Diberdayakan oleh Blogger.

Popular Posts Today

Russian Fighter Jets 'Enter Ukrainian Airspace'

Written By Unknown on Sabtu, 26 April 2014 | 16.15

It Is No Longer A Game For Separatist Militia

Updated: 12:32am UK, Saturday 26 April 2014

By Sam Kiley, Foreign Affairs Editor in Slavyansk

Their rifles were cocked. The safety catches off. Triggers were fingered. The car lurched to a stop.

Shrill nervous orders were barked in Russian. Men in an assortment of camouflage uniforms lay spread eagled on the roadside glaring down their sights.

A quick search followed. Then a man with a new AK74, probably nicked from the local police station, squinted, his face covered with a balaclava, perhaps attempting a faceless smile.

"Sorry for any inconvenience," he said and waved the car through.

The mixed messages of their behaviour, both aggression and politeness, both bravado and fear, point to a wider conundrum - do they really understand what they're getting in to?

One of their comrades had been shot dead that morning about a mile away on the road out of Slavyansk by an Ukrainian army patrol - probably probing the outer defences of these pro-Russian separatist militants.

Four more, the government said, had been killed in other clashes around the town.

They stand accused of kidnapping the city's elected mayor.

They have taken over city hall and are sandbagging it against an attack and yet they often appear to be no more than young or old boys playing at soldiers.

Occasionally one comes across a trained soldier. Fit and quiet they slink in the background of the occupied buildings.

They may be Russian agents, or former Ukrainian police from the disbanded Berkut who were responsible for sniper attacks on revolutionaries in Kiev.

But the ordinary militants, who are led by local politicians and allegedly funded either by Moscow or allied oligarchs, are clearly being used.

They are the teaspoons the Kremlin is using to keep the east of Ukraine swirling with dark rumours of anti-Russian ethnic cleansing.

Allegations of persecution of pro-Russian groups are entirely false.

But while the militants swagger about the streets, take over government buildings and harass their political opponents, they face a crack down from Kiev.

The nervous men at the road block feared an Ukrainian government attack on the bases in Slavyansk.

They were also facing the reality that what may have felt like a nationalistic camping trip with the added spice of gun play, may no longer be a game.

They may fold under a professional attack by Ukrainian troops.

But if they do not, there will be blood.

And if it flows from Putin's local pawns then so may Russian troops pour in from the east.

He may win, but they will not be around to see his victory.


16.15 | 0 komentar | Read More

Paedophile Teacher 'One Of The Worst Predators'

Child Predator: Husband And 'Popular Teacher'

Updated: 11:44am UK, Thursday 24 April 2014

The serial child predator at the centre of an FBI investigation had a wife and two adult children and was a popular teacher among his students, officials have said.

William James Vahey travelled the world for four decades before his suicide in a Minnesota motel last March.

While teaching, he also served as coach on various school sports teams.

The FBI said he was a "popular and highly respected teacher".

"He had access to children because of his position of trust," said FBI special agent Patrick Fransen.

"He created a system that gave him the opportunity and the means to molest children."

The FBI says he may have carried out child molestation on an unprecedented scale, often drugging his victims.

Vahey told investigators he suffered molestation as a child and went on to prey on boys.

The New York native graduated from California State University, Long Beach, with a Bachelor of Arts in political science, according to a resume cited by the FBI.

He received a master's degree in curriculum development from Goddard College in Plainfield, Vermont.

At the time of his death, he was 64, approximately 6ft (182cm) tall, and weighed about 190 pounds (86kg).

He was teaching ninth-grade world history and geography at the American Nicaraguan School in Managua.

Vahey maintained two residences, one in London, where he had taught at an elite school, and another on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, the FBI said.

In 1969, Vahey was arrested in California on six counts of child molestation.

He pled guilty to one count of child molestation and was sentenced to 90 days in jail, followed by five years' probation.

The conviction required Vahey to register with California's sex offender registry for the rest of his life.

However, Vahey eluded that requirement.

Officials said he had not renewed his registration as a sex offender since 1970. He went on to pursue his teaching career in Nicaragua, the UK, Venezuela, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, Greece, Iran, Spain, and Lebanon.

His victims are believed to be multinational as many of those schools were attended by the children of American diplomats or military personnel stationed overseas.

Vahey coached boys on middle school, varsity boys' basketball, softball, flag football, and soccer, among other things.

He also served as activities director, student council adviser, cooking club adviser and forensics adviser. 

He often accompanied students on cultural studies or sports trips, the FBI said.

Vahey killed himself two days after agents in Houston sought a warrant to search a computer thumb drive belonging to him.


16.15 | 0 komentar | Read More

South Korea Ferry: All 15 Crew In Custody

A prosecutor investigating the South Korean ferry sinking says all 15 crew members involved in the ship's navigation are now in custody after four more were arrested.

Yang Jung-jin, of the joint investigation team, said two helmsmen and two members of the steering crew were detained this morning.

Eleven other crew members, including the captain, were previously arrested.

All the crew are accused of negligence and of failing to help passengers in need as the ferry sank on April 16.

The captain initially told passengers to stay in their rooms and took half an hour to issue an evacuation order, by which time the ship was tilting too severely for many people to get out.

Meanwhile, officials said divers searching the submerged hull of the ferry found 48 bodies in a room designed to take 38.

Barack Obama and South Korean President Park Geun-Hye bow their heads Barack Obama and South Korean President Park Geun-Hye bow their heads

At least 35 rooms of the ferry's 111 rooms have been searched so far.

More than 80% of the 302 dead and missing are students from a single high school from the town of Ansan, south of Seoul.

The government has admitted some bodies had been misidentified and announced changes to prevent such mistakes from happening again.

There have been several reports in the South Korean media this week of bodies going to the wrong families, with the error sometimes being identified only after remains had been taken to a funeral home.

An "action plan" released by a government-wide emergency task force acknowledged that there had "been cases where the victims were wrongly transferred".

Divers have recovered 183 bodies so far, but 119 people remain missing feared dead in the dark rooms of the submerged vessel.

A woman looks at a memorial outside Danwon High School in Ansan A woman at a memorial outside Danwon High School in Ansan

The ferry was on its way from the mainland to the resort island of Jeju when it went down.

President Barack Obama, who has been in South Korea as part of a state visit, offered his condolences for those who had lost their lives.

He presented President Park Geun-hye with an American flag that flew over the White House the day the ship sank.

He said: "So many were young students with their entire lives ahead of them. I can only imagine what the parents are going through at this point, the incredible heartache."

Accepting the flag, Ms Park drew a parallel between the way Americans pulled together after the 9/11 attacks and the resilience of South Koreans following one of the worst maritime disasters in their country's history.

"The Korean people draw great strength from your kindness," she said.

Prosecutors have raided and seized documents at the Korean Register of Shipping and the Korea Shipping Association, which regulates and oversees departures and arrivals of domestic passenger ships.

On Friday night, people in Ansan, where most of the victims came from, gathered to remember those who had died at a candle-lit vigil.


16.15 | 0 komentar | Read More

Israel: Hamas Unity Deal 'Kills Peace Process'

Written By Unknown on Jumat, 25 April 2014 | 16.15

Is Kerry's Mid-East Peace Initiative Finished?

Updated: 9:51am UK, Friday 25 April 2014

By Tom Rayner, Middle East Reporter, Jerusalem

The goal was perhaps unattainable from the outset.

A dream more than a plan.

John Kerry's frenetic diplomatic drive aimed to get Israeli and Palestinian leaders to thrash out the foundations of a final peace deal within nine months.

The deadline was supposed to be next Monday.

Hope of that lies in tatters.

What is worse for Secretary Kerry, is that this wasn't a sudden death.

The negotiations have not experienced a fatal spasm days before a deal - they've been rotting for months.

For weeks, both sides have been waiting to see who could point the finger and say: "There, you see! They didn't want peace in the first place. It's their fault."

Wednesday's announcement of a reconciliation deal between the Fatah party of Palestinian President Abbas and Hamas, gave Benjamin Netanyahu the opportunity to jab the accusatory finger.

The Israeli leader said he will never negotiate with Hamas - the governing power in Gaza, deemed by much of the international community to be a "terrorist organisation".

Abbas had chosen Hamas over peace, Mr Netanyahu said. Talks suspended.

The retort from the Palestinians is that Mr Netanyahu killed the talks long before.

He refused to release a tranche of prisoners and continued to grant permissions for construction of settlements in East Jerusalem and the West Bank - this, they say, was the moment it all collapsed.

So where does this leave John Kerry?

Deflated, but according to diplomatic sources in Jerusalem, reluctant to walk away.

The reason for this lies in the "constructive ambiguity" of the statements being made by Israel.

The language is tough, but it is not final.

Israel has seen attempts at reconciliation between Fatah and Hamas come and go before.

They know this reconciliation deal could disintegrate as quickly as it emerged.

For now the door remains ajar.

The suspension, therefore, is being seen as a five week hiatus, to see if the proposed "unity government" of Fatah and Hamas ministers can actually be put together.

The hope, particularly for those in the Israeli cabinet supportive of talks, is that the lack of detail in the reconciliation deal will render it unachievable.

For Mr Kerry there is another dimension - that the reconciliation deal may have achieved more than the Palestinians are letting on.

No detail has yet emerged of what reconciliation will mean for the internal security relationship between Israel and the Palestinian Authority.

No detail has emerged on whether Hamas prisoners will be freed from Fatah's jails, or on what terms.

No detail has emerged on whether a unity government including Hamas, would stick to the Quartet Principles – the recognition of Israel and renunciation of violence,  which are key to recognition of the Palestinian Authority by the international community.

The answer to whether talks can resume lies in the answers to those questions - the last in particular.

It may be unlikely that Hamas has been coaxed tentatively in from the cold, but until that is clear, Kerry's unattainable dream might have further to run.


16.15 | 0 komentar | Read More

US Accuses Russia Of Ukraine 'Deception'

US Secretary of State John Kerry has accused Russia of "deception" and "destabilisation" in Ukraine and hinted at imposing more sanctions.

Speaking at the State Department in Washington, Mr Kerry warned Moscow time was running out for it to change course.

"Russian President Vladimir Putin and Russia face a choice," he said in unusually blunt language.

"If Russia chooses the path of de-escalation ... all of us will welcome it. But if Russia does not, the world will make sure that the costs for Russia will only grow."

Mr Kerry added this would be a "grave" and "expensive mistake".

A woman bandages the head of a pro-Russian activist injured outside the Mariupol town hall, East Ukraine. A woman bandages the head of an injured pro-Russian activist in Mariupol

He also said the Kremlin has not honoured an agreement aimed at defusing the crisis, echoing earlier comments by US President Barack Obama.

The Geneva accord between Russia, Ukraine, the US and EU compelled armed groups to put down their weapons and vacate official buildings.

The US says Moscow is stoking unrest and separatist sentiment in the east of Ukraine after its annexation of Crimea.

Russia accuses Washington of encouraging a pro-Western government to adopt anti-Russian policies.

Pro-Russian separatist militants fill sand bags to reinforce a checkpoint in Slavyansk, Ukraine. Pro-Russian separatists fill sandbags at a checkpoint in Slavyansk

The crisis in Ukraine is becoming increasingly more violent as separatists take control of public buildings and roads. The government has launched a campaign to remove them.

On Thursday, Ukraine's interior ministry said up to five "terrorists" had been killed during an operation to clear checkpoints in the eastern town of Slavyansk.

Russia announced military exercises involving ground and air forces near its border with Ukraine in response to the operation.

Mr Putin has said there will be "consequences" if Kiev has used its army against the activists.

UN chief Ban Ki-moon has warned the crisis is threatening to "spin out of control" and urged all sides to "refrain from violence".


16.15 | 0 komentar | Read More

Violence Erupts In Rio After Dancer's Funeral

By Karine Mayer, South America News Editor

In Rio drizzle a crowd chanting and holding banners walked from the home of a killed dancer to the streets of nearby Copacabana.

Relatives and friends of Douglas Rafael da Silva Pereira with his coffin DG died of a single bullet wound

Police are still unclear who shot Douglas Rafael da Silva Pereira, whose death violent sparked protests on Rio de Janeiro's streets on Tuesday night.

His body was found in a gap between two high walls at a nursery in the favela of Pavao-Pavaozinho.

Police detective Gilberto Ribeiro confirmed he had died of a single bullet wound.

But because the bullet has not been found it is not known who fired it during the early hours shoot-out between police and drug traffickers.

Douglas Rafael da Silva Pereira protests in Rio DG's friends and relatives walk through the streets

DG, as the dancer was known, was a popular figure on a Sunday afternoon entertainment programme. He was also a dancer in a local popular funk group and dreamed of travelling.

His father, a handyman and painter, Paulo Cesar Pereira, who had been travelling, arrived at the wake in shock.

"It isn't the natural order of things," he said.

Policemen take up position next to barricades on fire set up by residents during a protest against the death of a man in Pavao-Pavaozinho slum, in the Copacabana neighborhood in Rio de Janeiro Fires were set in the hours after the dancer's death on Tuesday

"I always thought I would die before him."

In tears he kept saying what a hard worker his son had always been and how he chased his dream of being a famous dancer.

It was with fireworks and applause that he was laid to rest in the nearby cemetery of Sao Joao Batista in Botafogo.

Maria da Fatima Silva, DG's mother, addressed the crowd of hundreds at the cemetery and thanked them.

After words of encouragement for justice for her son, they again took to the streets of Copacabana escorted by riot police.

Riot police in Rio clash with protesters Police fired tear gas at the crowd after tempers flared

Shops had closed early, afraid of trouble.

As the demonstrators - many wearing T-shirts showing a picture of the dead dancer - became rowdier, police fired tear gas and by nightfall all had headed home.

Rio security secretary Jose Mariano Beltrame reiterated: "This crime will not go unpunished. As I told DG's mother, we will find out who is to blame."

Although 260 communities have been "pacified" by police in the run-up to the World Cup, Rio is still a divided city.


16.15 | 0 komentar | Read More

South Korea Ferry Offices Raided By Prosecutors

Written By Unknown on Kamis, 24 April 2014 | 16.15

Prosecutors have raided the offices of South Korea's shipping watchdog and are probing the assets of the operator of the sunken ferry Sewol.

Investigators are also searching the offices of some 20 companies affiliated to the operator, Cheonghaejin Marine Ltd.

The ship capsized off the coast of South Korea with 476 passengers and crew on board, some 300 of whom drowned or who are missing and presumed dead.

"The objective was to investigate malpractices and corruption in the entire shipping industry," Song In-taek, of the Incheon District Prosecution Service, told reporters.

Lee Joo-seok Under investigation: Ferry captain Lee Joon-Seok

Prosecutors have also raided the home of Yoo Byung-un, the head of a family that owns the company, and are  looking into the assets of Yoo's family for any indications of fraud.

The move widens a criminal investigation which has seen the ferry's captain Lee Joon-Seok and six crew members arrested on suspicion of violating maritime law which requires crew to ensure passenger safety before abandoning ship.

On Thursday, four crew members, including the ship's engineer, were paraded on South Korean television with their heads bowed.

The engineer has told investigators he was not aware of any problems when the ship ran into trouble, following reports the ferry did not take on sufficient ballast to counter its cargo weight.

Family members of a missing passenger onboard the capsized Sewol ferry, react as they wait for news from the search and rescue team at a port in Jindo Family members wait for news from the search at a port in Jindo

"I did not see any signs. There were no problems," he said when asked by investigators if there were any technical issues with the engine or the ship's ballast tanks.

The engineer said he and six other crew members who were on the third deck had abandoned ship "right before it sank".

Another member wept and said she was "very sorry" for the families of the victims and the missing.

"What I did was really wrong. I am sorry," she said.

Diving teams are still searching the sunken vessel in pitch black conditions for the remaining bodies of those on board.

Some parents of the mostly teenage victims of the ferry disaster are pushing for autopsies that might show whether their children were alive inside the submerged vessel and only died because the emergency response was so slow.

Meanwhile, the boy who first raised the alarm that the ferry was sinking has been found drowned in the wreckage of the vessel, his parents believe.

His parents said they had seen his body and clothes and identified his body, but he has not been formally identified with a DNA test.


16.15 | 0 komentar | Read More

'Ukraine A Pawn In US Game Against Russia'

Russia has accused the West of instigating a "revolution" in Ukraine as part of a "geopolitical game" against Moscow.

Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov claimed the US and EU were behind the uprising that ousted Viktor Yanukovych - the pro-Kremlin president of Ukraine - in February.

"In Ukraine, the United States and the European Union tried to stage - let's call things what they are - another 'colour revolution', an operation to unconstitutionally change regime," the Interfax news agency quoted Mr Lavrov as saying.

"Our Western partners, first and foremost the United States, tried to behave as winners in the Cold War and pretend that one can ignore Russia in European affairs and undertake activities that directly damage Russian security interests."

A pro-Russian activist guards a barricade outside the regional administrative building in Donetsk. A pro-Russia activist guards an administrative building in Donetsk

Mr Lavrov reportedly added that Ukraine was being used as a "pawn in geopolitical game" against Russia.

He also said the West had tried to "besmirch the Olympic Games in Sochi through every means possible" as part of "anti-Russian propaganda".

Meanwhile, the Reuters news agency is reporting that Russia's Gazprom has sent an $11.4bn (£6.7bn) gas bill to Ukraine energy firm Naftogaz - five times the original claim.

All this comes as Barack Obama warned Russia could face "consequences" after accusing the Kremlin of not honouring an international agreement aimed at defusing the Ukraine crisis.

The Geneva accord between Russia, Ukraine, the US and EU called for an end to violence in eastern Ukraine and compelled armed groups to surrender weapons and leave official buildings.

US President Barack Obama speaking in Tokyo Barack Obama warned Russia could face "consequences"

But a week on, the US President said further sanctions were "teed up" in case Russia continued to disregard the spirit of the agreement.

"So far at least we have seen them not abide by the spirit or the letter of the agreement in Geneva," said Mr Obama.                

"Instead we continue to see malicious, armed men taking over buildings, harassing folks who are disagreeing with them, destabilising the region, and we haven't seen Russia step out and discourage it.

"On the other side you have seen the government in Kiev taking very concrete steps, introducing amnesty law, offering the whole range of reforms with respect to the constitution, that are consistent with what we discussed in Geneva."

The West has already issued asset freezes and visa bans targeting Russian officials in response to Moscow's annexation of Crimea. 

US paratroopers arrive in Poland. The first 150 US troops arrive in Poland

The US is deploying 600 troops to boost NATO's defences in states bordering Ukraine, but speaking in Japan at the start of an Asian tour, Mr Obama again ruled out a military intervention in Ukraine by Western forces.

"We have already applied sanctions that have had an impact on the Russian economy," he said. "We have continued to hold out the prospect, the possibility to resolve the issue diplomatically.

"We've been very clear about the fact that there is not going to be a military solution to the problem in Ukraine."

Mr Obama's warning about sanctions follows an announcement by Ukraine on Wednesday that it was re-launching a campaign against pro-Russia insurgents occupying government buildings.

Ukraine's Interior Minister, Arsen Avakov, used Facebook to report on Thursday that the country's military had liberated a town hall in eastern Mariupol without any casualties.

Mr Avakov also claimed 70 people led by Russian soldiers raided a Ukrainian base at Artemivsk, wounding one soldier.

Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov Sergey Lavrov has also accused Kiev of violating the Geneva deal

Russia reacted to Ukraine's campaign against insurgents by warning there would be a response if its interests in the country were attacked.

Mr Lavrov drew parallels with 2008, when Russia fought a brief war with Georgia. It started after Georgia sent troops into the breakaway region of South Ossetia to regain control from Russian-backed rebels.

In an interview with Russia Today, Mr Lavrov said: "If our interests, our legitimate interests, the interests of Russians, have been attacked directly, like they were in South Ossetia, for example, I do not see any other way but to respond in full accordance with international law."


16.15 | 0 komentar | Read More

FBI Hunts For UK Victims Of Paedophile Teacher

British detectives are helping an international investigation into a child predator whose 90 known victims may include boys at an elite London school.

William James Vahey, 64, killed himself in a Minnesota motel room on March 21 - two days after FBI agents filed for a warrant to search a computer thumb drive containing child abuse images featuring at least 90 children aged from 12-14.

The victims appeared to be drugged and unconscious in the images dating back to 2008 - although FBI agents believe Vahey may have abused children on an unprecedented scale during a teaching career spanning more than 40 years and at least 10 countries.

In 2008 the history and geography teacher was working in Venezuela before moving to London, where he taught pupils aged 11-16 at the £25,000-a-year Southbank International School from 2009-2013.

The thumb drive was handed to the US Embassy by one of Vahey's co-workers at the American Nicaraguan School in Managua after it was discovered by one of his domestic staff, who first raised the alarm.

In a statement on its website the FBI said: "When confronted about the images by a school administrator, Vahey confessed that he was molested as a child and had preyed on boys his entire life, giving them sleeping pills prior to the molestation."

Southbank International School Vahey taught at Southbank International School. Pic: Joe Tidy

The FBI is appealing for public help to identify potential victims, who appear to have been abused during overnight field trips led by the US citizen.

Parents have been showing "considerable concern" after receiving confirmation that Vahey took part in several field trips while working in London.

Ben and Maria said Vahey was their 13-year-old son's teacher last year at Southbank International School.

The couple said they found out last night about Vahey's crimes.

Maria said: "I couldn't sleep for worrying about it and I had to sit my son down and ask him if anything had ever happened in school.

"Mr Vahey also took my son on a field trip abroad and this is a big concern for us.

"My son is fine though and I would have expected his behaviour to change if anything happened so I don't think anything did.

"I know there are pictures that police have of boys but if my son is on the list, I don't want to know and I don't want him to know."

Another parent told Sky News: "It's massively worrying."

The school's chair of governors and former chief inspector of schools Chris Woodhead told the Guardian that criminal records bureau checks had been carried out and the school was "deeply, deeply shocked" by the FBI's announcement.

The newspaper said the school is planning to either hold a meeting or write to parents within 24 hours about the crisis, while families are also to be offered psychological counselling.

The FBI said Vahey was jailed for child molestation in California in 1969, but the conviction does not appear to have shown up when checked by schools.

FBI special agent Patrick Fransen said some of the alleged victims may not know they were abused.

He said: "He created a system that gave him the opportunity and the means to molest children.

"The manner in which he committed these acts - while the boys were unconscious - may have inhibited them from knowing what happened, making it impossible for them to come forward at the time."

He added: "I've never seen another case where an individual may have molested this many children over such a long period of time."

A Met Police spokesman said: "Officers from the Sexual Offences, Exploitation and Child Abuse Investigation Team are assessing and evaluating intelligence passed to the MPS by US authorities, and actively seeking any evidence whilst working with partner agencies to ensure that potential victims are supported."


16.15 | 0 komentar | Read More

Ukraine: 'Five Killed At Separatist Checkpoint'

Written By Unknown on Senin, 21 April 2014 | 16.15

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

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

A separatist interviewed by Reuters at the scene said three of the dead were with the pro-Russian militia.

The attack had happened at 2am local time, he said.

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

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

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

Kiev's interior ministry said one person had been killed and three injured in an armed clash.

It said police were trying to establish more details about what happened.

Slavyansk A map showing the location of Slavyansk

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

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

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

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

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

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

On Sunday afternoon they declared a curfew in Slavyansk.

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

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

The deadline runs out on Monday, after which the US and the EU have said they will consider further sanctions against Russia.

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

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


16.15 | 0 komentar | Read More

Kate 'Papped' Playing With Prince George

The Duchess of Cambridge has been filmed and photographed playing with Prince George during a day off from official engagements in Australia.

The images show Kate pushing the eight-month-old in a buggy, carrying him on her shoulders and playing with him in her lap.

They were taken without Royal approval while the couple were in the grounds of Government House in Canberra.

Other photos taken show the Duke and Duchess, dressed in jeans and jumpers, walking hand-in-hand near Lake Burley Griffin.

Kate runs across Manly beach in Sydney Kate at Manly Beach in Sydney on Friday

Royal aides have asked the British media not to publish the photographs, though they have been widely used in the Australian press.

In 2012 the Duchess was photographed unawares during a holiday in France, provoking an angry response from the Royal Family.

An injunction was sought to stop the pictures - which originally appeared in Closer magazine - being republished.

The couple are on a 19-day tour of Australia and New Zealand.

Prince Charles and Princess Diana pose at Uluru in 1983 Prince Charles and Princess Diana at Uluru in 1983

On Tuesday they will travel to Uluru in Central Australia - more than 30 years after Prince William's parents made a similar trip.

The trip will take in the National Indigenous Training Academy, which trains members of the indigenous community to work in the tourism and hospitality trades.

Prince George will stay in Canberra with a nanny.

Over the weekend William and Kate took the Prince to Sydney's Taronga Zoo, where he met a bilby - a rabbit-like marsupial - that was named after him.


16.15 | 0 komentar | Read More

South Korea Ferry Tragedy 'A Murderous Act'

Timeline Of Doomed Ferry's Journey

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

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

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

April 15, 9pm

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

April 16, 8.55am

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

Survivors say passengers were told to remain in cabins.

April 16, 9am

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

April 16, 9.05am

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

April 16, 9.30am

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

April 16, 10am

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

April 16, 11.20am

The ferry sinks in the East China Sea.

April 17

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

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

April 18

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

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

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

April 19

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

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

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

April 20

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

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


16.15 | 0 komentar | Read More

Prince George Goes Walkabout With Bilbies

Written By Unknown on Minggu, 20 April 2014 | 16.15

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


16.15 | 0 komentar | Read More

South Korean Ferry Families Clash With Police

Distraught relatives of hundreds of missing passengers on board the sunken South Korean ferry have clashed with police as the official death toll rises.

Up to 100 relatives gathered near a bridge linking the southwestern port city of Jindo to the mainland and tried to march across to take their protest to the capital, Seoul.

But police formed two lines to prevent the pushing and shoving relatives reaching the bridge.

"The government is the killer," some of the relatives shouted, as they pressed against the police lines.

Families clash in stand-off with police An angry relative at the police barricade

"We want an answer from the person in charge about why orders are not going through and nothing is being done," Lee Woon-Geun, father of missing passenger Lee Jung-in, 17, said.

"They are clearly lying and kicking the responsibility to others."

Divers have recovered more bodies inside the South Korean sunken ferry, pushing the confirmed death toll to 50, officials say.

The discovery came after divers gained access to the inside of the ferry for the first time after three days of failed attempts due to strong currents and poor visibility.

"At 11.48pm the joint rescue team broke a glass window and succeeded in getting inside the vessel," the South Korean government said in a statement.

Divers Divers have entered the ship for the first time

Officials said the bodies were found inside the ferry but did not provide further details.

Hundreds of government, military and civilian divers have been involved in the search.

It is thought 252 people, most of them children on a school trip, are still missing. There are 174 known survivors.

The 69-year-old captain of the ferry, Lee Joon-Seok, has been arrested on suspicion of negligence and abandoning people in need.

Two other crew members have also been taken into custody.

Lee Joo-seok Ferry Captain Lee Joon-Seok has apologised to families of the victims

They include a 25-year-old female third mate who prosecutors claim was steering the ferry for the first time through dangerous waters when the accident occurred on Wednesday.

Early reports suggest that the ferry, on a 300-mile (400km) voyage from the mainland port of Incheon to the resort island of Jeju, may have turned sharply and then listed before capsizing.

Investigators are looking at how the cargo was stowed, the safety record of the ship operator and the actions of the crew.

Witnesses say Lee and other crew members left the sinking ship before many of the passengers and that orders to evacuate were either not given, or not heard.

Captain 'Not At Helm When Ferry Capsized' A man identified as Cpt Lee is seen being rescued from the sinking ferry

Lee said he feared that passengers would be swept away by the ferocious currents in the area if they leapt into the sea, but has not explained why he left the vessel.

In a TV address Lee, who has more than 40 years of experience at sea, said: "I am sorry to the people of South Korea for causing a disturbance and I bow my head in apology to the families of the victims.

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

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

Families waiting for news in Jindo Family members wait for news from rescue teams in a gym in Jindo

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

Hundreds of relatives gathered in a gymnasium in Jindo have spent days and nights awaiting news of their relatives on the ship.

Out of all the people on the ferry, 339 were either pupils or teachers from Danwon High School near Seoul.

The vice principal of the school who was on the ferry and survived was found hanged on Friday.


16.15 | 0 komentar | Read More

Ukraine: 'Five Killed At Separatist Checkpoint'

Russian state TV has reported that five people were killed at a checkpoint manned by pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine.

State-run Rossiya 24 news station said the five died when gunmen attacked the post near the Ukrainian city of Slavyansk.

Rossiya 24's correspondent in Slavyansk said three of the dead were with the pro-Russian separatists who control Slavyansk, and the other two were from the group that attacked their checkpoint.

A witness later told Reuters TV that he had seen two bodies at the checkpoint, one of them with gunshot wounds to the head and face.

One of the dead was dressed in combat fatigues and the other in civilian clothes, the witness said.

Police were at the scene carrying out an investigation, he added.

AFP reported a local leader as telling journalists that three pro-Russian militants and one attacker had been killed.

Vyatcheslav Ponomarev said a gunbattle broke out at a barricade put up in a village east of Slavyansk.

Separatist gunmen maintain a firm grip over a string of towns across Ukraine's industrial east despite an international deal signed last week demanding they leave state buildings they are occupying.

Slavyansk A map showing the location of Slavyansk

Authorities in Kiev, which have vowed to remove the separatists, said they have suspended military operations against the pro-Moscow rebels until after the Easter holidays.

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

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

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

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

Arseny Yatseniuk said: "I consider that the biggest disaster of this century would be the restoring of the Soviet Union under the auspices of President Putin."

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

Pro-Russian protesters occupying barricades outside Donetsk's regional administrative building celebrated Easter by sharing traditional treats of pasky (baked Easter cakes) and pysanky (Easter eggs).

In western Ukraine, families had celebrated the festival on Saturday, gathering for the traditional blessing of Easter baskets laden with cakes and eggs, as well as meat, cheese and butter.

Blessing cakes on the eve of Easter is a tradition in Ukraine.

More follows...


16.15 | 0 komentar | Read More
techieblogger.com Techie Blogger Techie Blogger