Taliban Releases Video Of Hostage Handover

The Taliban have released a video showing American hostage Sgt Bowe Bergdahl being handed over to US forces in Afghanistan.

Sgt Bergdahl, clean shaven, and dressed in white Afghan clothing with a shaved head, is seen waiting in a white pickup truck close to the Afghan border with Pakistan as Taliban militants outside lean in to talk to him.

He is blinking frequently in the bright light as he looks at and listens to his captors. He appears to struggle to speak English.

The 17 minutes of footage shows armed gunmen dotting the hills around the valley, as US Black Hawk helicopters overhead draw closer to the meeting point.

The Taliban reporter speaking over the clip explains: "We told them there are 18 armed fighters and the Americans said that's all right."

The Taliban's message to the Americans and Sgt Bergdahl

As one of the helicopters lands, throwing up a cloud of dust, Sgt Bergdahl is led to his rescuers by two men, one leading him by the hand, and another waving a white cloth tied to a wooden stick.

Most of the Taliban have their faces covered with scarves, while Sgt Bergdahl wears his over his shoulders.

After a brief exchange of handshakes between insurgents and US forces, Bergdahl moves unsteadily towards the helicopter.

Before boarding the helicopter the freed man is patted down to check he is not carrying any weapons.

The aircraft takes off and the message in English flashes up: "Don' come back to afghanistan"(sic).

Heaviliy armed Taliban fighters dotted the hillside around the exchange

The Taliban video, entitled Ceremony Of The American Soldier Exchange is laced with religious music and chants of "Allahu Akbar" (God is greatest).

At one point the voiceover said: "I congratulate all the mujahiedeen for this victory."

Sky's Diplomatic Editor Tim Marshall said: "The meaning of the pictures is that we see visual evidence that the Taliban are negotiating with the Americans on almost an equal basis.

"It is a propaganda coup for the Taliban."

US defence officials have said dozens of US special forces troops backed up by helicopters were sent for the handover.

Five years after he was captured by Afghan militants, Sgt Bergdahl was freed at the weekend in exchange for five militants held at Guantanamo Bay.

Sgt Bergdahl awaits the handover in a Taliban vehicle

He was the only US soldier held by the Taliban after being captured in Afghanistan.

His release has lead to sharp criticism of the Obama administration, with some US politicians fearing it poses a threat to Americans abroad.

There is also a suggestion that Sgt Bergdahl may be disciplined over claims from members of his unit that he was captured in 2009 after abandoning his post.

The 28-year-old is now in a military hospital in Germany, undergoing physical and mental assessments.

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Tiananmen: China Lockdown For 25th Anniversary

'It Crushed Our Hope For Democracy'

Updated: 6:25am UK, Wednesday 04 June 2014

By Mark Stone, China Correspondent

Lee Cheuk Yan is the Chairman of the Hong Kong Labour Party and the founder of the June 4th Museum.

In 1989 he travelled to Beijing to support the uprising and provide the protesters with money.

He told Sky News: "I was in the Beijing Hotel looking down in the Tiananmen Square, seeing the tricycles bringing bodies to the hospital.

"I remember them switching off the light in Tiananmen Square, and I would say that was the darkest hour of my life. At that time it crushes all our hope for democracy.

"Then I was arrested, detained for three days, money confiscated, and only allowed to come back [to Hong Kong] after three days of detention back in 1989.

"In a way, that was the turning point of my life, I promised myself I will dedicate my life to the democratisation of China, to continue our struggle in Hong Kong for democracy.

"It was a moment of despair. We had a hope ... Over the May, the spring time, you can (feel) democracy, and then suddenly the guns and the tanks come in.

"It really crushes our hope and into a moment of despair. And that was the really saddest moment of my life."

"Already a quarter of a century [has passed]. A new generation of young people have grown up, but then when you look at China itself, they try to erase all the memory of June 4th and ban any discussion of June 4th.

"So in that environment, it's a sort of brainwashing.

"This museum is to fill the void ... We hope by having this museum and preserving the truth, it is a struggle of remembering against forgetting.

"And also we hope that the truth [will] struggle against lie. Therefore, we felt it's very important.

"Twenty-five years after the massacre, we have a museum to commemorate those who sacrificed for democracy and at the same time to educate the public, especially the younger generation and the mainlanders, [to explain] exactly what happened and challenge the Communist Party, to reveal the truth."

Mr Lee dismisses the suggestion that the crackdown stabilised China, prevented civil war and allowed the country to become a global economic giant.

"I'm really very angry with that because it assumes that economic growth and democracy cannot go hand in hand, which is absurd ... It is totally compatible and I can imagine that if there [was] democracy 25 years ago, there would still be economic growth, there would be better distribution of wealth, and there can be freedom, people would be happier.

"One important thing is, now in China, it's all a culture of lies.

"People make money by lying, and get corrupted, and get a lot of money buy doing all sorts of immoral acts.

"If there is democracy, at least in culture, I believe, would not be a culture of lies.

"But there would be freedom, checks and balances, and a democratic China.

"I think corruption can only be totally erased if there is democracy."

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Fate Of Anonymous 'Tank Man' Still A Mystery

'It Crushed Our Hope For Democracy'

Updated: 6:25am UK, Wednesday 04 June 2014

By Mark Stone, China Correspondent

Lee Cheuk Yan is the Chairman of the Hong Kong Labour Party and the founder of the June 4th Museum.

In 1989 he travelled to Beijing to support the uprising and provide the protesters with money.

He told Sky News: "I was in the Beijing Hotel looking down in the Tiananmen Square, seeing the tricycles bringing bodies to the hospital.

"I remember them switching off the light in Tiananmen Square, and I would say that was the darkest hour of my life. At that time it crushes all our hope for democracy.

"Then I was arrested, detained for three days, money confiscated, and only allowed to come back [to Hong Kong] after three days of detention back in 1989.

"In a way, that was the turning point of my life, I promised myself I will dedicate my life to the democratisation of China, to continue our struggle in Hong Kong for democracy.

"It was a moment of despair. We had a hope ... Over the May, the spring time, you can (feel) democracy, and then suddenly the guns and the tanks come in.

"It really crushes our hope and into a moment of despair. And that was the really saddest moment of my life."

"Already a quarter of a century [has passed]. A new generation of young people have grown up, but then when you look at China itself, they try to erase all the memory of June 4th and ban any discussion of June 4th.

"So in that environment, it's a sort of brainwashing.

"This museum is to fill the void ... We hope by having this museum and preserving the truth, it is a struggle of remembering against forgetting.

"And also we hope that the truth [will] struggle against lie. Therefore, we felt it's very important.

"Twenty-five years after the massacre, we have a museum to commemorate those who sacrificed for democracy and at the same time to educate the public, especially the younger generation and the mainlanders, [to explain] exactly what happened and challenge the Communist Party, to reveal the truth."

Mr Lee dismisses the suggestion that the crackdown stabilised China, prevented civil war and allowed the country to become a global economic giant.

"I'm really very angry with that because it assumes that economic growth and democracy cannot go hand in hand, which is absurd ... It is totally compatible and I can imagine that if there [was] democracy 25 years ago, there would still be economic growth, there would be better distribution of wealth, and there can be freedom, people would be happier.

"One important thing is, now in China, it's all a culture of lies.

"People make money by lying, and get corrupted, and get a lot of money buy doing all sorts of immoral acts.

"If there is democracy, at least in culture, I believe, would not be a culture of lies.

"But there would be freedom, checks and balances, and a democratic China.

"I think corruption can only be totally erased if there is democracy."

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Body Found In Search For Brit Gareth Huntley

Police on Malaysia's Tioman Island have confirmed that a body has been found in the search for British backpacker Gareth Huntley, who went missing after going on a jungle trek.

Local media reports say the body was found less than 100m from the conservation camp where he was working as a volunteer. 

According to Malaysian newspaper The Star, search personnel stumbled across the corpse in a pond close to a kayak storage unit at around 12pm local time.

The 34-year-old disappeared last week after attempting to find a waterfall nearly four miles away from the camp in the jungles of the paradise island.

Mr Huntley's mother has been notified of the discovery

Deputy Superintendent Johari Yahaya told the newspaper he could not confirm whether the body was that of the missing Briton.

A Foreign Office spokesman said: "Malaysian police have confirmed that a body has been found on Tioman island in Malaysia.

"Foreign Office consular staff on the ground are continuing to work closely with the Malaysian authorities and are investigating with them as a matter of urgency.

"We continue to provide support to the family of Gareth Huntley at this very difficult time."

The area where the body was found. Pic: Thestar.com.my

Mr Huntley's mother, Janet Southwell, and his girlfriend, Kit Natariga, are on the island off Malaysia's east coast to assist the search effort.

Dozens of rescue personnel have been backed by paramilitary commandos, multiple helicopters, speedboats and sniffer dogs in the latter days of the search following initial criticism of the Malaysian authorities' response.

Mr Huntley's girlfriend (pictured) and his mother are both on the island

Prime Minister David Cameron reportedly spoke to Malaysia's prime minister Najib Razak after receiving an open letter from Mrs Southwell in which she urged him to seek more resources for the search.

The letter said: "Make one phone call to the Malaysian leader to insist that they deploy real help to find Gareth before time runs out".

The backpacker had been volunteering in a turtle sanctuary on the island

The 34-year-old from Hackney, east London, set off on May 27 telling friends at the Juara Turtle Project where he was volunteering that he would be back by 2pm but failed to return.

Mr Huntley, who was originally from West Yorkshire, was on a sabbatical from his job in the City.

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Spain: Calls For A Republic After King Abdicates

Juan Carlos Held Reins During Rocky Times

Updated: 2:20pm UK, Monday 02 June 2014

Juan Carlos may have been tainted by recent scandals, but he can abdicate knowing he has led his country through some very testing times.

One of the most testing was when he helped bring an end to a failed coup that nearly sent Spain - now a member of the EU - back to being ruled by a military junta in 1981.

Soon after politicians were pictured cowering under their benches as armed guards burst into parliament, Juan Carlos appeared on television in his green military uniform ordering an end to the revolt.

He said: "I have ordered the civil authorities and the chiefs of staff to take the necessary measures to maintain constitutional order."

It's now largely forgotten in Britain how close one of Europe's most powerful countries came to reverting to military dictatorship.

Juan Carlos kept his son Felipe, then aged 13, at his side throughout the crisis.

"I wanted him to see what one has to do when one is king," he said later.

For years, the Royal family remained popular as Spain emerged from being one of the EU's poorer countries to being one of its most powerful.

After the Madrid train bombings in March 2004, Juan Carlos and his wife Queen Sofia threw protocol aside at a memorial service when they comforted the families of some of the 191 people killed.

But, with the onset of the financial crisis in 2008, things began to change. 

Juan Carlos' image was dealt a blow after he went on a luxury elephant-hunting safari in April 2012 as his subjects struggled in a recession, during which one in four people was unemployed.

Then, his family became embroiled in a corruption investigation when a judge indicted former Olympic handball player Inaki Urdangarin, the husband of the king's youngest daughter Cristina, who has also been accused of involvement.

He has also suffered long term health problems, undergoing surgery nine times between 2010 and 2013.

But, despite the setbacks, history may in time be kinder to him.

He is regarded as playing a determining role in Spain's modern history by stepping up as the first crowned head of state in 44 years, after the death of Franco.

He then defied the hopes of the Francoists for an extension of autocratic rule and instead oversaw the creation of a new system of parliamentary monarchy, with a new constitution that was approved by referendum in 1978.

Without his guiding hand, the country many people regard as their favourite holiday destination could have remained being run by those who followed a similar ideology to Adolf Hitler.

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Syrians Vote In 'Show Of Force' Election

By Sherine Tadros, Middle East Correspondent

Syria's presidential elections have begun in government-held areas as a brutal three-year civil war continues across the country.

For the first time in the country's history there is more than one candidate competing for the top job.

Running against President Bashar al Assad are Maher Hajjar, a little-known parliamentarian from Aleppo, and Hassan al Nouri, a former government minister and businessman from Damascus.

Both were vetted by the government and neither have a chance of winning.

Syria's Supreme Court earlier disqualified 21 candidates from the race and a restrictive election law essentially made it impossible to run without government approval.

One of Bashar al Assad's posters in Damascus

This election is not about democracy, but rather a show of force by Assad.

By holding elections as planned, he is sending a message to the international community and Syrians that he is winning the war.

Two years ago the opposition thought Assad's days were numbered and the West portrayed his demise as imminent.

Not only has he survived but the momentum on the ground is in his favour. Pro-Assad forces recently reclaimed the Old City of Homs from the rebels, negotiating a ceasefire there. As the heart of the uprising, the regime's victory in Homs was an important milestone.

Millions will be prevented from voting - not just those in rebel-held areas where polling stations won't operate, but also the hundreds of thousands of refugees not officially registered, as well as those who are internally displaced or who lost their documents when they fled their homes.

Syrian refugees in Tripoli protest against the possible election of Assad

In Lebanon, where there are more than a million registered Syrian refugees, people queued for hours to vote at the one polling station in the Syrian embassy in Beirut.

Some were clearly eager to show their support for Assad; others were afraid if they didn't vote they would be punished or refused entry back into Syria.

In three years of fighting, an estimated 160,000 people have died and more than three million have fled the country with another million internally displaced. Many Syrians say privately they do not trust Assad or the various opposition forces. 

The incumbent is heading for victory and a third, seven-year term. For him and his allies this election signals a new phase in the conflict where he will be able to use the election to prove he is the legitimate leader of Syria. 

Many fear more intense fighting as an empowered Assad moves to crush rebel fighters. Others see this election as the start of an official splitting up of the Syrian state, as Assad consolidates power in the areas under his control.

Either way, there is no end in sight for the millions of Syrians who continue to bear the brunt of this war.

:: Sky News has been refused visas to enter Syria to report on the political situation in the country. Sky's Sherine Tadros is reporting from Cairo.

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'Egyptian Jon Stewart' Quits After Sisi Win

A TV satirist dubbed "Egypt's Jon Stewart" has quit his show that mocked ex-army chief Abdel Fattah al Sisi because of "enormous" pressure.

Saudi-owned channel MBC took Bassem Youssef's show Al Bernameg off air in May to avoid "influencing" the presidential election that Mr Sisi won with more than 90% of the vote.

But the programme did not return as planned on May 30 and, ahead of official confirmation of the military strongman's victory, Youssef announced he was pulling the plug.

Bassem Youssef presenting his hit show Al Bernameg

He told a news conference: "The circumstances and pressure were more enormous than anyone. We preferred to end the programme rather than demean it."

Youssef with Amy Poehler when he was honoured by Time magazine

Youssef rose to fame with a homemade satire show posted on YouTube that became popular for its send-ups of the country's ruler Hosni Mubarak during Egypt's 2011 uprising.

He earned a slot on Egypt's CBC network but faced prosecution under the previous president Mohamed Morsi, who the army overthrew after millions of protesters demanded his resignation.

The satirical show earned comparisons with Jon Stewart's Daily Show, and the US host even popped up as a guest on Al Bernameg.

Stewart told the show's audience: "If your regime is not strong enough to handle a joke, then you don't have a regime."

Youssef was mobbed when he faced court in 2013 over criticism of Morsi

Youssef, a 40-year-old trained heart surgeon, was also named one of Time magazine's 100 most influential people in the world in 2013.

Nevertheless, CBC dropped the show last year after Youssef mocked the cult-like adulation of Mr Sisi's supporters, and increasing intolerance of criticism of the retired field marshal and the army.

Youssef chats with friend Jon Stewart and news anchor Brian Williams

Since Morsi was ousted in July 2013, the military-installed government has launched a crackdown on his Muslim Brotherhood in which at least 1,400 people died in street clashes.

More than 15,000 people have been arrested, including secular activists who protested against the new regime.

"This isn't a suitable atmosphere for a comedy show," Youssef said.

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FBI Chases 'Ringleader' Behind Cyber Threat

How Serious Is 'Ominous' Global Cyber Threat?

Updated: 12:41pm UK, Tuesday 03 June 2014

By Tom Cheshire, Technology Correspondent

It's a dramatic countdown: you have just two weeks to protect yourself against a "powerful computer attack", the National Crime Agency has warned.

All very ominous, but how serious is the threat?

Around 15,500 computers are already infected in the UK. To put that in context, there are at least 21 million computers in the country, before secondary devices like laptops, tablets and phones are counted. That's less than a 0.1% infection rate.

And although Game Over Zeus - one of the pieces of malware involved - has caused some serious financial harm to individuals, authorities estimate it is responsible for hundreds of millions of pound of fraud.

To put that in context, cybercrime worldwide costs around £60bn annually, according to one estimate.

So why the stark warning?

First, the botnet, the network of infected computers controlled by criminals, is pretty resilient.

It works on a peer-to-peer mechanism, and uses a lot of encryption. Compared to other botnets, which can sprawl into the millions, this one was tightly controlled, by gangs from Russia and Ukraine.

That's who the NCA, FBI and US Department of Justice have moved against, and that's unusual.

The authorities rarely seize or disrupt a botnet. They can do so for only two weeks, as it's an expensive operation.

At the same time, they're aiming to arrest the gang's ringleaders through more traditional, legal means.

But it's a new line in the sand, showing that international forces are willing and able to collaborate on cybercrime.

Pity, then, that the UK government's Get Safe Online site wasn't quite so joined up: it crashed under the weight of concerned internet users.

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PM And Putin To Meet Over Ukraine Violence

Is 'Chocolate King' What Ukrainians Fought For?

Updated: 11:51am UK, Monday 26 May 2014

By Katie Stallard, Sky Correspondent, in Donetsk

According to the national exit poll and the man himself, Ukraine has a new president.

Self-made billionaire Petro Poroshenko - the man they call the "chocolate king" - has declared himself the winner.

Yulia Tymoshenko conceded gracefully, if emotionally, in defeat.

Mr Poroshenko says his first priority is end war and bring peace.

To that end, his first official visit as president will be to the Donbas region in the east.

But he also said he has ruled out negotiations with separatists until they lay down weapons.

None of those we have spoken to here have any intention of doing so.

They burned ballot papers with Molotov cocktails in front of our camera on Sunday to make their point - as far as they are concerned this new president is illegitimate.

They do not recognise his authority, nor do they adhere to his demands.

And there are plenty of other people here not occupying buildings or burning ballots, but who feel the authorities in Kiev mean nothing and do nothing for them.

Uniting Ukraine might make for good campaigning rhetoric, but it's easier promised in a stump speech than delivered in real life.

There will also be questions about whether Mr Poroshenko is what those on the Maidan (the local name for the uprising on Kiev's Independence Square) fought for.

They didn't just want new politicians - they wanted a whole new politics, and the end of the influence of the oligarchy on those in power.

What they have got is one of the richest men in Ukraine, and a man who has been involved in national politics, on and off, and on both sides, for much of the last two decades.

Add to that the parlous state of the national finances, the austerity measures the International Monetary Fund is likely to insist are imposed very shortly, and the massive hike in the Russian gas price, and there are troubled economic times ahead.

Mr Poroshenko's election slogan was: "Live in a new way" -  people here are expecting life to get better, not worse.

But this election does formalise what happened on the Maidan this winter; no longer can it be said that an unelected, self-appointed government has seized power by force.

Whatever the separatists in the east and Russian television channels might say, millions and millions of Ukrainians have voted for a new president, and a man who has promised them a new European future.

It is an overwhelming endorsement of the demands of those who rallied on the Maidan demanding a move away from this country's Soviet past, towards Europe and the west.

There are many long difficult days ahead, but this presidential election is a start and a significant moment in the modern history of Ukraine.

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Boy, 6, Dies After Children Stabbed In Lift

A six-year-old boy has died and a seven-year-old girl is fighting for her life after the playmates were stabbed multiple times in a lift in Brooklyn.

Police are searching for a man in his 20s who fled the scene of the attack in Boulevard Houses, Schenck Avenue, East New York.

A police source said Prince Joshua Avitto and Mikayla Capers were in a lift in the building when the attacker, described as heavyset, pulled out a knife and stabbed the children several times in the torso.

He then ditched the weapon and fled the scene.

The boy's body was found inside the lift, while the girl managed to stumble outside and was found collapsed on the floor.

They were rushed to Brookdale University Hospital, where Prince Joshua, known to family and friends as PJ, was pronounced dead a short time later.

Police are searching for the attacker who fled the scene

News outlet NBC reported that the boy's mother was heard shouting: "They done killed my baby.

"His birthday was in 16 days. Lord, they done killed my baby!"

Seven-year-old Mikayla has been transferred to New York-Presbyterian Hospital where she has undergone surgery. She remains in a critical condition.

New York Daily News quoted her mother, Sherina Capers, 21, as saying: "This don't make no sense. This is kids. You don't do this to kids.

According to Inez Rodriguez, the president the Boulevard Houses Tenant Association, the playmates were on their way to buy a snack when they were attacked.

"They were just coming outside to get some ice cream and ices," she said.

"This is the worst thing that I've ever seen in this neighbourhood."

The attack came two days after an 18-year-old girl was stabbed to death nearby.

She was stabbed 32 times in the chest while on the way to a friend's house on Friday evening.

Police have not ruled out a connection between the two attacks.

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