Greece In New Debt Deal Talks With Osborne

Greece's finance minister is due to meet British counterpart George Osborne, as Athens launches its drive to secure a new debt agreement.

Yanis Varoufakis is in London after holding talks in Paris, where he compared Greece to "drug addicts craving the next dose" of loan tranches.

Greece wants to end its existing arrangement with the European Union, the European Central Bank and International Monetary Fund "troika" when its aid deadline expires on 28 February.

Mr Varoufakis said it was time for his country to go "cold turkey".

"For the last five years, Greece has been living for the next loan tranche," he said.

Video: A Guide To Greece's Economic Woes

"We have resembled drug addicts craving the next dose. What this government is all about is ending the addiction,"

Greece has begun to roll back on austerity measures imposed under its existing bailout deal and France says it will try to help the country's new government find a debt agreement.

French finance minister Michel Sapin ruled out cancelling the debt but said Athens was right to be concerned about the burden of its repayments.

"France is more than prepared to support Greece in this approach," he said.

"I am confident that Greece will be in a position to overcome the present challenges. I am confident that the Greek government will be in a position to produce indispensable reforms.

"Anything that can alleviate the Greek debt burden will be welcome... but of course there is no question of cancelling the Greek debt."

Mr Osborne said: "I welcome this opportunity, so soon after the Greek election, to discuss face to face with Yanis Varoufakis the stability of the European economy and how to boost its growth."

Prime Minister David Cameron initially responded to Syriza's rise to power by warning it would increase "economic uncertainty across Europe" but later offered the new leader UK help on tax collection.

Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras wants to agree a bridging deal with the troika to gain breathing space.

He hopes a new deal can be negotiated to reduce Greece's unmanageable public debt burden of more than 175% of its economic output, or €320bn (£240m).

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Ex-IMF Head Strauss-Kahn On Trial For Pimping

Disgraced former IMF head Dominique Strauss-Kahn goes on trial in France accused of aggravated pimping as part of a prostitution ring.

If convicted, the one-time presidential contender, known as DSK in France, faces up to 10 years in prison and a €1.5m (£1.1m) fine.

Strauss-Kahn and more than a dozen other French and Belgian businessmen will be tried in the northern city of Lille.

Luxury hotel managers, police, freemasons and a brothel owner nicknamed "Dodo the Pimp" are also standing trial.

Strauss-Kahn and his partner Myriam L'Aouffir at a film festival last year

"Specifically the charges against Mr Strauss-Kahn can be translated best as aggravated pimping, so participating in a structured prostitution ring involving a number of women operating both in France and in Belgium," said lawyer Christopher Mesnooh.

Prostitutes questioned in the case said they had sex with Strauss-Kahn during 2010 and 2011 at a luxury hotel and a restaurant in Paris and also in Washington, where he lived while working for the International Monetary Fund, and in Brussels.

His lawyers said he had attended "libertine" gatherings, but denied knowing the women were paid.

In France, it is not against the law to pay for sex, but is illegal to solicit or run a prostitution business.

During the high-profile three-week trial, lurid details of group sex and high-end prostitution are expected to emerge.

Prosecutors have been divided over whether there was enough evidence for Strauss-Kahn to stand trial.

State prosecutor Frederic Fevre called for the charges to be dropped in 2013.

The trial is taking place in Lille, northern France

But investigating judges overruled him and ordered Strauss-Khan to face trial.

Strauss-Kahn's financial and political career ended four years ago amid accusations he sexually assaulted hotel maid Nafissatou Diallo in New York.

Diallo told police he forced her to perform oral sex, tried to rape her and tore a ligament in her shoulder after she arrived to clean his luxury hotel suite.

Strauss-Kahn, who was forced to resign as head of the IMF due to the scandal, said the sex was consensual but described it as "a moral failing."

New York prosecutors dropped the case three months later because they said Diallo had lied about her background and changed her account of her actions after the alleged attack.

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Family's Relief As Jailed Reporter Released

A journalist freed after 400 days in an Egyptian jail "won't rest" until the two colleagues he was detained with are also released, his brother has said.

Australian Peter Greste was flown to Cyprus after a presidential "approval" meant he was allowed out of prison in Cairo.

But fellow al Jazeera journalists Mohamed Fahmy and Baher Mohamed remain in jail, where the trio had been held since their arrest in December 2013.

And Mr Greste's brother, Andrew, told a news conference in Brisbane: "On a more sombre note, I know Peter wanted me to...  acknowledge that Peter's two other colleagues are still there.

Peter Greste (L), with colleagues Mohamed Fahmy (C) and Baher Mohamed

"Peter was arrested with Baher and Mohamed, and they also deserve to be free.

"Peter won't rest until they're released from prison and we hope that will follow in the very near future.

Video: Egypt Deports Jailed Reporter

"Of course, we are thinking of Baher, Mohamed and their families who, thankfully, in this unusual twist of fate, we've got to know very well."

Andrew Greste said his 49-year-old brother was "safe, healthy and very, very happy to be on his way home".

He also thanked journalists "who have not let the story die", adding: "You've all been on this ride with us and have supported us and Peter faithfully."

The three reporters were jailed for offences including spreading lies to help the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood, but were facing a retrial after their original convictions were overturned.

Video: Al Jazeera: 'We'll Continue Fight'

Canadian-Egyptian Mr Fahmy is expected to be freed over the coming days, when paperwork is completed that would allow authorities to deport him to Canada,

His fiancee Marwa Omara told reporters: "His deportation is in its final stages. We are hopeful."

It remains unclear what will happen to Mr Mohamed, who is Egyptian.

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Nut Rage Airline Heiress Acted 'Like A Beast'

Korean Air heiress Heather Cho behaved "like a beast that found its prey" during the so-called "nut rage" incident on a flight, a chief steward has told a court.

Park Chang-jin also said Cho, who quit as vice president responsible for cabin service at the family-run airline in the face of a public backlash, treated flight crew like "feudal slaves".

Cho demanded Mr Park be removed from a flight at New York's John F Kennedy airport after a first-class flight attendant served her macadamia nuts in a packet rather than a bowl.

The plane, already taxiing towards the runway, was forced to return to the gate.

Prosecutors are seeking a three-year jail sentence for Cho over her tantrum, which made international headlines and caused outrage in South Korea.

Cho's father is the arline's chief

Cho, the eldest daughter of the airline's chief Cho Yang-Ho, has pleaded not guilty to violating aviation law.

She is also accused of conspiring with other company executives to force crew members to lie about the incident in December.

Mr Park told the court in the South Korean capital Seoul that Cho "was like a beast that found its prey gritting its teeth as she became abusive, not listening to what I had to say at all".

Korean Air is South Korea's biggest airline

He also said Cho made him kneel and beg for forgiveness as she jabbed him with a service manual, the court heard.

Fighting back tears, he added: "I don't think Cho showed an ounce of conscience, treating powerless people like myself like feudal slaves, forcing us to sacrifice and treating it as if it was the natural thing to do."

He appeared in court in uniform after returning to work over the weekend following a leave of absence.

Cho's father apologised in court on Friday to Mr Park and promised he would not face any sanction.

Her lawyers previously told the court that she was sorry for her actions, but that they did not merit punishment.

They also denied that she used violence.

Prosecutors claim Mr Park was forced to kneel and that Cho jabbed him with a service manual.

Cho, also known as Cho Hyun-ah, has been in custody since 30 December.

Her two siblings are executives at the airline, which is South Korea's biggest.

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Ukraine: Psychiatric Care On The Frontline

By Katie Stallard, Sky Correspondent, in Donetsk

At the psychiatric hospital in western Donetsk, an elderly man stands reciting Pushkin.

The shelling has been getting closer, the patients are being told what is happening, but it's difficult for many of them to understand.

Inside, on the ward, the staff are trying to keep things as normal as possible, but they're frightened too.

The doctor shows us a picture of one of their nurses - Irinia Radchenko - she was killed in shelling at home a few days ago.

"It was Wednesday," Dr Valentina Vozovikova told us.

"She was at home after work when the place was heavily shelled and she died.

"She was killed by a big piece of shell. It went through her chest.

MSF is providing medical aid on both sides of the frontline

"We are really afraid. Today on my way to work when I was almost at the bus station the shelling began so I lay on the ground.

"It was really scary, but I made it to work because the shells didn't land too near to me."

Video: Civilians Killed In Eastern Ukraine

Dr Vozovikova showed us around the ward and asked us to film a 92-year-old retired schoolteacher - neighbours found her lying on the floor at home.

The doctor hoped relatives abroad might recognise the frail lady and be able to help.

"Her name is Vera Feodorovna Pismenova," Dr Vozovikova said, "She has nephews in Russia, maybe someone will see that she is alive, that she cannot look after herself."

"We brought her here and we don't know if we can save her or not but we hope we can."

In another room, we met 77-year-old Nina Pavlovna, she was found begging near a church.

Video: Donetsk: Life In A City Under Siege

"The shelling began … I had nowhere to live," Mrs Pavolovna explained.

"I was begging on the street so they took me here, washed me, changed my clothes and I'm grateful for that."

Staff said their salaries had not been paid for four months, and the hospital was running low on food and medication, that they only had a few days' supply of some drugs left.

Medical aid organisation Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) - also known as Doctors Without Borders - has warned of an increasingly dire situation in the region, as hospitals are stretched to breaking point with dwindling supplies, and an increasing number of patients.

MSF is working on both sides of the conflict zone, transporting medical supplies to frontline hospitals, but heavy fighting is restricting access to some areas.

Video: Inside A Donetsk Bomb Shelter

We filmed Dr Wael Abdelrahman Ahmed delivering medication to an elderly care home in Makiivka, north-east of Donetsk, who explained the difficulties facing doctors in the region.

"There is a really big problem with medications," he said.

"We're getting different requests from different hospitals - they need support."

"We are doing our best now to support them - for instance with maternity and chronic disease kits."

The organisation said their teams had twice been turned back over the last week, trying to reach the hospital in the frontline city of Gorlovka, and urged both sides to allow humanitarian aid to reach those who desperately need it.

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IS Hostage Pilot's Brother: 'It's Not Our War'

By Tom Rayner, Middle East Reporter, Karak, Jordan

The brother of the Jordanian pilot held captive by Islamic State has urged his country's leaders to leave the international coalition targeting the group, saying: "It's not our war."

His comments reflect the growing domestic pressure being put on the Jordanian government, as the fate of Mu'ath Al Kassasbeh remains unknown.

In the pilot's home town of Ay, which sits in the Karak Mountains 90 miles south of the capital Amman, there have been demonstrations against the country's involvement in the US-led coalition.

Speaking to Sky News, Mu'ath's brother Jawdat Al Kassasbeh said such sentiments were widely held. 

"The Jordanian people in general and our cousins here in this village are saying this war is not our war. It is not our war," he said.

Video: I.S. Assault On Kirkuk Hotel

Asked whether he believes his brother is still alive, he said: "God bless him. I really don't know. I really don't. I just hope."

Islamic State (IS) had said it would kill Mu'ath by sunset on Thursday unless Iraqi jihadist Sajida al Rishawi was released in exchange for Japanese hostage, Kenji Goto.

The Jordanian government had said they were prepared to make the exchange if Mu'ath was also released, but that they had not received proof the pilot was alive.

On Saturday, hours after officials said negotiations were "deadlocked," the Japanese government said a video apparently showing the murder of Mr Goto seemed to be genuine.

Jordan "strongly condemned" the killing and vowed to do "everything" to save Mu'ath's life.

The Kassasbeh family are part of one of the largest tribes in Jordan and one of the most loyal to the Royal Family.

But in the last week they have increasingly taken their frustrations to the streets, calling for more information about the talks and for Jordan's leadership to do more to save their son.

Analysts have suggested IS is set on exploiting the captured pilot to cause instability in Jordan, driving a wedge between the Western-backed government and the network of tribal communities.

Video: Deadline Passes For Bomber Release

However, those close to the Royal Family believe the organisation is underestimating the bonds that hold the Hashemite Kingdom together.

"They're not going to get anywhere. The tribes have always been the pillars of the country and the pillars of the army," said retired Jordanian General Ali Shukri.

General Shukri served for 23 years as the Director of the Private Office of the late King Hussein.

He says Jordan's current leadership is right to be fully involved in the international coalition, alongside other Arab states, in their battle with Islamic State.

"Do we wait for them until they appear on our borders or in our towns? Or do we join the coalition and pre-empt all their plans?" said General Shukri

"We simply cannot turn our backs and say: 'It's not our problem.' It is our problem," he added.

Mu'ath Al Kassasbeh was taken captive by Islamic State when his fighter jet crashed in Syria in late December.

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Ukraine Peace Talks Break With No Solution

Peace talks aimed at ending the bloodshed in eastern Ukraine have broken up with no plans to resume, according to Sky News sources.

The main members of the so-called contact group - Ukrainian former president Leonid Kuchma, a Russian diplomat and an Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe official - had met at a state residence in the Belarussian capital Minsk, where they were joined by two separatist officials.

Diplomatic sources told Sky's Katie Stallard the talks broke up with no conclusion.

She was told their resumption on Sunday was not likely and differences were very wide - with the atmosphere described as not fruitful.

It came on a day when 12 civilians were killed by separatist shelling in Debaltseve, which lies to the northeast of Donetsk, according to a police chief.

Video: Fighting Stops Doctors Going Home

Ukraine's Defence Minister Stepan Poltorak, meanwhile, said 15 Ukrainian soldiers were killed and 30 wounded in clashes across the east.

The day before Sky News had witnessed the aftermath of a shell strike in Donetsk, at which correspondent Katie Stallard counted five bodies.

The two sides in Ukraine's civil war have held only one inconclusive meeting since agreeing a ceasefire last September.

Video: Civilians Killed In Eastern Ukraine

That truce collapsed with a new rebel advance last week.

Rebels are fighting to remove the two regions of Donetsk and Luhansk from Kiev's control.

Both sides have accused each other of deadly artillery and mortar strikes on civilian targets in the past two weeks, including the one on a cultural centre seen by Sky's correspondent.

Video: Donetsk: Life In A City Under Siege

Since September, the separatists, who Kiev says are supported by Russian troops, have seized more than 500 sq km (193 sq miles) of territory.

Debaltseve, where the fighting has been intense, is on the main road between Donetsk and the other big rebel-controlled city of Luhansk. It is also on a vital rail route for goods traffic from Russia.

The rebels were also continuing to threaten Mariupol, a town of 500,000 people in the southeast of the country, an official said.

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1. Gallery: Ukrainian Army's New Conscripts

   Conscripts attend a ceremony marking their enrolment in the Ukrainian army in Kiev

Relatives react as they attend the ceremony. Ukraine's parliament voted to refresh its front-line forces and resume partial conscription after a top security official warned Russian forces backing rebels had sharply increased military activity in the country's east. Continue through for more images

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Japan Will 'Never Forgive' IS Hostage Murder

The Japanese government says a video showing the apparent murder of hostage Kenji Goto appears to be genuine.

The one minute-long footage was apparently released by Islamic State (IS) on Saturday evening.

It purportedly shows the beheading of the Japanese freelance journalist and film-maker, who was a father of three.

The man was wearing an orange jumpsuit and the video was similar to previous beheading footage the militant group has released.

The video was called "A Message to the Government of Japan" and the apparent murderer spoke with a British accent.

He blamed Mr Goto's beheading on Japan's support for the US-led coalition fighting IS in the Middle East.

The kneeling hostage did not speak in the footage.

Junko Ishido, Kenji Goto's mother, said she was heartbroken by his death

The Japanese, UK and US governments strongly condemned IS, with Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe visibly upset as he spoke to reporters in Tokyo.

"I am extremely angry about these heinous and despicable terrorist acts. We will never forgive terrorists," he said.

Video: 'This Is A Generational Struggle'

"We will co-operate with the international community to make them atone for their crimes."

US President Barack Obama said America condemned the "heinous murder" and would continue to work with allies to destroy the jihadist group.

British Prime Minister David Cameron said it was a "further reminder that ISIL is the embodiment of evil, with no regard for human life".

And Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond, speaking in Sydney, added: "It is important that we do recognise that although the current challenge is focused around Iraq and Syria, we have to recognise that the underlying challenge of extremist Islamism is going to be with us for a long while.

"This is a generational struggle against this ideology and we are going to have to fight these battles not just in the Middle East, but in other parts of the world as well. There is nowhere that is safe from this challenge."

Speaking from her home in a suburb of Tokyo, Mr Goto's mother Junko Ishido said: "Kenji has died, and my heart is broken.

"Facing such a tragic death, I'm just speechless."

Video: Negotiations With IS Are 'Futile'

The family of another IS hostage, Jordanian fighter pilot Lt Mu'ath al Kassasbeh, said they were "devastated" by Mr Goto's murder.

His uncle, Yassin Rawashda, has urged the Jordanian government to "tell us the truth", amid concerns that they have not had an update on how negotiations for his release are going.

Mr Goto travelled to Syria in October seeking to secure the release of Japanese hostage Haruna Yukawa, according to friends and business associates.

Earlier this month, IS released a video of Mr Goto and Mr Yukawa and threatened to kill them unless a $200m (£133m) ransom was paid.

Last week, Mr Abe slammed "an outrageous and unforgivable act" after a video reportedly showing an image of Mr Goto holding a picture of a beheaded Mr Yukawa was posted online.

Mr Goto's family made public pleas to Mr Abe to negotiate his safe release.

Earlier on Saturday, a top Japanese diplomat said there was a "state of deadlock" in negotiations to release Mr Goto.

Video: I.S. Assault On Kirkuk Hotel

Japan's deputy foreign minister Yasuhide Nakayama made the comments in the Jordanian capital Amman, where he had been leading Tokyo's team attempting to secure the freedom of the veteran war reporter.

Mr Goto, 47, had appeared in videos released by IS in which his fate was linked to Jordanian pilot Lt Mu'ath al Kassasbeh.

Jordan and Japan held indirect negotiations with the militants, who control around a third of Iraq and Syria, for the release of the men in exchange for a jailed jihadist.

Jordan demanded evidence that the airman who crashed in Syria on December 24 is still alive before freeing the would-be suicide bomber, who is on death row.

IS had said it would kill Jordan's captured pilot by sunset on Thursday unless Iraqi jihadist Sajida al Rishawi was released.

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Ebola Evacuation For Worker After Needle Jab

A British military healthcare worker has been evacuated from Sierra Leone after being accidentally jabbed with a needle while treating Ebola patients.

The worker has returned to England for monitoring, according to Public Health England (PHE).

The woman was flown back to RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire on Friday night and then transferred to an isolation ward at the Royal Free Hospital in Hampstead, northwest London.

The worker's next of kin has been informed, according to PHE.

It is understood the person, whose identity has not been released, has probably been exposed to the virus but has not been diagnosed with Ebola and is not displaying symptoms.

Video: 'Pop-Up' Ebola Hospital Open

The official announcement said the worker suffered a "needle-stick injury", which involves piercing of the skin.

The injuries typically involved needle points but may also be done by other sharp objects, and are considered an occupational health hazard by medical workers.

PHE director for health protection Professor Paul Cosford said: "Our thoughts are with this person, who has been courageous in helping those affected in West Africa, and in preventing the wider spread of Ebola.

Video: Ebola: Busting The Myths

"We have strict, well-tested protocols in place for this eventuality and we are confident that all appropriate actions have been taken to support the healthcare worker concerned and to protect the health of other people."

The medical evacuation was done as a precautionary measure after the worker was pricked by a needle at the Kerry Town clinic in the West African nation.

There are currently around 600 British military personnel working in Sierra Leone, with Royal Fleet Auxiliary ship Argus stationed in the area.

Video: The True Horror Of The Ebola Crisis

The clinic was built on the outskirts of the capital Freetown to help treat patients infected by the virus, which has ravaged parts of West Africa.

It includes an 80-bed treatment centre managed by Save The Children charity and a 12-bed operated by British Army medical staff designed to treat international healthcare workers and staff working in the area.

London's Royal Free Hospital also treated British nurses Pauline Cafferkey and Will Pooley - both were diagnosed with the disease after returning from treating patients in Africa.

Video: July 2014: UK Ebola Treatment Plan

In a statement the hospital said: "We can confirm that a UK military healthcare worker has been admitted to the Royal Free Hospital today following a needlestick injury while treating a person with Ebola in Sierra Leone.

"The individual has been admitted to the Royal Free Hospital for assessment."

The patient will be monitored throughout the 21-day incubation period of Ebola.

Video: Argus Sets Sail For Sierra Leone

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1. Gallery: The Desperate Fight To Contain The Ebola Outbreak

   A man rests outside the clinic.

A woman is comforted after medical officials remove her husband, who is suspected of having the disease.

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Greece Wants 'Rethink' Of Whole Bailout

Greece's newly elected anti-austerity government has said it will not co-operate with its international "troika" of creditors - the European Union, the European Central Bank and the International Monetary Fund.

Greece's finance minister Yanis Varoufakis said that despite warnings his country would shortly run out of money, his government preferred to do without fresh funds and instead renegotiate its entire €240bn (£180bn) bailout package.

Athens has been promised another €7.2bn (£5.4bn) in funds from the troika if it completes reforms required by its lenders by 28 February, when the bailout programme runs out.

"This government was elected on the basis of analytically questioning the very logic of the programme now being applied," Mr Varoufakis said, referring to the reforms and budget cuts demanded by the troika.

"We don't want the €7bn ... We want to sit down and rethink the whole programme."

Video: New Greek PM Takes Office

But the stance has already drawn criticism from top EU officials, and Germany's Angela Merkel.

"There has already been voluntary debt forgiveness by private creditors, banks have already slashed billions from Greece's debt," Mrs Merkel said.

"I do not envisage fresh debt cancellation."

Her comments follow remarks made at a strained news conference between Mr Varoufakis and Eurogroup chief Jeroen Dijsselbloem.

Mr Varoufakis said Athens was willing to negotiate with its lenders but not with the troika, which he described as a "committee built on rotten foundations".

Video: Greece On EU Collision Course

Mr Dijsselbloem said Greece and the Eurogroup had a "mutual interest in the further recovery of the Greek economy inside the eurozone" and warned against Athens acting on its own.

"Taking unilateral steps and ignoring previous arrangements is not the way forward," Mr Dijsselbloem said.

"The problems of the Greek economy have not disappeared or changed overnight with the elections."

Further concern comes from the potential of the anti-austerity political movement spreading to other nations, with a large "march for change" expected today in the Spanish capital Madrid to support new far left party Podemos.

The troika was formed in 2010 to rescue debt-riddled Greece with the bailout on the condition Athens imposed huge spending cuts and fiscal reforms.

Video: Greek People Ready To 'Turn A Page'

Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras was elected last Sunday on a platform of ending austerity and erasing most of the country's national debt.

Mr Varoufakis meets French counterpart Michel Sapin in Paris on Sunday and British Chancellor George Osborne on Monday.

Mr Tsipras will meet Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi on Tuesday and French President Francois Hollande on Wednesday, but has no plans to visit Germany - Europe's biggest economy and its effective paymaster.

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