Written By Unknown on Jumat, 23 Januari 2015 | 20.18
Many Japanese have responded to the Islamic State's demand for a $200m ransom for two hostages with a meme mocking the Islamist group.
A hashtag, which translates as "ISIS crappy collage grand prix" or "photoshop grand prix", was created and users have been using it to post parodies of the hostage video.
The video released by the group on Tuesday shows a militant, dressed in black and brandishing a knife as he stands between Kenji Goto and Haruna Yukawa, who are both clad in orange jumpsuits.
Twitter posts show the IS militant posed as a movie villain
This image has been photoshopped to make the British-accented jihadi a ninja and Dr Evil, while in others the two hostages appear as Japanese anime characters.
In another mocked-up image the North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un is seen laughing and pointing as the video plays on a screen.
The meme plays on the fact that the image of the two kneeled figures and their captor appears to have been photoshopped onto the desert background.
Social media users have been criticised for not taking the threat seriously
According to the social media analytics site, Topsy, the hashtag has been used more than 70,000 times since Tuesday as many use it to express their defiance.
djvjgrrl wrote on Twitter: "Tomorrow will be sad but it will pass and #ISIS will still be a big joke. You can't break our spirit."
But some people have criticised the posts for not taking the IS threat seriously.
JB~kun wrote: "So here I was checking this hashtag and apparently some of the Japanese tweets are making fun of the whole thing. Japan pls."
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Ms Yingluck leaving the Thai parliament shortly before her impeachment
Former Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra is to be put on trial in connection with a rice subsidy programme that lost the country billions of dollars.
The charge against the country's first female prime minister concerns her role in a scheme that paid farmers far above market prices for rice.
It also cost Thailand its place as the world's leading exporter.
If found guilty, she could face up to 10 years in prison. Her successful impeachment by parliament has already seen her banned from politics for five years.
A planned press conference by Yingluck was cancelled
The former PM was removed from office last May days before a military coup, amid allegations of abuse of power.
She later issued a statement on Facebook saying: "Democracy has died in Thailand today, along with the rule of law. That move to destroy me is still ongoing and I face it now."
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Gallery: Hunger Games Salute Is Thai Protest
People in Bangkok protesting against military rule hold their three middle fingers in the air during a brief demonstration at a shopping centre. The military has warned it will arrest anyone who uses the gesture, which is borrowed from the Hunger Games as a form of protest against the country's recent coup.
Thailand's military government sent thousands of troops and police into central Bangkok to prevent demonstrations against its seizure of power.
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The raised arm gesture has become a symbol of opposition to the military takeover on May 22 and a response to bans on political gatherings of more than five people. Click through for more pictures...
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The commission in July recommended criminal charges be filed against Ms Yingluck for the subsidy programme, which paid the farmers double the market price for rice.
The programme was a flagship electioneering policy, with Ms Yingluck saying the scheme would directly benefit Thai farmers and reduce the income equality gap in the country.
She won a landslide electoral victory in 2011 backed by the rural poor who benefited from the rice scheme.
Her supporters say the courts and ruling National Legislative Assembly (NLA) are biased and aligned with an establishment intent on blocking her powerful family from politics.
The decision to prosecute may renew tensions in the divided country, with Ms Yingluck's Red Shirt supporters seeing the move as part of an effort to deal a final blow to her party's political power after last year's coup.
The capital's streets were quiet on Friday, as residents obeyed the military junta's ban on public gatherings.
The government of coup leader and Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha has urged Ms Yingluck's supporters to stay out of Bangkok this week, although a repeat of the protests that have dogged the country in recent years is unlikely.
The impeachment is the latest chapter in 10 years of turbulent politics that have pitted Ms Yingluck and her brother Thaksin, himself a former prime minister, against the royalist-military establishment which sees the Shinawatras as a threat.
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Ms Yingluck leaving the Thai parliament shortly before her impeachment
Former Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra is to be put on trial in connection with a rice subsidy programme that lost the country billions of dollars.
The charge against the country's first female prime minister concerns her role in a scheme that paid farmers far above market prices for rice.
It also cost Thailand its place as the world's leading exporter.
If found guilty, she could face up to 10 years in prison. Her successful impeachment by parliament has already seen her banned from politics for five years.
A planned press conference by Yingluck was cancelled
The former PM was removed from office last May days before a military coup, amid allegations of abuse of power.
She later issued a statement on Facebook saying: "Democracy has died in Thailand today, along with the rule of law. That move to destroy me is still ongoing and I face it now."
1/10
Gallery: Hunger Games Salute Is Thai Protest
People in Bangkok protesting against military rule hold their three middle fingers in the air during a brief demonstration at a shopping centre. The military has warned it will arrest anyone who uses the gesture, which is borrowed from the Hunger Games as a form of protest against the country's recent coup.
Thailand's military government sent thousands of troops and police into central Bangkok to prevent demonstrations against its seizure of power.
]]>
The raised arm gesture has become a symbol of opposition to the military takeover on May 22 and a response to bans on political gatherings of more than five people. Click through for more pictures...
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The commission in July recommended criminal charges be filed against Ms Yingluck for the subsidy programme, which paid the farmers double the market price for rice.
The programme was a flagship electioneering policy, with Ms Yingluck saying the scheme would directly benefit Thai farmers and reduce the income equality gap in the country.
She won a landslide electoral victory in 2011 backed by the rural poor who benefited from the rice scheme.
Her supporters say the courts and ruling National Legislative Assembly (NLA) are biased and aligned with an establishment intent on blocking her powerful family from politics.
The decision to prosecute may renew tensions in the divided country, with Ms Yingluck's Red Shirt supporters seeing the move as part of an effort to deal a final blow to her party's political power after last year's coup.
The capital's streets were quiet on Friday, as residents obeyed the military junta's ban on public gatherings.
The government of coup leader and Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha has urged Ms Yingluck's supporters to stay out of Bangkok this week, although a repeat of the protests that have dogged the country in recent years is unlikely.
The impeachment is the latest chapter in 10 years of turbulent politics that have pitted Ms Yingluck and her brother Thaksin, himself a former prime minister, against the royalist-military establishment which sees the Shinawatras as a threat.
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A clock counting down to the killing of Japanese hostages by Islamic State has reached zero - but the militant group has yet to break its silence on the pair's plight.
Posted alongside gruesome images of other murdered hostages on a website linked to the jihadist organisation, the clock counted down to the now-elapsed deadline previously given by IS.
They had given Japan 72 hours to pay a $200m ransom for the release of Kenji Goto, a journalist, and Haruna Yukawa, a private military company operator - if the ransom is not paid.
In the video, a black-clad militant addressed the camera in English
Earlier, the mother of one of the men pleaded with militants to spare her son's life.
Junko Ishido said her son, Mr Goto, is a friend of Islam who devoted his life to helping children in war zones.
Video:The Growth Of Islamic State
"I say to you people of the Islamic State, Kenji is not your enemy. Please release him," she said.
In the video, a black-clad militant brandishing a knife addresses the camera in English as he stands between two hostages wearing orange jumpsuits.
"You now have 72 hours to pressure your government into making a wise decision by paying the $200m to save the lives of your citizens," he says.
The footage, identified as being made by the group's al Furqan media arm and posted on militant websites, also sees the militant criticising the Japanese government's support for US-led airstrikes against IS.
Japan's Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida said the government is making every effort to secure the hostages' release.
"We have received offers of cooperation from various countries. We are continuing to analyse information," he said.
Asked whether Japan would pay the ransom, Mr Kishida said: "We will not give in to terrorism. We will fight against terrorism in cooperation with other countries."
IS has seized swathes of territory across Iraq and Syria in an attempt to form an Islamic Caliphate.
Videos featuring a British-accented jihadi were published showing the murders of US hostages James Foley and Steven Sotloff and British hostages David Haines and Alan Henning.
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Video:Thousands Mourn Saudi King Abdullah
Thousands of people are on the streets of Saudi Arabia mourning King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz who died overnight.
Video images showed Abdullah's body being carried at his funeral in the capital, Riyadh.
He will be buried this afternoon following the funeral at the Imam Turki bin Abdullah mosque.
Muslim dignitaries from around the world arrived in Riyadh for the funeral, under heavy guard.
State television aired images of the prayer ahead of his burial.
Video:King Abdullah Of Saudi Arabia Dies
The footage showed Abdullah's body shrouded in a simple beige cloth in line with Islamic tradition.
The Prince of Wales, representing Her Majesty The Queen, will travel to Saudi Arabia to pay his condolences.
Abdullah died in hospital at 1.00am local time. He is believed to be aged 90 or 91.
His half-brother Crown Prince Salman has succeeded to the throne.
Abdullah, who took power in 2005 following the death of King Fahd, is expected to be buried later today following afternoon prayers.
"With great sadness and mourning His Royal Highness Crown Prince Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud, and all members of the family and the nation, express condolences for the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz al-Saud," a television statement said.
The late monarch's half-brother Moqren has been confirmed as the new Saudi Crown Prince.
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Gallery: Pictures: Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah
Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah, the powerful American ally who joined the US fight against al Qaeda and sought to modernise the conservative Muslim kingdom, has died aged 90
The King maintained historically close ties with Washington, but there was friction as he sought to put those relations on Saudi Arabia's terms. He is seen here with Barack Obama last year
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The former US president George W. Bush sips tea with Abdullah in Al Janadriyah, Saudi Arabia, in 2008
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King Abdullah was born in Riyadh in 1924, one of the dozens of sons of Saudi Arabia's founder, King Abdul-Aziz Al Saud
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Abdullah assertively threw his oil-rich nation's weight behind trying to shape the Middle East
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The public will be invited to pledge allegiance to the new monarch and Crown Prince at the royal palace later today.
Abdullah had run the country as de factor leader since the mid-1990s after his predecessor suffered a debilitating stroke.
He was admitted to hospital on 31 December suffering pneumonia and the royal court announced that he was breathing with the aid of a tube.
Sky's Middle East correspondent Sherine Tadros said the death comes after weeks of speculation and rumour about the monarch's health.
"He's been ill for several weeks. He was admitted to hospital in December with a liver infection and there have been rumours over the past few weeks that he had died," she said.
His successor King Salman, 79, became Crown Prince in June 2012 after the death of Prince Nayef bin Abdulaziz.
He has represented Abdullah at recent public events due to the late king's ailing health.
Video:Saudi King Abdullah Dies
In a televised speech after the death was announced he vowed to continue the policies of his predecessors.
"We will continue adhering to the correct policies which Saudi Arabia has followed since its establishment," King Salman said.
"The Arab and the Islamic nations are in dire need of solidarity and cohesion," he added.
World leaders have paid tribute to Abdullah, who encouraged reforms to the oil-rich kingdom including greater freedom for women and economic deregulation.
During his reign, Abdullah worked to counter the influence of Saudi Arabia's chief rival Iran.
On hearing of his death, Iran offered condolences and said Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif would travel to Riyadh for an "official ceremony".
Abdullah and his fellow Sunni Arab monarchs also staunchly opposed the wave of pro-democracy uprisings across the Middle East since 2011.
Saudi Arabia has been among several Gulf countries taking part in a US-led air campaign against Islamic State.
His nation also unflinchingly led Gulf countries in ignoring calls by other producers to cut oil output to curb the sliding price of crude.
He also launched projects to build new economic cities, universities and high-speed railways.
His death means Elizabeth the Queen is now the oldest monarch in the world, aged 88.
Elizabeth became Queen in February 1952 following the death of her father, George VI.
She is older than Sultan Abdul Halim Mu'adzam Shah of Malaysia and Thailand's King Bhumibol Adulyadej, who are both 87.
US President Barack Obama expressed his condolences in the wake of Abdullah's death, hailing his "steadfast and passionate belief" in Saudi-American relations.
Video:Saudi King Abdullah's Legacy
"As a leader, he was always candid and had the courage of his convictions," Mr Obama said in a statement.
"One of those convictions was his steadfast and passionate belief in the importance of the US-Saudi relationship as a force for stability and security in the Middle East and beyond.
"The closeness and strength of the partnership between our two countries is part of King Abdullah's legacy."
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Thousands Mourn Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah
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Video:Thousands Mourn Saudi King Abdullah
Thousands of people are on the streets of Saudi Arabia mourning King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz who died overnight.
Video images showed Abdullah's body being carried at his funeral in the capital, Riyadh.
He will be buried this afternoon following the funeral at the Imam Turki bin Abdullah mosque.
Muslim dignitaries from around the world arrived in Riyadh for the funeral, under heavy guard.
State television aired images of the prayer ahead of his burial.
Video:King Abdullah Of Saudi Arabia Dies
The footage showed Abdullah's body shrouded in a simple beige cloth in line with Islamic tradition.
The Prince of Wales, representing Her Majesty The Queen, will travel to Saudi Arabia to pay his condolences.
Abdullah died in hospital at 1.00am local time. He is believed to be aged 90 or 91.
His half-brother Crown Prince Salman has succeeded to the throne.
Abdullah, who took power in 2005 following the death of King Fahd, is expected to be buried later today following afternoon prayers.
"With great sadness and mourning His Royal Highness Crown Prince Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud, and all members of the family and the nation, express condolences for the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz al-Saud," a television statement said.
The late monarch's half-brother Moqren has been confirmed as the new Saudi Crown Prince.
1/16
Gallery: Pictures: Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah
Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah, the powerful American ally who joined the US fight against al Qaeda and sought to modernise the conservative Muslim kingdom, has died aged 90
The King maintained historically close ties with Washington, but there was friction as he sought to put those relations on Saudi Arabia's terms. He is seen here with Barack Obama last year
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The former US president George W. Bush sips tea with Abdullah in Al Janadriyah, Saudi Arabia, in 2008
]]>
King Abdullah was born in Riyadh in 1924, one of the dozens of sons of Saudi Arabia's founder, King Abdul-Aziz Al Saud
]]>
Abdullah assertively threw his oil-rich nation's weight behind trying to shape the Middle East
]]>
The public will be invited to pledge allegiance to the new monarch and Crown Prince at the royal palace later today.
Abdullah had run the country as de factor leader since the mid-1990s after his predecessor suffered a debilitating stroke.
He was admitted to hospital on 31 December suffering pneumonia and the royal court announced that he was breathing with the aid of a tube.
Sky's Middle East correspondent Sherine Tadros said the death comes after weeks of speculation and rumour about the monarch's health.
"He's been ill for several weeks. He was admitted to hospital in December with a liver infection and there have been rumours over the past few weeks that he had died," she said.
His successor King Salman, 79, became Crown Prince in June 2012 after the death of Prince Nayef bin Abdulaziz.
He has represented Abdullah at recent public events due to the late king's ailing health.
Video:Saudi King Abdullah Dies
In a televised speech after the death was announced he vowed to continue the policies of his predecessors.
"We will continue adhering to the correct policies which Saudi Arabia has followed since its establishment," King Salman said.
"The Arab and the Islamic nations are in dire need of solidarity and cohesion," he added.
World leaders have paid tribute to Abdullah, who encouraged reforms to the oil-rich kingdom including greater freedom for women and economic deregulation.
During his reign, Abdullah worked to counter the influence of Saudi Arabia's chief rival Iran.
On hearing of his death, Iran offered condolences and said Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif would travel to Riyadh for an "official ceremony".
Abdullah and his fellow Sunni Arab monarchs also staunchly opposed the wave of pro-democracy uprisings across the Middle East since 2011.
Saudi Arabia has been among several Gulf countries taking part in a US-led air campaign against Islamic State.
His nation also unflinchingly led Gulf countries in ignoring calls by other producers to cut oil output to curb the sliding price of crude.
He also launched projects to build new economic cities, universities and high-speed railways.
His death means Elizabeth the Queen is now the oldest monarch in the world, aged 88.
Elizabeth became Queen in February 1952 following the death of her father, George VI.
She is older than Sultan Abdul Halim Mu'adzam Shah of Malaysia and Thailand's King Bhumibol Adulyadej, who are both 87.
US President Barack Obama expressed his condolences in the wake of Abdullah's death, hailing his "steadfast and passionate belief" in Saudi-American relations.
Video:Saudi King Abdullah's Legacy
"As a leader, he was always candid and had the courage of his convictions," Mr Obama said in a statement.
"One of those convictions was his steadfast and passionate belief in the importance of the US-Saudi relationship as a force for stability and security in the Middle East and beyond.
"The closeness and strength of the partnership between our two countries is part of King Abdullah's legacy."
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Written By Unknown on Kamis, 22 Januari 2015 | 20.18
Deadly Shell Attack On Bus Stop In Ukraine
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Video:Civilians Killed In Ukraine Attack
At least 13 people have been killed after a bus was hit by shelling in the eastern Ukraine city of Donetsk, say reports.
Ukraine's defence ministry blamed pro-Russian rebels, saying in a statement: "On Thursday, the terrorists shelled a trolleybus in Donetsk.
"The terrorists shelled the passenger transport from city residential areas controlled by the illegal militias."
But Moscow has blamed the attack on Ukrainian troops branding it as a "crime against humanity", aimed at undermining efforts to resolve the bloody conflict, which has claimed the lives of more than 5,000 people.
Following the deadly strike, separatists paraded around 20 captured Ukrainian soldiers through the streets of Donetsk as angry residents hurled pieces of glass and abuse at them.
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Gallery: Bus Hit By Shell In Donetsk
At least 13 people were killed when a shell or a mortar hit a trolleybus stop in the rebel-controlled city of Donetsk in eastern Ukraine. Continue through for more images
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The artillery attack in the rebel stronghold came as talks on the country's crisis led to an agreement to pull back heavy weaponry from a demarcation line defined in last year's Minsk agreement.
German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier brokered the deal with his counterparts from France, Russia and Ukraine during talks in Berlin.
"A lot depends on the question if what we have agreed on will not only remain printed paper, but will also change the situation on the ground," Mr Steinmeier said.
In a joint statement released by the German foreign ministry, the ministers noted "with serious concern" that fighting in eastern Ukraine had severely escalated, causing the loss of many lives.
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Gallery: Fierce Fighting Continues On Front Line In Ukraine
A Ukrainian serviceman fires a weapon during fighting with pro-Russian separatists in Pesky village near Donetsk
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko accused Russia on Wednesday of sending 9,000 troops to back separatist rebels in the east of his country, something Russia strongly denied
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"This must stop immediately and the regime of quiet must be restored," the statement said.
They called on signatories of the Minsk peace plan to meet in the coming days to implement the ceasefire and withdrawal of heavy weapons.
Kiev and Moscow blame each other for failing to implement a ceasefire agreed in Minsk last September to end the fighting between the Ukrainian army and pro-Russian rebels.
The development comes after the Ukrainian President claimed more than 9,000 Russian soldiers equipped with heavy weapons, including tanks and artillery, are currently backing up pro-Moscow fighters in the separatist east of the country.
Video:Russia Accused Of Terrorist Attacks
In a speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Petro Poroshenko said: "If this is not aggression, what is aggression?"
US officials later cranked up the diplomatic pressure on Russia with Secretary of State John Kerry calling Russia's actions "a blatant land grab".
:: BAFTA-winning filmmaker Ross Kemp has witnessed Ukraine's bloody conflict against pro-Russian separatists.
In the first instalment of Extreme World 4, showing on Sky1 HD tonight at 9pm, he looks at the country's fight against the rapid rise of far right groups.
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Deadly Shell Attack On Bus Stop In Ukraine
We use cookies to give you the best experience. If you do nothing we'll assume that it's ok.
Video:Civilians Killed In Ukraine Attack
At least 13 people have been killed after a bus was hit by shelling in the eastern Ukraine city of Donetsk, say reports.
Ukraine's defence ministry blamed pro-Russian rebels, saying in a statement: "On Thursday, the terrorists shelled a trolleybus in Donetsk.
"The terrorists shelled the passenger transport from city residential areas controlled by the illegal militias."
But Moscow has blamed the attack on Ukrainian troops branding it as a "crime against humanity", aimed at undermining efforts to resolve the bloody conflict, which has claimed the lives of more than 5,000 people.
Following the deadly strike, separatists paraded around 20 captured Ukrainian soldiers through the streets of Donetsk as angry residents hurled pieces of glass and abuse at them.
1/6
Gallery: Bus Hit By Shell In Donetsk
At least 13 people were killed when a shell or a mortar hit a trolleybus stop in the rebel-controlled city of Donetsk in eastern Ukraine. Continue through for more images
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The artillery attack in the rebel stronghold came as talks on the country's crisis led to an agreement to pull back heavy weaponry from a demarcation line defined in last year's Minsk agreement.
German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier brokered the deal with his counterparts from France, Russia and Ukraine during talks in Berlin.
"A lot depends on the question if what we have agreed on will not only remain printed paper, but will also change the situation on the ground," Mr Steinmeier said.
In a joint statement released by the German foreign ministry, the ministers noted "with serious concern" that fighting in eastern Ukraine had severely escalated, causing the loss of many lives.
1/10
Gallery: Fierce Fighting Continues On Front Line In Ukraine
A Ukrainian serviceman fires a weapon during fighting with pro-Russian separatists in Pesky village near Donetsk
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko accused Russia on Wednesday of sending 9,000 troops to back separatist rebels in the east of his country, something Russia strongly denied
]]>
"This must stop immediately and the regime of quiet must be restored," the statement said.
They called on signatories of the Minsk peace plan to meet in the coming days to implement the ceasefire and withdrawal of heavy weapons.
Kiev and Moscow blame each other for failing to implement a ceasefire agreed in Minsk last September to end the fighting between the Ukrainian army and pro-Russian rebels.
The development comes after the Ukrainian President claimed more than 9,000 Russian soldiers equipped with heavy weapons, including tanks and artillery, are currently backing up pro-Moscow fighters in the separatist east of the country.
Video:Russia Accused Of Terrorist Attacks
In a speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Petro Poroshenko said: "If this is not aggression, what is aggression?"
US officials later cranked up the diplomatic pressure on Russia with Secretary of State John Kerry calling Russia's actions "a blatant land grab".
:: BAFTA-winning filmmaker Ross Kemp has witnessed Ukraine's bloody conflict against pro-Russian separatists.
In the first instalment of Extreme World 4, showing on Sky1 HD tonight at 9pm, he looks at the country's fight against the rapid rise of far right groups.
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The Islamic State terror threat to the West will increase if the Kurdish Peshmerga are not given more help fighting the Islamist militants, their commander has warned.
Speaking exclusively to Sky News on the eve of a major conference, Lieutenant General Jabar Manda delivered a message to the 21 foreign ministers gathering in London.
"We need more equipment, we need new weapons and we need the air strikes," he said.
"We need the continuous support and training. We are in need of ammunition. We need new weapons to win this war."
He thanked the British military for their help training his troops and said it has helped the Peshmerga push IS fighters back.
Despite this, 800 Kurdish soldiers have been killed and 4,000 wounded because of insufficient protection and Lt Gen Manda said armoured cars are needed to stop so many soldiers being killed.
A Kurdish Peshmerga fighter in a military vehicle on the outskirts of Mosul
He also said that stores of ammunition are decreasing after an early rush of donors.
"IS is an international terrorist group threatening all over the world just like we saw in France. They are threatening America and Britain and other countries," he said.
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Gallery: Kurdish Forces Battle IS Militants In Iraq
Smoke rises during clashes between Kurdish Peshmerga fighters and Islamic State (IS) militants on the outskirts of the Iraqi city of Mosul
Kurdish forces in northern Iraq said they had cleared Islamic State insurgents from nearly 500 square kilometres of territory
Newly released footage has revealed the moment a man was shot dead during a police traffic stop in New Jersey as he got out of a car with his hands raised.
The footage, captured by a police dashboard camera, shows officers making a traffic stop in Bridgeton, New Jersey, on 30 December.
But the situation becomes increasingly tense as one officer warns his partner that he has seen a gun in the glove compartment of the Jaguar car.
Officer Braheme Days repeatedly shouts at the passenger "show me your hands!" while warning him not to "reach for something" inside the vehicle.
He then appears to reach into the car and remove a gun, but the passenger, Jerame Reid, gets out of the vehicle and is shot several times.
Video:Protesters Take To New York Streets
Officer Days and his partner have been placed on leave pending a Cumberland County prosecutor's office investigation.
The shooting has sparked protests in Bridgeton and comes after months of demonstrations over the killings of unarmed black men by white police officers in New York and Ferguson, Missouri.
In the footage, the officers pull over the Jaguar for going through a stop sign.
Officer Days steps back, pulls out his gun and tells the men inside the car to "show me your hands".
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Gallery: Archive: Protests After Eric Garner Grand Jury Decision
Protesters took to the streets after a grand jury decided not to charge a white policeman over the chokehold death of an unarmed black man
Father-of-six Eric Garner, 43, died after he was restrained by police
Saudi Arabia has postponed the flogging punishment of a blogger on health grounds for a second time, Amnesty International has said.
The organisation said: "The planned flogging of Raif Badawi will be suspended this Friday after a medical committee assessed that he should not undergo a second round of lashes on health grounds."
The blogger has been sentenced to 1,000 lashes for criticising leading clerics and is serving a 10-year jail sentence.
Badawi, 30, was given the first 50 lashes of his sentence on 9 January outside a mosque in the Red Sea city of Jeddah.
He was expected to face 20 flogging sessions in total, but last Friday his wife said the second round had been delayed on medical grounds.
Ensaf Haidar, who has sought asylum in Canada, also said her husband's case has been referred to the supreme court, possibly paving the way for an appeal.
Amnesty said a committee of several doctors carried out a series of tests at a Jeddah hospital on Wednesday and recommended against a new session of caning.
But "there is no way of knowing whether the Saudi Arabian authorities will disregard the medical advice and allow the flogging to go ahead", according to Said Boumedouha, Amnesty's deputy Middle East and North Africa director.
Amnesty has called for the blogger's immediate and unconditional release, "instead of continuing to torment Raif Badawi by dragging out his ordeal".
Written By Unknown on Rabu, 21 Januari 2015 | 20.18
Four men have been charged with providing logistical support to the gunman who killed four people at a kosher supermarket in Paris.
They are suspected of obtaining "equipment" for Ahmed Coulibaly, who shot dead a policewoman on the outskirts of the French capital before taking hostages at the store a day later, prosecutor Francois Molins said.
Three of the men, who are all in their twenties, have criminal records and at least one met Coulibaly in prison, he added.
All four are being held in custody while further inquiries are carried out.
They have been named only as Willy P., Christophe R., Tonino G. and Mickael A.
Video:Government Releases Siege Footage
Mr Molins said three are believed to have procured weapons and tactical material for Coulibaly, but are not accused of complicity in the supermarket attack.
The DNA of Mickael A. was found on a revolver in Coulibaly's apartment and on a glove he wore in the store. It is claimed Mickael A. had 18 phone contacts with Coulibaly on 6 January.
The lawyer for one of the suspects said his client was unaware of any terrorist plot and was afraid of Coulibaly, who "terrorised" him and intimidated him into helping.
Mr Molins said authorities in France are working with other countries to track down other possible accomplices
Police are also investigating who edited and released a video of Coulibaly on the internet several days after he and the two Charlie Hebdo gunmen were shot dead by officers.
Video:Paris Gunman: Attacks 'Deserved'
In the video, Coulibaly pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group, which has seized control of large areas of Syria and Iraq.
Mr Moulins said police believe the attacks on the supermarket and satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo, carried out by brothers Said and Cherif Kouachi, were coordinated.
Security in France and other European countries including Belgium and the UK has been stepped up following the atrocities.
French Prime Minister Manuel Valls has announced an extra 2,600 intelligence staff are to be hired to combat the growing threat of jihadists, with almost 3,000 people now involved in "terrorist networks".
He said they would be taken on over the next three years at a cost of 425m euros (£325m).
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Gallery: Paris Hero Gets French Citizenship
The Malian who helped hostages at a Jewish supermarket to hide during the terror attacks in Paris has been granted French citizenship. Lassana Bathily (C) was praised for his "courage" and "heroism" during a ceremony in Paris
French interior minister Bernard Cazeneuve, pictured, said Mr Bathily's "act of humanity has become a symbol of an Islam of peace and tolerance"
President Barack Obama said it is time for the US to "turn the page" on years of hardship, as he urged Republicans to back tax increases on the rich to help struggling American families.
During his annual State of the Union speech in the House of Representatives, a bullish Mr Obama declared that "the shadow of crisis has passed" after two wars and a "vicious recession".
The President, whose approval ratings are on the up, appeared undaunted by Republicans who have just assumed control of both houses of Congress for the first time since he came to office.
He said: "Will we accept an economy where only a few of us do spectacularly well?
"Or will we commit ourselves to an economy that generates rising incomes and chances for everyone who makes the effort?"
Video:State Of The Union: Tax And Terrror
He added: "So the verdict is clear. Middle-class economics works. Expanding opportunity works."
The Democratic President wants to increase the capital gains tax rate on couples making more than $500,000 (£330,000) per year, from 23.8% to 28%.
Republicans will not pass the increases, but he will place them in the tricky spot of blocking measures that could offer a lift to working families.
In his nationally televised, hour-long speech, he also called on lawmakers to pass a new authorisation of military force against Islamic State militants.
He said the US-led effort to stop the extremists from advancing in Iraq and Syria is working without sucking the US into another Middle East ground war.
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Gallery: Key Moments From State Of The Union
A bullish President Barack Obama has delivered his sixth State of the Union speech in the US House of Representatives
The main aisle of the chamber was thronged as usual with lawmakers eager to greet him as he arrived to give his address