step to heaven.

20.18 | 0 komentar | Read More

Israel Bombs Gaza After Hamas Rocket Fire

Israel has launched air and sea strikes on more than 50 targets in the Gaza Strip to quell the rocket and mortar attacks over the border by Hamas militants.

The Israeli military said the campaign - dubbed Operation Protective Edge - could form part of an extended offensive on the Hamas-ruled territory and is in retaliation for the attacks against it.

"They chose the direction of escalation," said army spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Peter Lerner.

"So the mission will go on as long as we feel it is necessary to carry it out. We don't expect it to be a short mission on our behalf."

A Palestinian man wounded in an Israeli airstrike receives treatment

He added that additional reservists were being recruited for a possible ground invasion of Gaza.

Among the sites targeted by the aerial and naval assaults were four homes of alleged Hamas operatives, concealed rocket launchers, militant compounds and training bases.

Palestinian media reported at least 15 people, including a child, had been injured. An emergency services spokesman said four people had been killed, including a man in an area close to the Nusseirat refugee camp in central Gaza.

There was also a suggestion one of the houses targeted was of a senior Hamas military-wing figure.

A Palestinian boy carries belongings from a bombed house

Sky's Middle East Reporter Tom Rayner, on the Israel-Gaza border, said: "Israel says it has also intercepted rockets. This morning we have seen about four or five rockets fired from northern Gaza towards southern Israeli cities."

Hamas warned Israel had "crossed a red line" and would pay the price, threatening an "earthquake" in response to the attacks.

"If this policy does not stop, we will respond by enlarging the radius of our targets to the point where the enemy will be surprised," the group's military wing said in a statement.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas demanded Israel end its assault and called on the international community "to immediately intervene to halt this dangerous escalation which would lead the region to more destruction and instability".

An Israeli airstrike on Gaza International Airport in Rafah on Monday

The Israeli military said close to 100 rockets had been fired at southern Israel on Monday alone.

Israel responded with dozens of airstrikes and eight Palestinian militants were killed.

Tensions in the region have been inflamed following the kidnap and murder of three Israeli teenagers - Gilad Shaar, Naftali Frenkel and Eyal Yifrach - and the suspected revenge killing of 16-year-old Palestinian teenager Mohammed Abu Khadair.

The bodies of the three young Israelis were discovered in shallow graves on June 30, nearly three weeks after they disappeared while hitchhiking home.

Mohammed was burned alive, according to a preliminary post-mortem examination. He was found in the Jerusalem Forest last week.

Three of the six people arrested over his death have reportedly confessed but charges are yet to be brought.

20.18 | 0 komentar | Read More

North Korea's Kim Jong-Un Caught Off Balance

By Mark Stone, Asia Correspondent

The North Korean leader appears to have sustained an injury to his leg.

Footage of Kim Jong-Un limping onto a stage in the country's parliament building was broadcast on North Korean state television.

The young leader was attending a ceremony to mark the anniversary of the death of his grandfather, Kim Il-Sung, who died 20 years ago.

The North Korean leader seems to be favouring his right leg

In the footage, Mr Kim walks briskly onto an empty stage clearly limping. Another camera angle shows him sitting on the stage looking particularly stern.

The limp has not been acknowledged by the North Korean authorities. It is unusual for the regime to show the country's leader displaying anything other than perfect health.

Mr Kim's grandfather, Kim Il Sung, developed a tennis-ball-sized growth on the back of his neck in his latter years. State media was banned from filming or photographing him from certain angles. 

Kim Jong-Un inspects sharks at the Songdowon International Children's Camp

The Supreme Leader was not filmed leaving the ceremony which was broadcast live. He did not speak at the event but listened to the country's nominal head of state Kim Yong Nam who hailed the late Kim Il-Sung as "the greatest leader in human history".

Kim Il-Sung, the founding leader of North Korea, ruled the county from its establishment in 1948 until his death in 1994.

He was succeeded by Kim Jong-Un's father, Kim Jong-Il - he died in December 2011 and power was transferred to the youngest Kim.

20.18 | 0 komentar | Read More

'Dangerous' Typhoon Races Towards Japan Islands

By Mark Stone, Asia Correspondent

A warning of significant damage to property has been issued in coastal regions of western Japan as Typhoon Neoguri continues its path across the country.

Half a million people in Okinawa Prefecture have been urged to evacuate, with Japan's main broadcaster NHK warning of possible "extensive damage" caused by a storm surge.

The storm was downgraded from its super-typhoon status overnight and its core appears to have missed the southern Japanese islands.

But even its periphery has brought strong winds, with a speed of 107mph recorded on Okinawa Island.

Airports and schools have been closed in Okinawa and fishermen have been told to return to port.

Typhoon Neoguri's predicted path across Japan. Source: JTWC

Residents in some areas have been told to remain in their homes and others living in low-lying areas told to evacuate.

On Ishigaki island, south of Okinawa and approximately 75 miles west of the eye of the storm, residents took precautions in an effort to protect their property.

Cars were secured to the ground using ropes and loose debris cleared away.

According to NHK, one woman sustained a head injury and one fisherman is missing after he was swept from his boat.

There are no reports of any other casualties.

Trees are blasted by strong winds in Naha on Japan's Okinawa island

Japan is used to storms and many people appear to have heeded the advice of the authorities.

Keiji Furuya, chairman of the National Public Safety Commission, urged residents to "take refuge as early as possible".

Although the storm has been downgraded and will lose much of its power once it makes landfall, the rain levels are a significant concern.

The storm is unusually early in the typhoon season and comes just at the end of the rainy season.

Saturated ground will be unable to absorb much of the rain due to fall in the coming hours.

Typhoon Neoguri has brought powerful winds and heavy rain

The speed and wide area of the storm are both further concerns.

It is moving slowly in a northerly direction and is due to turn eastwards overnight into Wednesday, taking it straight over the Japanese mainland.

It is expected to reach Tokyo later this week.

Okinawa is home to the American Air Force base Kadena.

Aircraft have been flown to other bases in the Pacific to avoid any damage to them, after the commander of the base warned of the dangers posed by the storm.

Residents cross a precarious-looking suspension bridge in eastern Taiwan

Brigadier-General James Heckler said: "I can't stress enough how dangerous this typhoon may be when it hits Okinawa.

"This is the most powerful typhoon forecast to hit the island in 15 years. This is not just another typhoon.

"If we all follow the typhoon procedures and take care of each other, we will all make it through this typhoon safely."

Authorities in Philippines, which was hit by the world's strongest ever recorded typhoon in November, have said the storm did not make landfall, passing 300 miles east of the country.

The Chinese, Taiwanese and South Korean governments have all warned their ships to stay clear of the storm.

20.18 | 0 komentar | Read More

Ninja Roller Coaster Derails In Six Flags Park

A tree branch caused a roller coaster at the Six Flags Magic Mountain amusement park to derail, keeping two dozen people hanging in the air for hours.

Four riders were hurt as the front car of Ninja roller coaster was dislodged on Monday, but their injuries were minor.

The passengers were stranded some 20ft (7m) up as day turned to night.

It took emergency crews about three hours to rescue all riders

It took emergency crews nearly three hours to rescue all 22 riders.

Firefighters and park maintenance workers in harnesses tried to reach them through a tangle of track and trees and had to remove the passengers one by one from coaster cars.

The Ninja coaster swoops through the trees to give riders a thrill

The ride will remain shut down while the accident was investigated, a park spokeswoman said in a statement.

Six Flags Magic Mountain is in the Valencia area of Santa Clarita, about 25 miles (40km) north of Los Angeles.

20.18 | 0 komentar | Read More

Lifeguard Drowns Trying To Save Swimmer

A lifeguard has drowned while trying to rescue a swimmer off a California beach.

The lifeguard was identified as 32-year-old Ben Carlson, who had been with the department for 15 years.

He went into the water at Newport Beach, Southern California, on Sunday afternoon to help a swimmer in distress.

He went under water, prompting a search involving some 25 people. At one point the divers created a human chain in the rough waters.

Fellow lifeguards found Mr Carlson's body around 8pm. Efforts to resuscitate him failed, and he was pronounced dead in hospital.

The divers created a human chain in their effort to find their colleague

The swimmer he was saving made it to shore safely.

It was the first time in the department's 100-year history that a lifeguard died in the line of duty, CBS News said.

The National Weather Service issued a coastal hazard warning of dangerous rip currents and high surf along Southern California beaches.

Some beaches saw up to 8ft (2.4m) high surf.

20.18 | 0 komentar | Read More

Pistorius Witness 'Too Close' To Be Credible

Prosecutors have claimed the evidence of a key defence witness in the Oscar Pistorius murder trial is not credible.

The trial resumed with the questioning of Professor Wayne Derman, the doctor for the South African Paralympic team.

Professor Derman testified last week that Pistorius was vulnerable, stressed and would have been unable to flee because of his disability.

But prosecutor Gerrie Nel put it to the court on Monday that Professor Derman was close to Pistorius, travelled the world with him and therefore could not be objective.

"You don't want to give an answer that will not benefit the accused," said Mr Nel.

The witness responded: "I have attempted to come to court to give as objective evidence as I can - I do not think I am biased."

The prosecutor argued that even if the physician's analysis was correct, and "hyper vigilance" caused Pistorius to shoot Reeva Steenkamp, the Paralympian was a "danger to society".

Pistorius waits for the final defence witness to resume his evidence

Mr Nel did not mention explicitly the video broadcast on Australian TV that shows Pistorius re-enacting the night he shot his girlfriend.

The defence commissioned the video but chose not to use it as part of their case - and they are furious it has been broadcast.

The footage shows Pistorius running on his stumps and miming shooting - and though Mr Nel did not refer to it in court, he suggested Professor Derman's claims about the defendant's lack of mobility were not accurate.

The physician maintained that Pistorius could not flee "as you or I" could - but conceded under questioning that fleeing to another room would have been an "option".

Professor Derman also admitted that having a gun made the athlete "less vulnerable" on the night.

Sky's Emma Hurd was in court and said the video broadcast in Australia was an "elephant in the room".

"Gerrie Nel has asked Professor Derman about the level of movement Pistorius would have had," she said.

"The video has not been mentioned explicitly but has been hinted at, so we're not expecting it to be introduced as evidence."

Pistorius, who is on trial for premeditated murder, denies deliberately killing his girlfriend, claiming he mistook her for an intruder.

He faces between 25 years and life in prison if found guilty.

The trial has been adjourned until Tuesday morning, when the defence is expected to close its case.

20.18 | 0 komentar | Read More

Global Jihad 'Could Be Funded With Bitcoin'

Jihadists Embrace Social Media

Updated: 1:26pm UK, Wednesday 18 December 2013

By Sarah Hajibagheri, Sky News

This a holy war of the 21st century - where fighters are embracing social media to advertise their "five-star" jihad in Syria and blog their experiences in the hope of recruiting others.

Although Jihad is an ancient calling, it's being taken up by modern men who were born and bred in Britain.

This new breed of jihadi are entirely removed from the ascetic Islamists who flocked to Afghanistan in the 1980s and Bosnia in the 1990s.

They are no longer cut off from the outside world for months - they relax after a day's fighting on their iPads, chatting to friends in the UK or posting macho selfies.

They have left their lives and their families to fight against Bashar al Assad, but online on the front line, they are never far from home.

Just like their young counterparts in the UK, many are prolific users of Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Tumblr and some have gained a large and loyal following, eager to hear daily updates from the battleground.

With many foreign fighters unable to speak Arabic, most of the posts are in English.

The Foreign Office says it is aware of at least 200 UK-linked individuals currently fighting in Syria, but Sky News has learnt the figure may be far greater.

The recruitment process has shifted away from mosques and into bedrooms. Many of the young men we spoke to were lured to Syria from online forums and websites. It's proving a fruitful PR exercise as an increasing number of Western fighters have been drawn to the region.

They come as individuals, rather than groups - often via Turkey, which is just a cheap and short flight away.

One fighter with a prominent online profile has been dubbed a jihadi 'Agony Uncle' after hosting question and answer sessions with would-be volunteers.

Recently an increasing number of questions on these sites are being posted by women eager to join the fight.

However, one by one, these social media accounts are falling silent, as these men are killed in combat.

The family of Brit Ifthekar Jaman - who gained notoriety online after his blog went viral - confirmed he had died in Syria on Tuesday.

He lived in Southsea, Portsmouth, before flying to Turkey in May, and making his way across the border to Syria to wage jihad.

In one of his last tweets, the 23-year-old wrote: "I can tell you that I haven't spoke to one muhajir who wants to return."

For these young men, leaving home to wage jihad abroad is clearly a big decision - but ultimately, for most it will be a fatal one.

:: 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

Israelis 'Confess To Killing Palestinian Teen'

Three Israelis have reportedly admitted killing Palestinian teenager Mohammed Abu Khadair, who was abducted following the deaths of three Israeli youths.

A source close to the investigation told news agency AFP that three of the six suspects arrested on Sunday had confessed to the murder.

Their confession has not been independently verified.

The 16-year-old Palestinian from East Jerusalem was found dead in the Jerusalem Forest last week.

A preliminary post-mortem examination found he had been burned alive.

Earlier today Israeli Prime Minister Benjanim Netanyahu telephoned Mohammed's father to express his outrage at the killing.

A video captures the moment Tariq was reportedly beaten by Israeli police

"We denounce all brutal behaviour. The murder of your son is abhorrent and cannot be countenanced by any human being," Mr Netanyahu told Hussein Abu Khadair.

The teenager's death has prompted days of violent protests which have spread from East Jerusalem to Arab Israeli towns.

Police said 110 people were arrested overnight for disturbing public order.

Their arrests follow the detention of Mohammed's cousin Tariq Abu Khadair who was filmed apparently being severely beaten by Israeli police.

Murdered Israeli teens Gilad Shaar, Naftali Frenkel and Eyal Yifrach

Tariq, an American of Palestinian descent, has now been released from custody.

Police claim he resisted arrest, attacked officers and was carrying a slingshot when he was detained during the clashes.

It is suspected that Mohammed was killed in retaliation for the deaths of three of the Israeli teenagers, whose bodies were found in the West Bank last week.

An unidentified suspect is being held in connection with the killings. 

Israel has made clear it holds the Islamist militant group Hamas responsible, although Hamas has denied any involvement.

Israel says the airstrikes are in retaliation for rocket attacks from Gaza

The deaths of the four teenagers has resulted in a spike in tensions between Israelis and Palestinians.

Both Israel and Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip, have stepped up aerial assaults against one another in recent weeks.

Hamas claims seven of its members were killed overnight in the deadliest Israeli airstrikes on Gaza in recent weeks.

It says the strikes hit a tunnel used by its men in the early hours of the morning.

Monday's attacks were the deadliest to hit Gaza in recent weeks

The militant group said it would seek revenge, warning: "The enemy will pay a tremendous price" over the latest killings.

Two militants from a different group were reportedly killed in a separate strike.

The Israeli military said it targeted at least "14 terror sites" including "concealed rocket launchers" in retaliation for rocket attacks from Gaza which a military spokesman described as "unbearable and unacceptable."

Around a dozen rockets were reportedly fired overnight, injuring one Israeli soldier.

Another 25 rockets hit Israel on Sunday.

20.18 | 0 komentar | Read More