South Korea Ferry Tragedy 'A Murderous Act'

Timeline Of Doomed Ferry's Journey

Updated: 8:49am UK, Sunday 20 April 2014

The Sewol ferry sank in the East China Sea less than three hours after the first distress call was made to land.

Here is a timeline of the ship's voyage from Incheon:

April 15, 9pm

The Sewol leaves port in Incheon at around 9pm with 475 people and 150 vehicles on board, heading for Jeju Island.

April 16, 8.55am

First contact between vessel and land is made, with officer telling Jeju Vessel Traffic Services Centre (VTS) "our ship is in danger".

Survivors say passengers were told to remain in cabins.

April 16, 9am

Officer tells Jeju VTS ship is listing to the left and adds "it's impossible to move". Coastguard tells vessel to "wear life jackets and prepare as the people might have to abandon ship".

April 16, 9.05am

Other vessels notified as ferry continues to tilt to the side.

April 16, 9.30am

The coastguard, helicopters and other ships begin to arrive at the scene and rescue passengers who have escaped from the ferry.

April 16, 10am

Rescuers start to search for people in the overturned hull of the Sewol.

April 16, 11.20am

The ferry sinks in the East China Sea.

April 17

Text messages from people on board the ferry reveal passengers were ordered to remain in their seats and cabins as ship began listing.

Crew member Oh Yong-Seok reveals the captain waited 30 minutes before ordering the evacuation as officers tried to stabilise the vessel. By that time, the crew were unable to reach passengers because the ship was titled at such an acute angle.

April 18

Investigators reveal the ship's captain, Lee Joon-Seok, was not at the helm when the Sewol began to list. They are also examining why the ship's third mate ordered an abrupt turn around three hours before the vessel was due to arrive at Jeju Island.

Mr Lee, along with two more of the ship's crew, are arrested.

Vice-principal of Danwon High School, Kang Min-Kyu, is found dead on Jindo island. In a note found in his wallet, he described his rescue as "too painful while 200 remain unaccounted for".

April 19

Mr Lee issues a public apology for causing a "disturbance" and says he delayed the evacuation of the ferry because he thought the sea water was too cold.

Investigators reveal the third mate was steering the ship in difficult waters for the first time and in foggy conditions.

Divers trying to gain access to the ferry describe seeing bodies through its windows as the death toll officially climbs above 30.

April 20

Angry relatives clash with police on Jindo island over the speed of the recovery operation.

Divers break windows on the ferry to get inside the vessel and find more bodies, with the death toll confirmed above 50.

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Boston Marathon Returns One Year After Blasts

Tens of thousands of runners are preparing to take part in the Boston Marathon a year after twin bombings at the finish line killed three people and shocked the city.

The race is being held under increased police presence and new tighter security regulations.

In a show of support for the event, 36,000 of runners have registered - the second-largest field in the history of the race, which is the world's oldest annual marathon.

The cap of 27,000 was expanded to make room for more than 5,000 runners who were still on the course at the time of the explosions, for friends and relatives of the victims and scores of others.

One million people are expected to line the route.

Last year, a pair of homemade pressure-cooker bombs turned the event into a tragedy. In addition to the three people who were killed, another 260 were wounded.

On Tuesday, tributes marked the anniversary of last year's bombings

On Tuesday, the city marked the first anniversary with a day of tributes to the victims and to first responders who rushed to the scene.

But memories of last year's attack were stirred after the memorial service when a shoeless man in a black veil, shouting "Boston Strong", dropped a backpack on the street near the finish line.

The pack contained a rice cooker and the man was arrested and charged with possession of a hoax device.

The restrictions imposed on this year's event - the 118th anniversary of the race - include a ban on backpacks, bags and bulky outfits.

Unregistered runners, known as "bandits", who traditionally jump into the race at various points along the course, will be strictly prohibited this year.

More police tactical units and undercover operatives will be stationed along the 26.2-mile (42.2km) race.

The site of last year's blast off Boylston Street

Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick said there was an effort to provide adequate security while retaining the race's traditional atmosphere so that it does not become "a race through a militarised zone".

"So it's about striking a balance, and I think we have struck that balance," he told CBS's Face the Nation.

Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, 20, is awaiting trial and faces the possibility of the death penalty on 30 federal charges, including using a weapon of mass destruction.

His brother, Tamerlan Tsarnaev, died following a gun battle with police several days after the marathon.

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Russia Accuses Kiev Of 'Violating' Geneva Deal

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has accused Ukraine of breaking an agreement aimed at defusing tensions in the country.

He said: "Steps are being taken - above all by those who seized power in Kiev - not only that do not fulfil, but that crudely violate the Geneva agreement."

It came as pro-Russian separatists claimed they came under attack in the eastern city of Slavyansk.

A shootout in Slavyansk threatens fragile moves to de-escalate the crisis

Mr Lavrov said the deadly firefight, which reportedly left at least three dead and others wounded, showed Kiev did not want to control "extremists".

He said: "The authorities are doing nothing, not even lifting a finger, to address the causes behind this deep internal crisis in Ukraine."

The self-declared mayor of Slavyansk has appealed to Russia's President Vladimir Putin to help residents by sending in troops.

US Vice President Joe Biden has arrived in Kiev for an official visit

This will fuel fears in the West, which accuses Moscow of stoking unrest, that the violence will be used as an excuse for Russia to seize more Ukrainian territory, in a repeat of the annexation of Crimea.

Russia also has tens of thousands of troops based along Ukraine's eastern border.

And concerns will only be heightened after Mr Putin signed a law making it easier for Russian speakers across the former Soviet Union to get citizenship.

An armoured personnel carrier flying a Russian flag in Slavyansk

US Vice President Joe Biden has arrived in Kiev for an official visit, where he is set to criticise Moscow.

The shootout, the cause of which is fiercely disputed, threatens to derail already shaky efforts to de-escalate the continuing crisis.

The deal reached between Russia, Ukraine, the US and European Union, demanded an immediate end to violence.

The Geneva accord called for illegal armed groups to disband, and for protesters to leave occupied government buildings.

Vladimir Putin has made it easier for Russian speakers to get citizenship

But pro-Russian separatists, who have seized offices across eastern Ukraine, have shown no signs of moving on.

Western powers have warned Moscow of further sanctions if it fails to bring its influence to bear on pro-Russian activists.

Mr Lavrov pointed out the authorities in Kiev had failed to remove protesters camped out in the capital.

He said: "Buildings in Kiev that were violently seized at the beginning of the Ukrainian events have not been vacated. Streets have not been cleared.

"This is absolutely unacceptable."

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Leopard Bites Terrified Man On Bottom

A leopard hid in the roof of a house in western India before launching an attack on petrified residents.

Footage shows the cat emerge through the roof tiles after being spotted by locals in Ballarpur, Maharashtra.

The villagers made a hasty retreat - but one man wasn't quite quick enough and felt a set of teeth in his backside.

Another was attacked as people tried to corner the beast, which looked as scared as those fleeing.

The animal had been hiding inside a roof

However, no serious injuries were reported.

At the end of the 45-second video, filmed from a nearby rooftop, the leopard can be seen trying to find refuge.

Eventually it settles in a bathroom, peering out to see that no one approaches.

India's Forestry Department has caught the animal and plans to release it into the wild.

The leopard peers out of a bathroom

Such scenes are becoming more common in India as illegal deforestation reduces animals' habitat and forces them to wander around in search of food.

Logging, earth-cutting and the extension of residential settlements and farmland into reserved forests and hillocks have also contributed.

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South Korean Ferry Families Clash With Police

S Korea Ferry: Final Contact From Doomed Vessel

Updated: 11:11am UK, Sunday 20 April 2014

A transcript of communications between the stricken Sewol ferry and the coastguard has lifted the lid on the final minutes before the order was given to abandon ship.

The conversations show panic setting in on board the vessel, with officers asking for help to "please come quickly" as it began to tilt to the left, three hours from its destination of Jeju Island.

The transcript also appears to back up claims that the evacuation order may have come too late for some passengers as officers said the ship was tilting so much it was "impossible to move" to check on them.

The communication, which begins with the first distress call made by the ferry on Wednesday morning, has been translated by The Associated Press.

It reads:

8.55am

Sewol: Harbour affairs Jeju, do you have reception of The Sewol?

Jeju Vessel Traffic Services Centre (VTS): Yes, Sewol, this is harbour affairs Jeju.

Sewol: Please notify the coastguard. Our ship is in danger. It's listing right now.

8.56am

Jeju VTS: Where's your ship? Yes, got it. We will notify the coastguard.

Sewol: This ship has listed a lot. Can't move. Please come quickly. We're next to Byeongpung Island.

Jeju VTS: Yes, we got it.

8.58am

Jeju VTS: Sewol, this is harbour affairs Jeju. Do you have reception? Sewol, harbour affairs Jeju.

8.59am

Sewol: Harbour affairs Jeju, this is Sewol.

Jeju VTS: Sewol, this is harbour affairs Jeju. Channel 21, please.

9.00am

Jeju VTS: Sewol, this is harbour affairs Jeju.

Sewol: Jeju, Sewol here.

Jeju VTS: What's the current situation?

Sewol: Currently the body of the ship has listed to the left. The containers have listed as well.

Jeju VTS: OK. Any damage of the human life?

Sewol: It's impossible to check right now. The body of the ship has tilted, and it's impossible to move.

Jeju VTS: Yes, OK. Please wear life jackets and prepare as the people might have to abandon ship. 

Sewol: It's hard for people to move.

Jeju VTS: Yes, got it.

9.05am

Sewol: Harbour affairs Jeju, do you have reception of Sewol?

Jeju VTS: Yes, this is harbour affairs Jeju, Sewol.

Sewol: What's going on with the coastguard?

Jeju VTS: Yes, we have notified the coastguard. Currently we are calling Jindo VTS and Wando VTS. Please hold for a moment.

After this, Jeju VTS notified other ships and Wando VTS.

9.24am

Sewol: If this ferry evacuates passengers, will they be rescued right away?

Jeju VTS Even if it's impossible to broadcast, please go out and let the passengers wear life jackets and put on more clothing. The rescue of human lives of Sewol ferry... the captain should make your own decision and evacuate them. We don't know the situation very well. The captain should make the final decision and decide whether you're going to evacuate passengers or not.

Sewol: I'm not talking about that. I asked, if they evacuate now, can they be rescued right away?

Jeju VTS then said patrol boats would arrive in 10 minutes, but did not mention another civilian ship had already arrived near the scene.

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Farage 'Slandered' Front National, Le Pen Claims

The leader of the French Front National has claimed Nigel Farage slandered her party by calling it "anti-semitic".

Marine Le Pen, 45, told The Sunday Times Mr Farage had made "defamatory" and "extremely disagreeable" statements about her party.

Mr Farage has refused to join Ms Le Pen's right-wing alliance in the European parliament, siding with Nicolas Dupont-Aignan - a member of the EU Democrats party.

He claimed "anti-semitism is still embedded" in the FN and last week referred to the party's "compromising historic baggage", the newspaper reported.

Farage has sided UKIP with the EU Democrats led by Nicolas Dupont-Aignan

But Ms Le Pen has hit back, saying: "He is often reproached for the behaviour and comments of... his members.

"Slandering your neighbour to try and make yourself look whiter than white, it's not correct. He's doing it simply for electoral purposes."

Ms Le Pen was joined by UKIP founder Dr Alan Sked, who described Mr Farage as "alcoholic, dim and racist" in an interview with the think-tank Parliament Street.

He said: "He's got no idea. He can repeat things about how nasty the European Union is and how it's a threat to the working class but that's about it.

"Anything sophisticated is beyond his grasp."

It comes after two opinion polls showed UKIP was gaining ground ahead of European Parliament elections in May.

A poll for The Sunday Telegraph puts the party in second place in next month's European Parliament elections, three percentage points behind Labour on 30% and, crucially, pushing the Conservatives into third place.

Another, reported in The Mail On Sunday, reveals Nigel Farage could be on track to win a seat in the House of Commons. According to Survation, UKIP polled 32% in the Hampshire constituency of Eastleigh - four points ahead of the Conservatives - where the party narrowly lost out on winning in a by-election last year.

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Prince George Goes Walkabout With Bilbies

Prince George made his first walkabout on the Australian leg of the royal tour when he met some indigenous animals at a zoo.

The youngster looked fascinated as he was shown a bilby - a rabbit-like type of marsupial.

At one point, as he was held by his father Prince William, he held out his hand to attempt to touch the creature which was being fed by a keeper who has named the animal George in his honour.

George, dressed in a blue and white striped collared t-shirt and royal blue shorts, looked a little frustrated and waved his arms as he was unable to reach the animal, which was about a third of his size when standing on its hind legs.

Just before he was brought out for the cameras, the Royal family had been shown round the nocturnal house where several of Australia's animals who are awake during darkness are housed.

Staff said George coped well and was interested in what he saw, reaching out to a feather tailed glider and staring intently at some hopping mice and an echidna.

He was later given a soft bilby toy, which he promptly threw on the floor.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, who was wearing a lemon yellow Stella McCartney skater dress, were visiting Taronga Zoo in Sydney where the new bilby enclosure will be named after their son.

The Royal couple went on, without their son, to be shown a few of the zoo koalas.

The zoo keeper who showed them round the enclosure, Paul Davies, said afterwards about George: "He was brilliant. He was regal. It was amazing how he coped with the dark environment of the nocturnal house.

"They seemed comfortable feeding (the bilby). Kate let him get really close. At one point he tried to grab the bilby by the ears.

"He was like any other child. He had a short attention span and wanted to go and look at something else. It was just like meeting any family."

Earlier, thousands of well-wishers turned out to see the Duke and Duchess mark Easter Sunday by attending a traditional church service in Sydney.

The couple arrived at St Andrew's Cathedral in the centre of the city and were greeted - as they have been throughout their tour of Australia - by officials and cheering crowds.

Kate looked elegant in a stylish dove grey Alexander McQueen coat and Jane Taylor hat, while William was in a smart suit.

If a Sunday falls within a Royal tour, visiting members of the monarchy usually attend a church service joining local parishioners.

At the cathedral's steps, the Royal couple were met by the Most Reverend Dr Glenn Davies, Archbishop of Sydney, and the Very Reverend Phillip Jensen, Dean of Sydney, and chatted to the senior clerics before the service began.

The Easter service was private and the large group of media covering the event were not allowed inside.

A bilby is an endangered desert-dwelling marsupial, the name of which comes from an aboriginal language from New South Wales meaning long-nosed rat. There are only about 10,000 left in the wild.

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Ukraine: 'Five Killed At Separatist Checkpoint'

A gunbattle at a checkpoint manned by pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine has left five dead, it has been claimed.

Russia's state-run Rossiya 24 news station said the five died when gunmen attacked the post near the Ukrainian city of Slavyansk, which is under separatist control.

A separatist interviewed by Reuters at the scene said three of the dead were with the pro-Russian militia. He added that the attack had happened at 2am local time.

"We had three dead, four wounded," a fighters called Vladimir told Reuters at the checkpoint, where there were two burned-out jeeps.

Sky's Katie Stallard who has been to the scene says there are inconsistencies in the separatists' accounts and there is no coherent evidence to back up what they are saying.

Reuters TV footage of the scene showed two bodies, one of whom appeared to have gunshot wounds to the head and face.

Kiev's Interior Ministry said one person had been killed and three injured in an armed clash. It said police were trying to establish more details of what happened.

The separatists claimed the attackers were members of Right Sector, a hard-right fringe group that was part of the anti-Russia movement whose protests in Kiev and western Ukraine forced the former president to leave office. 

Right Sector denied being involved, instead blaming Russian special forces in an indication of the claim and counter claim that has been rife during the crisis.

A map showing the location of Slavyansk

The event prompted the self-declared leader of the pro-Russian faction in Slavyansk to appeal to Moscow to send in peacekeeping troops.

Ukraine and many in the West fear reports of clashes could provide a pretext for Russia to seize more Ukrainian territory.

Russia's foreign ministry said it was outraged by the shootout, describing it as a "provocation".

Pro-Russia Separatist gunmen maintain a firm grip over a string of towns across eastern Ukraine despite an international deal signed last week demanding they leave state buildings they are occupying.

On Sunday afternoon they declared a curfew in Slavyansk.

Russia, the US, the European Union and Ukraine struck a deal on Thursday aiming at de-escalating the crisis, part of which involves the separatists agreeing to lay down their arms.

Authorities in Kiev, who vowed to remove the separatists, said they have suspended military operations against the rebels until after Easter to give the militia time to comply with the agreement.

The deadline runs out on Monday, after which the US and the EU have said they will consider further sanctions against Russia, which is viewed as having influence over the pro-Russian militia operating in eastern Ukraine.

Earlier, Ukraine's Prime Minister Arseny Yatseniuk accused the Russian President of Soviet Union ambitions by saying Vladimir Putin has "a dream to restore the Soviet Union".

Meanwhile, the heads of the Ukrainian and Russian Orthodox churches traded barbs over the crisis in the country as believers flocked to church for Easter services.

More follows...

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Ukraine: Russia Warns US Over More Sanctions

The US has warned Russia it will face further sanctions if pro-Russia militia in eastern Ukraine do not disarm, as the Kremlin admits reinforcement troops have been sent to the border.

Barack Obama said the US could take further economic and diplomatic action against Moscow if an international agreement to calm tensions in Ukraine is not implemented.

Russia, Ukraine, the US and the European Union agreed on Thursday to a series of steps to "de-escalate" the crisis in Ukraine.

But many of the groups that took over government buildings in a bid to declare independence in eastern Ukraine have yet to leave, saying they will only do so if Ukraine's government steps down too.

US Secretary of State John Kerry told Russian foreign secretary Sergei Lavrov late on Friday that the "the next few days would be a pivotal period".

The EU has also indicated it will meet to discuss further sanctions if Russia does not act to make the militias disarm.

But earlier, the Kremlin had indicated Russia was not going to be bossed around, issuing a veiled threat.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Russian television: "Our Western colleagues are trying to push responsibility towards our side. But it must be underlined: it is a collective responsibility."

"We have troops in different regions, and there are troops close to the Ukrainian border.

"Some are based there, others have been sent as reinforcements due to the situation in Ukraine," he added.

US Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov

Despite the deteriorating of relations, Russian president Vladimir Putin said on Saturday that he welcomed the appointment of the new Nato head Jens Stoltenberg.

He added that there was "nothing that would hinder a normalisation and normal cooperation" with the West.

In a further sign Moscow is determined not to retreat from its position, Putin said he would award medals to Russians who served during the seizure of Crimea.

In a televised Q&A on Thursday, he admitted for the first time that Russian troops had taken part in the annexation of the peninsula.

The White House said it was watching Moscow to see if it adhered to what had been agreed in Geneva.

Pro-Russians are occupying public buildings in 10 eastern Ukrainian cities and have been told to leave in the next few days or face consequences.

Kiev had previously declared the separatists as terrorists and sent troops to remove them, but had been unable to.

The separatists want a referendum on union with Russia, similar to the one held in Crimea that ultimately led to its annexation by Russia.

Sky's Katie Stallard, in Donetsk, said there was no sign of anyone there acting on the deal reached in Geneva.

She added: "None of those at the talks directly represented those on the ground, particularly those occupying the buildings."

Meanwhile, Europe's Baltic states are in talks to set up their own Russian-language television channel in a bid to counter the deluge of propaganda aimed at their ethnic Russian populations by Moscow-backed media.

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South Korea Ferry Disaster Captain's Apology

The captain of a ferry that capsized off the coast of South Korea leaving more than 200 children dead or missing has apologised to the families of the victims.

In a televised address with his head bowed, Lee Joon-Seok said he had delayed the order to abandon the Sewol because he thought the sea was too cold and that the passengers, mostly children, would "drift away".

South Korea's coast guard found another three bodies on Saturday morning, bringing the confirmed death toll to 32. More than 270 passengers in total are still missing.

A member from the South Korean Navy's SSU dives into the sea off Jindo

Divers trying to find the missing have seen more bodies inside the submerged vessel but have been unable to reach them. 

The discoveries of the bodies came as it emerged the third mate steering the ferry at the time of the accident was navigating the waters for the first time.

Senior prosecutor Yang Jung-jin told reporters that the officer, a 25-year-old woman, was steering the ship as it passed through an area with lots of islands clustered close together and fast currents.

Divers say they have seen bodies through the windows of the sunken ship

Mr Yang said that another mate usually took controls through the area but, because heavy fog caused a departure delay, the third mate was steering.

The 69-year-old captain, described as an industry veteran by the ship's owners and an "expert" by others, was arrested on suspicion of negligence and abandoning people in need.

Investigators are looking into whether Lee's evacuation order came too late to save lives. Two crew members have also been arrested for failing in their duty to assist passengers.

Oh Yong-Seok, a helmsman on the ferry, said when the crew sent a distress call, the ship was already listing more than five degrees.

A family member of a passenger waits for news from rescue teams in Jindo

About half an hour later, Lee finally gave the order for the passengers to abandon ship, according to Mr Oh.

Investigations are also focusing on whether problems with cargo stowage and structural defects of the vessel might have led to the ship capsizing.

Addressing journalists, Lee said: "I am sorry to the people of South Korea for causing a disturbance and I bow my head in apology to the families of the victims.

"I gave instructions regarding the route, then I briefly went to the bedroom and then it happened.

"At the time, the current was very strong, temperature of the ocean water was cold, and I thought that if people left the ferry without (proper) judgement, if they were not wearing a life jacket, and even if they were, they would drift away and face many other difficulties.

"The rescue boats had not arrived yet, nor were there any civilian fishing ships or other boats nearby at that time. There was a mistake on my behalf as well but the steering (gear of the ship) turned further than it was supposed to."

Lee was speaking as divers searching for some 200 missing people say they looked through a window of the ship and saw three bodies inside the sunken vessel but were unable to retrieve them.

No sounds have been heard from the hull which has now disappeared under the water. Rescuers say hopes of finding survivors are fading.

The number of passengers confirmed dead currently stands at 28.

Some 325 passengers were students from Danwon High School near Seoul.

They were on a school trip making a 13-hour journey to the holiday island of Jeju.

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