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Shooting At Denver School Near Columbine

Written By Unknown on Sabtu, 14 Desember 2013 | 16.15

A gunman has killed himself after opening fire at a Denver high school near to the site of the Columbine High School massacre.

One 15-year-old student was injured at the Arapahoe High School in Centennial and is in a critical condition, according to authorities.

Arapahoe County Sheriff Grayson Robinson identified the shooter as 18-year-old Karl Halverson Pierson.

Pierson entered the school with a shotgun and was looking for an individual teacher who he identified by name, said Mr Robinson.

US Colorado high school shooting Armed police at the school

He added: "The teacher began to understand that he was being looked at and exited the school. One student confronted the armed student and was shot."

Mr Robinson did not elaborate on any possible motive except to say Pierson had had a "confrontation or disagreement" with the teacher.

The teenager was later found with fatal self-inflicted gunshot wounds. Mr Robinson said a possible Molotov cocktail was also found at the scene.

Pupils were led out of the building with their hands in the air by police officers after the shooting, which began at 12.30pm local time. All the schools in the area are on lockdown as a result. 

One student told the Denver Post: "I was scared and shaking." She added that she heard, "bang, bang, bang" and by the third shot was on the ground.

Youngsters told the newspaper they hid in the corners of dark classrooms until police SWAT teams arrived.  

US Colorado high school shooting A student is reunited with her father after the shooting

The school is about eight miles (13km) east of Columbine High School in Littleton, where two teenage shooters killed 12 classmates and a teacher before killing themselves in 1999.

Tracy Monroe, who had step-siblings who attended Columbine, was standing outside the high school looking at her phone, reading text messages from her 15-year-old daughter inside.

She said she got the first text from her daughter, Jade Stanton, at 12.41pm. The text read: "There's sirens. It's real. I love you."

A few minutes later, Jade texted "shots were fired in our school".

Ms Monroe rushed to the school and was relieved when Jade texted that a police officer entered her classroom and that she was safe.

Ms Monroe was friends with a teacher killed in the Columbine shooting, Dave Carpenter.

"We didn't think it could happen in Colorado then, either," she said.

Some 2,141 students attend the school, which has 70 classrooms.

The attack comes almost one year after 20 children and six adults were killed in a shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown.

:: Watch Sky News live on television, on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 82 and Freesat channel 202.


16.15 | 0 komentar | Read More

Nelson Mandela's Body To Be Flown To Funeral

Retired archbishop Desmond Tutu will reportedly miss his close friend Nelson Mandela's burial service, amid allegations he was not invited for political reasons.

The 82-year-old, who also missed a memorial service in Sowetto earlier this week, has been openly critical of the ruling African National Congress (ANC) party.

His spokesman confirmed he was "not presently planning to attend" but refused to comment on the reasons for his alleged exclusion.

However, a spokesman for President Jacob Zuma told media in South Africa that Mr Tutu is "definitely on the invite list".

It comes as final preparations are made to fly Mr Mandela's body to the country's Eastern Cape ahead of a state funeral for the former president.

After a farewell service in Pretoria's Waterkloof air base, his coffin will be carried onto a military plane bound for Mthatha.

The casket will then begin its final journey to the village of Qunu, the anti-apartheid icon's childhood home.

The mostly sombre event in Pretoria was punctuated by song and dance, as the ANC paid tribute to its former leader.

Mr Zuma recalled the political achievements of his predecessor, saying he brought discipline and vision to the anti-apartheid movement.

"He did something that is not easy to do," he said.

Mr Mandela's grandson Mandla, who sat with his grandfather for three days while he lay in state in Pretoria, also attended the service.

He told the audience: "I have witnessed his army, I have witnessed his people, I have witnessed ordinary South Africans who walked this long walk to freedom with him.

"I can assure the ANC that today, the future of this country looks bright."

Mr Mandela's state funeral is a first for South Africa and means full military ceremonial honours will be laid on, led by the armed forces.

A 21-gun salute will ring out and the South African Air Force will perform a fly pass.

The centuries-old traditions of the Xhosa tribe will also be observed, with a ritual slaughtering of an ox before Mr Mandela's body arrives at Mthatha airport.

A group of traditional leaders and Mandela elders, led by Buyelekhaya Dalindyebo, the AbaThembu king, will welcome him home to Qunu.

According to his memoirs, the village, with its rolling hills and dusty tracks, was where he spent "the happiest days" of his childhood.

Zwelonke Sigcau, the Xhosa king, told Sky News: "The Xhosa people believe Nelson Mandela is not leaving us. It is just his body which is going into the ground. His spirit will remain."


16.15 | 0 komentar | Read More

Mandela To Return To Homeland For Funeral

By Alex Crawford, Special Correspondent, in Qunu

He is Qunu's most famous son and the return of Mr Mandela's body to his ancestral homeland is not just for sentimental reasons - it is part of Xhosa tradition that those who pass away are returned to the soil from where they came.

This weekend sees a stark shift in tempo, organisation and ceremony as the state funeral meshes with the centuries-old traditions of Mr Mandela's countrymen and women in the rural Eastern Cape.

"We feel very represented by Nelson Mandela," Mandisi Tshaka, a young Xhosa man, resplendent in his traditional robes and big beaded necklace told me.

"Everyone in the world knows the Xhosa tribe because of him and we're saluting him."

The South African government has announced the former president's state funeral is a "first for the country" and means full military ceremonial honours will be laid on and led by the armed forces.

There will be 21 gun salutes and a fly-over by the South African Air Force.

Nelson Mandela.

But there is a strong importance being put on performing the Xhosa rites as Mr Mandela is laid to rest.

There will be a ritual slaughtering of an ox in the early hours before receiving Mr Mandela's body at Mthatha airport in the Eastern Cape.

The AbaThembu king, Buyelekhaya Dalindyebo, is expected to lead a group of traditional leaders as well as Mandela elders in welcoming him home to the village of Qunu where he spent much of his childhood.

Xhosa custom dictates a welcome ritual is performed to ensure the ancestors are iinformed of the arrival of Mr Mandela's remains.

Mr Mandela will be called on by his praise name Dlibhunga and the AbaThembu king will shout this three times as he greets the body when he arrives home.

Despite the pomp and ceremony of the state funeral, there will be equal, if not more, importance put on the traditional Xhosa burial rituals to ensure the man they call Madiba has an easy transition into the afterworld.

The Xhosa king, Zwelonke Sigcau, told Sky News: "The Xhosa people believe Nelson Mandela is not leaving us. It is just his body which is going into the ground. His spirit will remain."

Mr Mandela's body is transported Mr Mandela's body lay in state for three days

In the African culture many believe a dead person's spirit lives on beyond death and joins other ancestors who guide, help and protect the living.

It is a belief which greatly helps alleviate the pain felt by the loss of a loved one - and Mr Mandela may assume even greater importance amongst his people because of his exalted status as a spiritual ancestor now.

:: Watch Sky News live on television, on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 82 and Freesat channel 202.


16.15 | 0 komentar | Read More

Several Syria Chemical Attacks 'Likely' - UN

Written By Unknown on Jumat, 13 Desember 2013 | 16.16

Syrian Refugees Need More Help

Updated: 9:11am UK, Friday 13 December 2013

By Lisa Holland, Foreign Affairs Correspondent

Amnesty International is calling on Britain and the rest of Europe to do more to resettle refugees from Syria's civil war.

The campaign group says European leaders should "hang their heads with shame" over what it calls the pitifully low numbers of refugees being taken in.

It says EU member states have pledged to resettle a very small proportion of Syria's refugees - just 12,000, or 0.5% of the 2.3 million who have fled the country.

The civil war between forces loyal to Syrian President Bashar al Assad and rebels seeking his overthrow has raged for 33 months and killed more than 125,000 people.

Only 10 EU member states have offered resettlement places to refugees.

Germany offered to take in 10,000 people - 80% of the total EU pledges - with other members offering to take 2,340 refugees.

Eighteen EU members - including the UK and Italy - offered no places at all.

The bulk of Syria's refugees - 97% - have fled to five neighbouring countries - Lebanon, Jordan, Turkey, Iraq and Egypt. The crisis has increased Lebanon's population by 20%.

Sherif Elsayed Ali from Amnesty International said: "There are people who because of their personal circumstances like their health or their age can't get adequate support in these countries.

"They have lost everything - their homes, their belongings, they have no savings they don't have any support networks and the only way to help them is to take them away and take them to a country that can cope."

Amnesty is calling on European member states to significantly increase the number of resettlement and humanitarian admission places for refugees from Syria and to strengthen the search and rescue capacity in the Mediterranean to help migrant boats in distress.

Fifty five thousand Syrian refugees (2.4% of the total number who have fled Syria) have managed to get through and claim asylum in the EU.

The British Government says it believes Syrian refugees are best closer to home and has offered humanitarian assistance in the camps which have sprung up over the country's borders.

But conditions remain grim with most in tents or un-heated buildings. Meanwhile the UN is predicting one of the harshest winters in the region in a century.

:: Watch Sky News live on television, on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 82 and Freesat channel 202.


16.16 | 0 komentar | Read More

Syria Refugee Response By Europe 'Shameful'

By Lisa Holland, Foreign Affairs Correspondent

Amnesty International is calling on Britain and the rest of Europe to do more to resettle refugees from Syria's civil war.

The campaign group says European leaders should "hang their heads with shame" over what it calls the pitifully low numbers of refugees being taken in.

It says EU member states have pledged to resettle a very small proportion of Syria's refugees - just 12,000, or 0.5% of the 2.3 million who have fled the country.

The civil war between forces loyal to Syrian President Bashar al Assad and rebels seeking his overthrow has raged for 33 months and killed more than 125,000 people.

Only 10 EU member states have offered resettlement places to refugees.

Germany offered to take in 10,000 people - 80% of the total EU pledges - with other members offering to take 2,340 refugees.

Syrian refugee The British Government says Syrian refugees are better off closer to home

Eighteen EU members - including the UK and Italy - offered no places at all.

The bulk of Syria's refugees - 97% - have fled to five neighbouring countries - Lebanon, Jordan, Turkey, Iraq and Egypt. The crisis has increased Lebanon's population by 20%.

Sherif Elsayed Ali from Amnesty International said: "There are people who because of their personal circumstances like their health or their age can't get adequate support in these countries.

"They have lost everything - their homes, their belongings, they have no savings they don't have any support networks and the only way to help them is to take them away and take them to a country that can cope."

Amnesty is calling on European member states to significantly increase the number of resettlement and humanitarian admission places for refugees from Syria and to strengthen the search and rescue capacity in the Mediterranean to help migrant boats in distress.

Fifty five thousand Syrian refugees (2.4% of the total number who have fled Syria) have managed to get through and claim asylum in the EU.

The British Government says it believes Syrian refugees are best closer to home and has offered humanitarian assistance in the camps which have sprung up over the country's borders.

But conditions remain grim with most in tents or un-heated buildings. Meanwhile the UN is predicting one of the harshest winters in the region in a century.

:: Watch Sky News live on television, on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 82 and Freesat channel 202.


16.16 | 0 komentar | Read More

North Korea Executes Leader's 'Traitor' Uncle

Jang Song-Thaek: Ex-Mentor To Leader

Updated: 9:09am UK, Friday 13 December 2013

While hereditary leader Kim Jong Un is the unquestioned ruler of North Korea, his uncle Jang Song-Thaek was thought to be the country's second most powerful figure.

The 67-year-old had occupied a privileged and yet precarious spot within the inner circle, and his ties to Mr Kim were more than political.

He was the son-in-law of the founder of North Korea, Kim Il Sung, and was married to Mr Kim's aunt, Kim Kyong Hui, the younger sister of the former leader, Kim Jong Il.

A native of the far northeastern border city of Chongjin who hailed from humble roots but was sharp enough to gain entry to prestigious Kim Il Sung University in Pyongyang, he rose from municipal bureaucrat to vice chairman of the National Defence Commission and member of the Political Bureau - posts that put him in second in power only to Mr Kim.

He started his career as instructor for the Pyongyang City Committee of the Workers' Party, and rose post by post reaching the top ranks.

Despite not being a career military man, he was made a four-star general, and helped engineer a campaign to bring the once-powerful military into the party's fold.

He was purged and sent to a labour camp for two years in the mid-2000s, according to Kim Young-soo, a North Korea expert at Sogang University in Seoul, South Korea. That purge was widely seen as a move to clip his wings.

It was after Kim Jong Il's stroke in 2008 that he was assumed to be serving in a regency role while the young heir Mr Kim, then in his late 20s, was being groomed to succeed his father.

Gen Jang  would accompany Mr Kim on guidance trips, often dressed in a trim white general's uniform and standing within arm's length of the young heir on field visits and at state events.

That rise to the inner circle gained speed after Kim Jong Il's death from a heart attack in December 2011.

A well-travelled diplomat with a network that spread to China, Gen Jang was considered the chief architect of economic policy that focused on partnering with the neighbour and ally.

He had recently added a new title to his portfolio - chairman of the State Physical Culture and Sports Guidance Commission - one of Mr Kim's pet projects. Mr Kim is a basketball fan and famously invited US basketball star Dennis Rodman for a rare official visit to the country.

Last seen publicly in early November meeting a sports delegation from Japan, rumours of Gen Jang's dismissal began surfacing in Seoul last week.

On Sunday, he was fired from all posts at a special party meeting and dragged away by the arms by soldiers - his ordeal broadcast on North Korean television.

Four days after his dramatic public arrest, Gen Jang was tried for treason by a special military tribunal and executed Thursday.

On Friday, North Korea's official news agency KCNA announced he had been executed. He confessed, according to state media.

The list of crimes against Gen Jang was long, with plotting to overthrow the leadership the most serious of the allegations.

The public ripping of his reputation to shreds provided an intriguing and revealing glimpse into the murky, feudalistic world of politics in the secretive country.

Gen Jang's fall from grace, accompanied by allegations from corruption to womanising and capped by his arrest at the party meeting on Sunday, has suggested to some analysts that Mr Kim is still trying to consolidate the power he inherited from his father two years ago.

For North Koreans, the shocking public humiliation of a man seen as a father figure to Mr Kim was designed to send a clear message about the intolerance of opposition in a totalitarian state that demands absolute loyalty to the leader.

It was a humiliating end to a complicated career.

:: Watch Sky News live on television, on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 82 and Freesat channel 202.


16.16 | 0 komentar | Read More

Mandela Memorial: Deaf Signer Was 'Fake'

Written By Unknown on Kamis, 12 Desember 2013 | 16.15

South Africa's deaf federation has claimed that an interpreter using sign language during the Mandela memorial was a "fake".

Concerns over the male interpreter had been raised by deaf people watching the service at Johannesburg's FNB Stadium on Tuesday.

Bruno Druchen, national director of the Deaf Federation of South Africa, said the unidentified man, who was on stage alongside world leaders including US President Barack Obama, "was moving his hands around but there was no meaning in what he used his hands for".

Mandela speech Sign language experts have said there was no meaning to the man's gestures

South African parliament member Wilma Newhoudt, a member of the ruling party, also said the man communicated nothing with his hand and arm movements.

Both Mr Druchen and Ms Newhoudt are deaf.

Mandela speech The revelation also raises concerns over security for world leaders

Three sign language experts said the man was not signing in South African or American sign languages.

South African sign language covers all of the country's 11 official languages, according to the federation.

Nicole Du Toit, an official sign language interpreter who also watched the broadcast, said the man on stage was an "embarrassment".

Mandela speech The man has not been identified

She said: "It was horrible, an absolute circus, really really bad.

"Only he can understand those gestures."

Delphin Hlungwane, an official South African sign language interpreter with DeafSA, said authorities were trying to track the man down.

Mandela speech The man also failed to indicate that the crowd was booing Jacob Zuma

She said: "There was zero percent accuracy. He couldn't even get the basics right. He couldn't even say thank you.

"You're supposed to indicate with your facial expressions, even if it's not an exact sign. He didn't indicate that (booing of Jacob Zuma) at all. It just passed him by.

"Nobody knows who he is. Even at this hour we still don't have his name."

Paul Breckell, chief executive of Action on Hearing Loss, said: "The use of appropriately qualified communication support is crucial to ensure that deaf people can engage with and access the same opportunities as hearing people.

"Sign Language, be it British, International or South African, is a visual and expressive language yet the limited number of signs, the amount of repetition, lack of facial expressions and huge gaps in translation meant that deaf or hard of hearing people across the world were completely excluded from one of the biggest events in recent history."

The memorial was also affected by faulty public transport which prevented some mourners from getting to the event and a faulty audio system that prevented some of the crowd from hearing leaders' speeches.

:: Watch Sky News live on television, on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 82 and Freesat channel 202.


16.15 | 0 komentar | Read More

Australia: Gay Marriage Law Reversed By Court

Australia's highest court has repealed a law permitting gay marriage - meaning dozens of couples face having their weddings annulled within days of the nuptials.

Around 30 same-sex couples had tied the knot since the Australian Capital Territory passed the legislation last Saturday governing Canberra and its surrounding area.

But the federal government argued the law could not operate alongside the federal Marriage Act, which was amended in 2004 to define marriage as being between a man and a woman.

The High Court unanimously upheld the challenge, and issued a statement saying: "The Marriage Act does not now provide for the formation or recognition of marriage between same-sex couples.

"The Marriage Act provides that a marriage can be solemnised in Australia only between a man and a woman. That Act is a comprehensive and exhaustive statement of the law of marriage."

Australia Gay Couple Stacey Cowan Corrina Peck Stacey Cowan and Corrina Peck's marriage will also be annulled

Rodney Croome, national director of the advocacy group Australian Marriage Equality, said his group knows of about 30 same-sex couples who have married since Saturday, though the actual number may be slightly higher.

Outside the court in Canberra, a tearful Mr Croome said the ruling was a defeat for marriage equality, but there had been a greater victory this week.

"And that victory was the nation saw for the first time, I believe, what is really at the core of this issue - they've seen that marriage equality is not about protest or politics or even about laws in the constitution, ultimately," he said.

"Marriage equality is about love, commitment, family and fairness."

Among the couples upset by the ruling are Ivan Hinton and Chris Teoh, who were married on Saturday.

The pair received their marriage certificate on Wednesday and immediately applied to change their surnames to Hinton-Teoh.

Mr Hinton insisted he did not regret getting married and said he would consider Mr Teoh his husband anyway.

"This was an unprecedented and historic opportunity," he said.

"I wouldn't have missed it for the world."

Lyle Shelton, managing director of Australian Christian Lobby, praised the court ruling and said common sense had prevailed.

As for newly-weds affected by the ruling, she said it was "really sad that they were put in a position".

Prime Minister Tony Abbott opposes gay marriage and his coalition blocked two federal bills last year that would have allowed legal recognition of same-sex partnerships.

:: Watch Sky News live on television, on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 82 and Freesat channel 202.


16.15 | 0 komentar | Read More

Putin 'Set To Release Thousands Of Prisoners'

By Lisa Holland, Foreign Affairs Correspondent

Vladimir Putin is expected to discuss plans to grant an amnesty to tens of thousands of Russian prisoners in his annual state-of-the nation address.

The Kremlin typically keeps the contents of the speech secret ahead of its delivery, but the mass release is set to be announced in honour of the 20th anniversary of the constitution.

It is estimated between 50,000 and 100,000 prisoners could be freed.

He will also speak about the country's economic and social problems during the televised speech in the Grand Kremlin Palace, attended by around 1,000 people including lawmakers and the cabinet.

In his 2012 speech, Mr Putin addressed Russia's education system, housing issues and job creation.

Traditionally, state-of-the-nation addresses are big on patriotic themes and talk of the need to preserve Russian national identity.

Two-thirds of the speech is generally dedicated to domestic issues, but it remains to be seen whether Mr Putin will use the patriotic theme to discuss the current events on his doorstep.

Pro-European integration protesters stand behind a cordon of riot police in Independence Square in Kiev It is not known if Mr Putin will mention the ongoing protests in Kiev

There have been huge demonstrations in Kiev over the Ukrainian president's decision not to sign a trade deal with Europe.

Ukraine is currently being pulled in two directions - by Europe and Russia.

Mr Putin is dangling the supply of natural resources under the noses of the Ukrainians and does not want Ukraine to get into bed with Europe, curbing Russia's sphere of influence.

Russia has had a successful year on the diplomatic front - playing a central role in brokering the handover of chemical weapons in Syria.

It was also central to negotiations which have led to a date being set for a second peace conference dubbed "Geneva Two", which it's hoped may pave the way towards a transitional government in Syria.

Relations with Russia have been severely tested over the Edward Snowden saga.

The former American NSA contractor fled to Russia in June after leaking details to the media of extensive internet and phone surveillance by American intelligence agencies.

:: Watch Sky News live on television, on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 82 and Freesat channel 202


16.15 | 0 komentar | Read More

Mandela: South Africa Awaits World Leaders

Written By Unknown on Senin, 09 Desember 2013 | 16.15

By Emma Hurd, Sky News Correspondent

South Africa is preparing for the arrival of scores of world leaders as the official mourning continues for Nelson Mandela.

Some 60 heads of state have confirmed their attendance at this week's memorial events, including US President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama.

They will be joined by former US presidents George W Bush, Bill Clinton, Jimmy Carter and their wives.

Prime Minister David Cameron will attend the main memorial service on Tuesday, while Prince Charles will represent Britain at Sunday's state funeral.

The leaders of France, Australia, Germany, Canada, Spain, Brazil and a host of other nations will also fly into the country.

SAFRICA-MANDELA-QUNU A large structure used for ceremonies is built at Mr Mandela's former home

Celebrities, including Bono, Oprah Winfrey and Sir Richard Branson are also expected to head to South Africa to pay their personal tributes to the man they considered a friend.

Later today, a special joint session of parliament will be held in Cape Town to allow South African politicians from all political parties to mark the passing of the nation's first black president.

President Jacob Zuma has urged the country to remember the values of peace and forgiveness that Mr Mandela lived by and uphold them.

His sentiments were echoed by the anti-apartheid icon's family, who released a statement calling for South Africans to "keep the dream alive".

On Tuesday, the focus will shift back to Johannesburg where a huge memorial service is due to take place at the FNB Stadium, the scene of Nelson Mandela's last public appearance ahead of the 2010 World Cup Final.

SAFRICA-MANDELA-TRIBUTE-PUBLIC A child lays flowers in Cape Town

Some 80,000 people are expected to attend the event, including President Obama, his wife Michelle and other visiting dignitaries.

From Wednesday, Mr Mandela's body will "lie in state" in Pretoria at the Union Buildings where he governed as president between 1994 and 1999.

A funeral cortege carrying the icon's remains will pass through the capital daily until Friday, with South Africans being urged to line the streets to form a "guard of honour".

The state funeral will take place in Mr Mandela's ancestral homeland of Qunu in the Eastern Cape on Sunday.

It is still not clear whether President Obama will still be in the country, but many other world leaders are expected to travel to the usually sleepy rural village to join Mr Mandela's family, friends and former comrades in bidding farewell to the revered statesman as he makes his final journey home.

:: Watch Sky News live on television, on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602 and Freeview channel 82.


16.15 | 0 komentar | Read More

North Korea: Kim Jong-Un's Uncle Purged

The once-powerful uncle of North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un has been expelled from the government for a string of alleged crimes including double-dealing, womanising and drug-taking.

An address on state TV said Jang Song Thaek was guilty of "dissolute and depraved" behaviour and of "dreaming different dreams".

Jang song-thaek, Chief of the Central Administrative Department of the Workers' Party Gen Jang was once considered a possible successor to Kim Jong-Il

The sacking of the man regarded as the second most powerful in the secretive state comes after reports in South Korean media that one of his aides had sought asylum in South Korea.

The North's official KCNA news agency said General Jang had been removed from all his posts and sacked from the ruling Workers' Party during a meeting of its politburo attended and "guided" by Mr Kim.

"Jang and his followers committed criminal acts baffling imagination and they did tremendous harm to our party and revolution," the report said.

"Jang pretended to uphold the party and leader, but was engrossed in such factional acts as dreaming different dreams and involving himself in double-dealing behind the scenes.

"Affected by the capitalist way of living, Jang committed irregularities and corruption, and led a dissolute and depraved life."

The report did not say if Gen Jang had been detained or charged with any crime and also failed to mention the unidentified defected aide, who managed funds for him.

A South Korean man watches TV news about the alleged dismissal of Jang Song-Thaek South Korean TV reported Gen Jang had been sacked last week

According to cable news network YTN and the Kyunghyang Shinmun newspaper, the aide was being protected by South Korean officials in a secret location in China.

If his defection is confirmed, it would be the most serious for North Korea in 15 years.

South Korea's National Intelligence Service previously said it believed Gen Jang had been relieved of his posts in November. It also said two of his close associates had been executed recently for corruption.

His sacking means Pyongyang is undergoing its biggest leadership upheaval since the death in 2011 of former leader Kim Jong-Il, Mr Kim's father.

North Korean leader Kim looks at his uncle, North Korean politician Jang, in Pyongyang Kim Jong-Un casts a suspicious look at his uncle

Among Gen Jang's senior party and military posts, he was vice chairman of the country's top military body, the National Defence Commission.

Gen Jang is married to Mr Kim's aunt, the daughter of the North's founding leader Kim Il-Sung, and was widely considered to be working to ensure his nephew firmly established his grip on power in the past two years.

A South Korean official said last week that Gen Jang was probably alive and in no immediate physical danger, as was his wife, Kim Kyong Hui.

Experts say Gen Jang's removal will help Mr Kim consolidate his power base with a group of younger aides.

:: Watch Sky News live on television, on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602 and Freeview channel 82.


16.15 | 0 komentar | Read More

Thai Prime Minister To Dissolve Parliament

Thailand's Prime Minister has said she will dissolve parliament and hold an election, following a wave of anti-government protests.

Yingluck Shinawatra had said an election would be held "as soon as possible" - before the country's ruling party announced she would be a candidate in the vote.

Jarupong Ruangsuwan, head of Ms Yingluck's Puea Thai Party, said: "She will definitely run as she has worked with the party all along.

An anti-government protester uses a clapper while holding a placard during a rally on a main road leading towards the Government House in Bangkok Protesters want to oust Ms Yingluck and eradicate her brother's influence

"We dissolved parliament because we are confident.

"We want the Democrat Party to take part in elections and not to play street games."

The vote will probably be held on February 2 next year, an Election Commission official said.

Ms Yingluck said in a nationally televised speech: "After consultation with many parties, I have submitted a royal decree requesting parliament be dissolved.

Anti-government protesters rally on a main road leading towards the Government House in Bangkok Thousands marched on Bangkok's Government House

"At this stage, when there are many people opposed to the government from many groups, the best way is to give back the power to the Thai people and hold an election.

"So the Thai people will decide."

The announcement came as Democratic Party politicians resigned from parliament over what it called "the illegitimacy" of the elected government.

The leader of the anti-government protesters, Suthep Thaugsuban, had called for a final demonstration today in an attempt to force Ms Yingluck out.

Mr Suthep said he would continue with the demonstration despite Ms Yingluck's dissolving of parliament and the promise of an early general election.

"Today we will continue our march to Government House," he said.

Anti-government protesters wave flags as they celebrate behind razor wire at the metropolitan police headquarters, the site of fierce clashes with police over the last few days in Bangkok The protests have left five people dead

"We have not yet reached our goal. The dissolving of parliament is not our aim."

He has repeatedly said he does not want a new election, but some form of unelected "people's council" to run the country.

Protesters have been on the streets of the capital Bangkok for weeks, vowing to oust Ms Yingluck and eradicate the influence of her brother, former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

The demonstrations are the latest eruption in nearly a decade of rivalry between forces aligned with the Bangkok-based establishment and those who support Mr Thaksin.

During recent days, tensions have been raised during street clashes where police have used tear gas, water cannon and rubber bullets against rock-throwing demonstrators.

The unrest has left five people dead and more than 200 injured in Bangkok.

:: Watch Sky News live on television, on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602 and Freeview channel 82.


16.15 | 0 komentar | Read More

Jailed Kiev Opposition Leader's Daughter Speaks

Written By Unknown on Minggu, 08 Desember 2013 | 16.31

By Katie Stallard, Moscow Correspondent in Kiev

The daughter of jailed opposition leader Yulia Tymoshenko has urged her country to unite against the rule of Ukraine's president Victor Yanukovich.

Eugenia Tymoshenko told Sky News her mother was being held as a political hostage and fears she could soon be transported from a prison hospital - where she has been on hunger strike in solidarity with protesters - to a penal colony.

"At the moment she is a hostage of the regime," she said.

"She is in the hospital in the prison part. They keep her in isolation there, but there are many police movements and cars around the hospital, they are trying to surround the building.

"They can do anything to her in terms of moving her to a different jail, and we will not be able to know.

"The regime can play with this and depending on the situation can increase their repression against her, which they have already done with their trials and criminal cases."

Yulia Tymoshenko rose to prominence as the heroine of Ukraine's peaceful Orange Revolution in 2004, which saw the current president, Mr Yanukovich, forced from power in a popular uprising sparked by anger over fraudulent election results.

She became prime minister shortly afterwards, governing alongside her fellow revolutionary Viktor Yushchenko, but the coalition was plagued by infighting and economic problems in the fallout from the global financial crisis, which hit Ukraine hard.

Yulia Tymoshenko Yulia Tymoshenko is in a prison hospital

The pair were voted out of office, to be replaced once again by the ousted Mr Yanukovich in 2010. The revolution was reversed.

Yulia Tymoshenko was arrested and put on trial, where she was convicted of abuse of power for signing allegedly unfavourable gas contracts with Russia. She was sentenced to seven years in prison, and turned 53 in custody last month. She now faces further charges.

Her supporters maintain she is a political prisoner, locked up for daring to challenge the leadership of Mr Yanukovich.

His government insists she has been justly convicted of a serious crime.

The president denies any involvement in the cases against her.

Eugenia Tymoshenko called for her fellow citizens to stand together against their president as mass street protests continued for a second week despite freezing temperatures in the capital Kiev.

"We need to stand strong, we need to be patient with the forces that we have," she urged.

"No government can stand up to the people's power, my mother really believes in the power of people.

"We believe in our victory. People here are tired of three years of repressions introduced by Yanukovich. We have to win this."

Kiev Protesters are still in Kiev's Independence Square

The EU made Tymoshenko's release a condition of the now scuppered trade deal with Ukraine.

A German clinic had offered to provide treatment if Yanukovich would allow her to leave the country.

But the parliament, which is controlled by his party, refused to pass legislation that would have set her free.

She has suffered chronic back pain in jail and is held in a cell in a prison hospital.

Her daughter urged European leaders to intervene.

"She has been a political hostage since day one when Yanukovich's court moved her to prison and convicted her. The whole world now knows and world leaders understand the truth is behind her.

"The European Union needs to get involved in this and start action against this regime, because we will one day soon wake up in Belarus."

Julia Tymoshenko ended a 12-day hunger strike on Friday after pleas from her supporters.

Her daughter said she was now very weak, and could barely get up from her bed.


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Kiev Protesters In Show Of Determination

By Katie Stallard, Moscow Correspondent in Kiev

Standing by the barricades under the national flag in Independence Square, two men beat out a steady rhythm on an oil drum.

It's bitterly cold, the air thick with wood smoke from the fires all around, and they're watching every face that comes past.

They're looking for undercover police officers, members of the security services, or people they believe are working as government provocateurs.

The authorities have vowed to "act harshly, decisively" to stop the blockades - they don't know when that action will come.

For now the protesters feel they are in control here, and they are determined to stand their ground.

They've built barriers across the roads leading in to the square, rudimentary defences made from pallets, concrete posts and whatever they could find.

Sections of the barricades are lined with the branches of a huge artificial Christmas tree that had been under construction in the centre of the square - city officials tried to claim at first that protecting the tree was the reason they had to forcibly clear the square.

Kiev Protesters wave flags as they take part in an opposition rally

It has become a public symbol of dissent.

What remains of the structure has been draped with Ukrainian flags, homemade posters and caricatures of the president.

This movement started as a reaction to his refusal to sign an EU trade deal last month.

It has evolved into a concerted effort to force Victor Yanukovich and his government out, galvanised by allegations of police brutality against protesters.

The first wave of demonstrations had been dwindling last weekend, when police moved in to retake control of the square in the early hours of Saturday morning.

What happened next brought tens, then hundreds of thousands, back onto the streets in response.

Human Rights Watch accuse police of using "excessive force" against protesters and journalists, beating people, including the elderly, even after they had fallen to the ground.

The NGO said Ukraine was going through "serious civil unrest".

Kiev Protesters greet former Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili

According to the Health Ministry, 248 people have been injured since the protests began, 139 needed hospital treatment.

Near the barricades we found a Ukrainian priest holding a bible and an old soviet gas mask.

He said he was one of 50 men who would join arms and form a human chain if the police came back, to give them time to get the women and children out and do their best to protect the square.

He had added an orthodox cross to the top of their defences.

An old man, sitting with his friends around a fire nearby, raised his fist and shouted: "Until victory, we'll stand until the end!"

The protesters are still occupying several administration buildings, including the mayor's office in the heart of the capital.

We were welcomed in to "Revolution HQ", formerly known as Kiev City Hall, past guards with respirators and helmets on the door.

Inside, a couple of windows have been smashed and the smell is none too fragrant, but otherwise the new system seems to be working well.

Volunteers are handing out food and hot drinks, and distributing donations of warm clothes.

Kiev Flags are left attached to a statue by protesters

Beneath the chandeliers of the grand, Stalin-era function hall, people are camped out on the floor, sleeping wherever they can on roll mats and blankets, a selection of hard hats strewn around.

They've set up a basic clinic,staffed by shifts of doctors, nurses and medical students.

A poster says a psychologist is on hand.

"If police comes back, people will stand here and protect this building, protect this idea," one young man told us.

"Before, we thought we were just a small group, but now we think we can do this. I hope we can do it," a smartly-dressed female student said.

The authorities have given protesters five days to vacate the building, but they have no intention of moving out and handing it back without a fight.

Leaders of the protest have called for a massive turnout today and are hoping to draw in around a million people. Its size threatens to eclipse earlier rallies in Kiev and western Ukraine that brought several hundred thousand out on the streets on December 1.

In the high street immediately outside occupied City Hall, life is carrying on pretty much as normal.

Supporters of Ukrainian EU integration sing and wave flags during a protest in front of the Ukrainian cabinet of ministers building in Kiev Supporters of Ukrainian EU integration at an earlier protest in Kiev

The Christmas decorations are up, the shops are busy, children were taking turns to ride a fairground carousel.

This movement does not represent all of Ukraine, or even all of Kiev. The country remains deeply divided between East and West.

But the protesters here feel they are gathering momentum - the vast majority are peaceful, but they are determined and they show no sign of backing down.

The question is how long the authorities will allow this to go on.

:: Watch Sky News live on television, on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602 and Freeview channel 82.


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Nelson Mandela: Day Of Prayer And Reflection

By Emma Hurd, Sky News Correspondent

South Africans are gathering in churches, synagogues and mosques across the country to observe a national day of "prayer and reflection" in honour of the late Nelson Mandela.

President Jacob Zuma will attend a service at the Bryanston Methodist Church in Johannesburg as part of the series of official events to mark the death of the icon.

The events will culminate in a state funeral next Sunday.

Mr Zuma has urged South Africans to head to their places of worship as well as halls and stadiums to celebrate the life of Mr Mandela. 

"We should, while mourning also sing at the top of our voices, dance and do whatever we want to do to celebrate the life of this outstanding revolutionary," President Zuma said.

South African President Jacob Zuma Jacob Zuma has urged South Africans to celebrate the icon's life

On Saturday, Mr Mandela's family released their first public statement since the former statesman's death, expressing their deep sense of loss.

"It has not been easy for the past two days and it won't be pleasant for the days to come," the statement said.

"But with the support we are receiving from here and beyond in due time all will be well for the family."

Informal vigils are still being held outside Mr Mandela's home in Houghton, Johannesburg, and his former home in Soweto, where hundreds of people have been dancing and singing in the streets.

Candles burn in an impromptu shrine outside the residence of former South African President Nelson Mandela in Johannesburg An impromptu shrine in Johannesburg

On Tuesday, a memorial service will be held at the FNB Stadium in Johannesburg, the place where Mr Mandela made his last public appearance at the World Cup final in 2010. 

At least 80,000 people are expected to attend, including several heads of state.

From Wednesday, crowds will line the streets in Pretoria as a funeral cortege carries the remains of the nation's first black president to lie in state at the Union Buildings.

People will be permitted to file past his body to pay their respects. 

The procession will be repeated for three days with the public urged to form a "guard of honour".

The focus will then switch to Mr Mandela's ancestral home of Qunu, in the Eastern Cape, where the state funeral will be held on Sunday.

Mandela mourners Mourners outside Mr Mandela's home in in Johannesburg

US President Barack Obama will be among the many world leaders who will join the Mandela family in a public tribute before a private burial service.

Mr Mandela left it to the South African people to decide how to celebrate his life and legacy.

He said once when asked how he wished to be remembered: "It would be very egotistical of me to say how I would like to be remembered. I'd leave that entirely to South Africans. I would just like a simple stone on which is written, 'Mandela'."

:: Watch Sky News live on television, on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602 and Freeview channel 82.


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