Written By Unknown on Jumat, 30 Januari 2015 | 16.15
The European Union has extended its first set of sanctions against Russian and pro-Russian separatist officials by a further six months due to the ongoing crisis in Ukraine.
The sanctions were due to expire in March, but Dutch foreign minister Bert Koenders said an extension sends a "strong signal toward Russia".
The extension was agreed during a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Brussels on Thursday.
During the meeting, foreign ministers also agreed to add new names to its sanctions blacklist.
A pro-Russian separatist soldier at a checkpoint in Enakieve, Ukraine
Officials will hold a summit on 12 February to discuss whether to impose further measures against Russia, which has been accused of intervening militarily in the conflict.
"We have shown that the EU is ready to take further measures and to prepare further measures in the weeks to come if the situation doesn't improve," EU foreign affairs chief Federica Mogherini said.
Since Russia's annexation of Crimea, the EU has steadily increased its sanctions against Moscow.
Strict economic sanctions were imposed in July, which have stung Russia.
The EU will hold a summit on 12 February to discuss further measures
Ukrainian government forces destroyed railway tracks in Lukansk on Wednesday, which they believed were being used by separatists to transfer supplies.
On Saturday, 30 people were killed when rockets struck a densely-populated eastern district of Mariupol, leading to calls for further pressure from the EU.
More than 80 people were also injured in the separatist offensive, which saw homes, shops, schools and a busy market hit by long-range missiles.
International monitors confirmed that the rockets were fired from rebel-held territory.
By Katie Stallard, Moscow Correspondent, in Donetsk
A set of metal steps leads you down into the darkness of the underground shelter, below a suburban arts centre in the rebel-controlled capital of Donetsk.
The power had gone off earlier that morning, there had been shelling nearby.
They weren't sure when it would come back on.
Children emerged from the makeshift tents, keen to show their toys to the camera - happy and playing with their friends, but pale.
Most have not been outside for more than a few minutes at a time for a month.
Video:'People Don't Have Money For Food'
One young girl said she couldn't remember when she had last played above ground.
The adults are afraid to allow them further than the courtyard upstairs - they say the street across the park was shelled four days ago.
They say the school was hit too, and it doesn't have a bomb shelter, so it's no longer safe for the children to go.
They haven't been to class since December.
Some of the boys played with plastic guns - fighting imaginary soldiers, but their fear is visceral and real.
Several described explosions and the damage to their homes.
When they were asked who was shelling them, they replied "fascists".
Video:Donetsk: Life In A City Under Siege
By this they mean the government in Kiev - and that's what these children and their parents believe: that the Ukrainian army is attacking them, that "fascists" have taken power, and that they have only the pro-Russian rebels to protect them.
During the time that we were filming we could hear only what appeared to be outgoing rocket fire, but both sides blame the other for the upsurge in violence in recent days.
Outside what was a busy market in the city centre, we saw long queues for humanitarian aid, donated by Ukraine's richest man, Rinat Akhmetov.
The Ukrainian government has cut off pensions and social payments to those in rebel-controlled areas.
There is still food in the shops, but many particularly the elderly, have no money to buy it, and find themselves dependent on handouts.
All of which stokes the feeling here that the national government has abandoned them, that those in Kiev no longer care about their welfare.
By Katie Stallard, Moscow Correspondent, in Donetsk
As the fighting in eastern Ukraine intensifies, humanitarian conditions in the region are deteriorating.
Sky News filmed families in the rebel-controlled capital of Donetsk, as it was revealed the European Union has extended its first set of sanctions against the separatists and Russia, which has been accused of aiding the rebellion.
Some of the families in Donetsk have been living in underground shelters since July, too frightened to let their children play outside or go to school.
Two hundred people, including more than 50 children, are living in the basement of an arts centre in the city's western suburb - afraid to allow the children above ground for more than a few minutes at a time.
One eight-year-old girl said she could not remember when she last played outside.
Video:'People Don't Have Money For Food'
"If they go out it's only for five minutes maximum," her mother, Vika Makeeva, told us.
"To get fresh air and come back."
They said the school had been shelled and it had no basement shelter so the children had not been since December.
UNICEF has provided them with hygiene kits, and individuals have donated food and toys for the children.
"They started to shell us from the Ukrainian side," Luba, one of the mothers, said.
"I took the child when he was asleep in his blanket, put him on a bike and we went to a shelter in the children's hospital, but it was really damp, with frogs, and then we came here."
Many of the residents have homes, but they are too frightened to return.
We went with one lady to check on her flat - she told us their block was shelled four days ago, and their roof destroyed.
As she led us across the courtyard she heard outgoing rocket fire and hurried behind a concrete wall, listening for the sound of the impact so she could work out which direction it was heading.
She said this was why she was afraid to bring her children outside.
In the city centre we saw long queues of people, the majority of them pensioners, outside an aid distribution point.
It was bitterly cold and there was thick ice on the ground, but they had been waiting patiently since 8am for handouts donated by Ukraine's richest man, Rinat Akhmetov.
Video:Inside A Donetsk Bomb Shelter
The Ukrainian government has cut off pensions and other social payments to those living in rebel-controlled areas like Donetsk.
There is food in the shops, but many have no money to buy it, and so find themselves dependent on donations.
"For six months we have had no pension," one elderly woman told us.
"We have no salaries, no pensions, that's it... so we're queuing for help."
"This is how we live," her husband added.
"Waiting for the humanitarian aid, thanks that they are helping us."
Pavel Gudchok worked for a Ukrainian bank, but they closed the branches in Donetsk last year and now he cannot find a job.
He was visibly shivering as he waited to help his grandmother at the aid point.
"There's no money here, people are hungry here, without homes," the 24-year-old said.
"They need everything now."
The longer this goes on, the more attitudes here are hardening, the stronger the anger with Kiev - and the deeper the divisions in this already bitterly divided country.
Written By Unknown on Kamis, 29 Januari 2015 | 16.15
An audio recording purportedly from a man being held by IS militants says a fellow hostage has just hours to live unless an Iraqi prisoner is released.
The message, which is unverified, is believed to have been read out by Kenji Goto - a Japanese journalist taken by Islamic State militants last year.
In it the voice demands the release of Sajida al Rishawi, who was sentenced to death in Jordan for her involvement in a 2005 terrorist attack that killed 60 people.
The man states that a fellow hostage - Jordanian pilot Lieutenant Muath al Kasaesbeh - would be killed if the prisoner was not ready to be exchanged at the Turkish border with Syria by "sunset".
The brief message did not make it clear what the fate of either hostage would be even if the group's demands were met.
Video:Profile of Sajida Al Rishawi
Japan's chief cabinet secretary Yoshihide Suga said: "We are still in the process of verification but with all of the information gathered we think that there is a high probability that the voice was indeed that of Mr Goto."
Although the Jordanian government is willing to hand over the would-be suicide bomber, nations around the world - including the US - believe the deal with IS should not go ahead.
Such an exchange could set a dangerous precedent, encouraging terrorists to take more people hostage.
Video:Mum's Tearful Plea To Islamic State
However, if both hostages were to survive, it could provide crucial intelligence about their captors, as the whereabouts of a man dubbed "Jihadi John" remains unknown.
The family of Lt al Kaseasbeh have met Jordan's King Abdullah, where they were assured that "things were still positive".
Despite this, the country's Foreign Minister has not received any evidence that the pilot is alive and well.
Video:IS Hostage's 'Last Message'
The Japanese government is investigating the latest footage, which was originally uploaded to YouTube.
The mother of Kenji Goto has made a tearful appeal to Japan's Prime Minister to help save her son.
Junko Ishido said she had begged Shinzo Abe to "Please save Kenji" and to work with the Jordanian government to secure his release.
A death row prisoner has been granted a stay of execution, the day before he was due to be killed by lethal injection.
Richard Glossip, and two other prisoners in Oklahoma, were given temporary reprieves by the United States Supreme Court amid concerns about a drug used in executions.
Midazolam is a sedative administered prior to a paralytic that prevents a prisoner flailing around, while a third drug stops their heart. But there has been criticism that the anaesthetic is not strong enough.
Last year, there was an outcry when problems administering the lethal cocktail led to a prisoner, Clayton Lockett, writhing in pain for 43 minutes before he died of a heart attack.
Glossip's attorney, Mark Kenricksen, told Sky News: "We should not use these human beings as lab rats for Oklahoma's attempt to find a constitutionally acceptable death penalty protocol, and that's why we're suing."
Video:Why Are The Lethal Drugs Changing?
The Glossip case is highly unusual, because he is the only one of the 49 prisoners on Oklahoma's death row who did not actually kill anyone. He was accused of paying an accomplice to murder the owner of a motel where they worked.
The actual killer, Justin Sneed, was offered a plea deal. He escaped the death penalty in return for testifying against Glossip, and is serving a life sentence with no hope of parole.
Until a few weeks ago, there seemed to be little interest in Glossip's impending execution. Then, one of America's foremost abolitionists got involved.
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Gallery: Infamous Death Row Inmates
James Rose, aged 68. On death row in Florida since 13th May 1977. Crime: 1st degree murder of an eight year old girl on 22 October 1976. Pic: Florida department of corrections
William Zeigler, aged 69. On death row in Florida since 19th July 1976. Crime: Murdered his wife and parents-in-law on Christmas Eve 1975. Pic: Florida department of corrections
A hostage killed during a siege at a Sydney cafe was made to kneel before being shot in the back of the head with a sawn-off pump action shotgun, an inquest has heard.
Cafe manager Tori Johnson was killed by Iranian-born gunman Man Haron Monis, moments after several people managed to flee the coffee shop safely.
Jeremy Gormly, one of the lawyers assisting the coroner, said: "Mr Johnson was made by Monis to kneel on the floor of the cafe. After a short lapse of time, Monis simply shot him without further notice or warning in the back of the head.
"The end of the barrel was about 75cm from his head at the moment of discharge. Mr Johnson is believed to have died immediately."
It was the 34-year-old's death which led tactical operatives to force their way into the Lindt cafe in the early hours of 16 December.
Video:Remembering Sydney's Siege Victims
The inquest also heard that another hostage who died, 38-year-old barrister Katrina Dawson, was struck by six fragments of a police bullet which ricocheted off the walls when officers stormed the building to end the 16-hour siege.
"One fragment struck a major blood vessel," said Mr Gormly.
"She lost consciousness quickly and died shortly afterwards."
He said three other hostages were also injured by a ricochet off a police bullet.
Video:Sydney Gunman: What We Know
The inquest also heard of the gunman's movements early on in the day's events - how he first ordered and ate a piece of chocolate cake and drank tea after entering the cafe on the morning 15 December.
Around half an hour later, he asked to move tables and to speak to manager Johnson, who then asked an employee to lock the doors.
Monis then stood up, putting on a vest and bandana, and told staff: "This is an attack. I have a bomb."
Trained officers ended the siege when they threw 11 flash bangs into the building before firing 22 shots at Monis.
Video:Sydney Siege Victims Hailed
Mr Gormly told Glebe Coroner's Court: "At least two bullets, police bullets or bullet fragments hit Monis in the head and 11 other bullets, police bullets or fragments hit him in the body. It seems he was killed instantly."
The inquest aims to determine what happened during the siege, and investigate whether emergency services' response to the hostage situation was sufficient.
It will also examine the motivations of Man Haron Monis.
Although the gunman claimed his attack was in affiliation with Islamic State, it has emerged that he had no contact with the terror organisation before the siege.
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Gallery: Latest Images From Australia
A bomb disposal robot moves towards Sydney's Lindt Cafe after armed police moved in to end the seige in a barrage of gunfire.
A woman is carried out of the cafe after armed police stormed the building where a gunman was holding up to 20 hostages
Written By Unknown on Rabu, 28 Januari 2015 | 16.15
Officials investigating the disappearance of 43 students in Mexico have confirmed they were kidnapped, murdered and incinerated by police.
Families of the victims believe their loved ones are still alive - but for the first time, Mexico's attorney general has said he is certain that all of the students were killed and burned before their remains were thrown into a river.
Jesus Murillo Karam also rejected claims that the army had any participation in the mass slaying.
He added: "To close the investigation is perhaps not the appropriate word, until I have all of those responsible under arrest I can't close it, so that is not the right word.
The 43 students were training to become teachers in Guererro state
"But if you ask me if the elements of the investigation are enough to conclude that they were killed there and incinerated, I would say 'yes', and even more than in many other cases."
The case has caused considerable controversy in Mexico, with some fire experts claiming the government's rendition of events is implausible.
Video:Jan 13 - Protests Demand Justice
However, forensic evidence suggests that the fuel and temperature of a fire at a garbage dump thought to have been used to dispose of the bodies was capable of turning 43 bodies into ashes.
Mexican authorities have only been able to identify the DNA of one student, and Austrian scientists working on the case have claimed it is impossible to identify the other victims.
Relatives of the missing students have said they no longer believe a word the government says, as the theory of what happened to their loved ones has continually changed since they were last seen in September.
The brother-in-law of one victim, Valentin Cornelio Gonzalez, said: "On a personal level, it makes me mad because this is what they've always done.
"There's no chance that the parents are going to believe the government saying they're dead... they are going to look for them alive."
Video:Narco State: Mexico's Drugs War
The conclusion that all 43 students have been killed is based on the testimony of a prime suspect arrested a fortnight ago.
Felipe Rodriguez Salgado is one of 99 people who have been detained in connection with the crime.
There have also been 39 reported confessions, nearly 400 declarations, almost 500 forensic tests, 16 raids and two reconstructions.
All 43 students were men training to be teachers. Their bus is thought to have been attacked in the city of Iguala by police who then handed them over to gangs.
The mother of a Japanese hostage being held by Islamic State has made a tearful appeal to Japan's Prime Minister to help save her son, Kenji Goto.
Junko Ishido said she had begged Shinzo Abe to "Please save Kenji" and to work with the Jordanian government to secure his release.
Junko Ishido has implored the Japanese government to help save her son
IS warned in a video that Mr Goto and fellow prisoner, Jordanian pilot Lieutenant Mu'ath al Kaseasbeh, would be killed within 24 hours if its demands were not met.
The video shows Mr Goto in an orange jumpsuit and holdling a picture of Mr al Kaseasbeh, along with an audio message of him pleading for his life.
The group said the hostages' lives would be spared if Jordan releases Sajida al Rishawi, an Iraqi woman sentenced to death for her involvement in a 2005 terrorist attack that killed 60 people.
It comes after IS apparently murdered another Japanese prisoner, Haruna Yukawa - an act condemned by Japan's government.
Mr Abe has now expressed outrage at the threat to kill Mr Goto, while secret talks continue in Jordan to try to free the men.
"This was an extremely despicable act and we feel strong indignation. We strongly condemn that," he said referring to the video.
"While this is a tough situation, we remain unchanged in our stance of seeking help from the Jordanian government in securing the early release of Mr Goto."
In Jordan, the pilot's father, Safi al Kaseasbeh, implored the government "to meet the demands" of Islamic State.
"All people must know, from the head of the regime to everybody else, that the safety of Mu'ath means the stability of Jordan, and the death of Mu'ath means chaos in Jordan," he said.
A member of Jordan's parliament said the country was in indirect talks with the militants to secure the hostages' release.
Bassam al Manasseer, chairman of the foreign affairs committee, told Bloomberg News the negotiations were taking place through religious and tribal leaders in Iraq.
He added that Jordan and Japan would not negotiate directly with IS and would not free al Rishawi in exchange for Mr Goto only.
Time is running out and pressure is mounting for the Jordanian and Japanese authorities.
The demand from Islamic State militants is the release, within 24 hours, of an Iraqi would-be suicide bomber in exchange for the lives of a Japanese journalist and a Jordanian fighter pilot.
Bluntly, the Jordanian authorities will now be weighing up the risks of releasing Sajida al Rishawi into the hands of a terrorist group against the reward for doing so.
:: The risks
1. Releasing a self-confessed terrorist into the hands of a terror group. Sajida al Rishawi confessed to trying to blow up the Radisson SAS hotel in Amman in 2005.
In her televised confession (which she later retracted) she said she hoped to kill as many men, women and children as possible.
Her husband's suicide belt went off. He died along with 36 other victims. Al Rishawi's belt did not go off and she was later arrested.
If she is handed over to IS militants, could she go on to carry out a successful suicide mission?
2. Bowing to terrorists' demands: No government wants to be seen to be bowing to the demands of the Islamic State.
Deals with terrorists embolden them and encourage them to take more people hostage.
The covert payment of ransoms by some governments has only added to Islamic State's wealth, which is already huge thanks to their control of oil assets in Syria and Iraq.
The Jordanian government will be under huge pressure by the Americans and others not to do any deal with Islamic State.
:: The rewards
1. The hostages survive: If Al Rishawi is released and Islamic State militants stick to the deal (there is no guarantee that they will) then clearly the lives of Kenji Goto and Lt Mu'ath al Kaseasbeh will be saved.
Emotionally, this is an overriding objective.
2. Intelligence: Agencies around the world would be extremely keen to "debrief" the two hostages and learn as much as possible about their captors.
It is thought that they were being held by a man dubbed 'Jihadi John', a Briton who was behind the beheading of a number of other hostages, including Britons David Haines and Allan Henning and Americans Steven Sotloff, James Foley and Peter Kassig.
Despite sustained efforts, he has not been located. Intelligence agencies could glean vital information from the two men.
:: Other options
There are other plausible scenarios which could secure the release of the two men.
Through backchannels in Jordan, a deal could perhaps be struck which would see the release of a number of other alleged Islamist militants who are in Jordanian jails, prisoners who are seen as less of a security risk.
If any deal is done though, the Jordanian and Japanese authorities will need a "proof of life", showing that Mr Goto and Lt al Kaseasbeh are still alive.
In Tuesday's demand, both men were seen only in photographs. Some in Jordan believe that Lt al Kaseasbeh is already dead.
Written By Unknown on Selasa, 27 Januari 2015 | 16.15
About 300 Holocaust survivors are expected to attend an event marking 70 years since Soviet troops liberated the Auschwitz death camp.
They will be joined by world leaders later in remembering the 1.1 million people killed by Nazis at the site, along with the countless others who lost their lives during the conflict.
With all visiting survivors now in their 70s and older, this could be the last major commemoration attended in numbers. In 2005 - the 60th anniversary of the Holocaust - 1,500 victims made the trip to southern Poland.
Steven Spielberg spoke with some of the Holocaust survivors in Krakow
One 88-year-old Auschwitz survivor - who will sing a memorial prayer during the commemoration - said the Holocaust was "almost impossible for a human mind to comprehend", adding that "he prays to God that we as human beings are able to learn something from it".
Another, Rose Schindler, explained how only 11 of her loved ones survived the Holocaust, out of more than 300 relatives.
Video:Survivor Tells Her Story
Once the 85-year-old arrived at Auschwitz, she was chosen for slave labour and was given no chance to say goodbye to her parents and four siblings.
"I have no graves for my mother, sisters, my brother and my father. So this somehow is a way to say goodbye," she added.
For some survivors visiting Auschwitz on Monday, seeing the barbed wire of the former death camp was overwhelming. One survivor cried: "I don't want to come here anymore."
Vladimir Putin will be absent from the main event, amid continuing tensions between Russia and Ukraine. However, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko and France's Francois Hollande will attend, along with Germany's Joachim Gauck, for a day of prayer and wreath laying.
On the eve of the commemoration, Steven Spielberg spoke to Holocaust survivors in Krakow - warning of "anti-Semites, radical extremists and religious fanatics" who want to propagate hate crimes.
The director of Schindler's List, speaking weeks after four Jews were murdered at a kosher supermarket in Paris, added: "If you are a Jew today – in fact, if you are any person who believes in the freedom of religion, freedom of speech, freedom in free expression - you know that like many other groups, we are once again facing the perennial demons of intolerance."
About 11 million people, mostly Jews but also gipsies, homosexuals and communists, were murdered by the Nazis during the Holocaust.
A "potentially historic" storm could dump as much as 3ft (90cm) of snow on the Northeast and snarl transportation for tens of millions of people.
Officials have told residents to prepare for the worst, and airlines have cancelled thousands of flights.
Snow fell during the morning commute in several cities, including Philadelphia and New York, and flurries have begun in Boston.
The National Weather Service has issued a blizzard warning for a 250-mile stretch of the Northeast.
This began at 1pm EST (6pm UK time), and conditions are expected to worsen.
Mid-town Manhattan seen from the top of the UN building
The NWS has warned of two days of winter storms across the region, from Pennsylvania to Maine.
Sky's Hannah Thomas-Peter in New York said: "Very unusually the National Weather Service have used extremely strong language, saying that this blizzard could be life-threatening, it could cripple major cities across the North East coast.
Video:'Historic' Storm: New York Braced
"The NWS has said categorically that travel, this evening, overnight and in the morning when the conditions are due to be at their worst, will be life-threatening."
Mayor Bill de Blasio has warned residents to be prepared, telling them: "This could be the biggest snowstorm in the history of this city.
"My message to New Yorkers is to prepare for something worse than we have seen before".
All public schools in the city are closed with around 30in (76cm) of snow expected.
Winds of up to 55mph (88kph) are also predicted, raising the prospect of power outages caused by trees falling on power lines.
This has prompted New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo to declare a state of emergency for New York City and suburban areas to the north and east.
The storm "should not be taken lightly", and "could affect health and safety", he said.
Video:Mayor's Warning Ahead Of Huge Storm
States of emergency have also been declared in New Jersey, Connecticut and Massachusetts.
The National Weather Service called the system a "crippling and potentially historic blizzard", with many areas along the East Coast expected to be blanketed by heavy snowfall.
About 6,500 flights have been cancelled because of the bad weather, according to the plane tracking site FlightAware.
A further 1,700 have been delayed.
Most major airlines are allowing customers whose flights are cancelled in the next few days to book new flights without paying a penalty.
In Massachusetts, Governor Charlie Baker warned residents to prepare for roads that are "very hard, if not impossible, to navigate", as well as power outages and possibly a lack of public transportation.
Boston is expected to get up to 24in (60cm) of snow, and Philadelphia could see up to a foot (30cm), the weather service said.
The widow of former Russian agent Alexander Litvinenko says she hopes the inquiry into his murder will reveal the truth about his death.
Marina Litvinenko has told Sky News she wants closure for her and her son Anatoly and also wants to put an end to the conspiracy theories surrounding the crime.
She said: "I know my husband was killed, I saw how it happened. It was a torture. He died a long 23 days in front of me, in front of his son, in front of his friends."
She said she was "fed up" with speculation that her husband had smuggled radioactive material for a "dirty bomb".
The inquiry is diplomatically sensitive and it was initially blocked by the government. There were fears it would cause too much damage to an already bad relationship with Moscow.
Video:Widow Wants To Save Husband's Name
Former Voice of Russia London bureau chief Dmitry Linnik said the fallout from the Ukrainian crisis and the downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 means the relationship between London and Moscow can hardly get any worse.
He said: "It is as bad as it probably can be short of an open conflagration in a military sense."
Alexander Litvinenko was a former agent for the FSB, the successor organisation of the KGB.
Video:Former KGB Agent Denies Murder
He was an outspoken critic of the Kremlin. He defected to the UK in 2000 - it's thought he then worked for MI6 as an informer.
While in Britain he accused Vladimir Putin of many crimes, including ordering the murder of the human rights journalist Anna Politkovskaya.
Litvinenko fell ill after meeting two Russian contacts - Dmitry Kovtun and Andrei Lugovoi - at the Millennium Hotel in Grosvenor Square on 1 November 2006.
Video:Litvinenko Inquiry 'Needs Answers'
He had drunk tea that had been poisoned with polonium 210, a rare radioactive isotope.
The two men are now both wanted by the British police on suspicion of murder but an extradition request has been refused by the Russian Federation.
Both men have consistently denied the allegation of murder.
Video:Poisoning Timeline
The inquiry, which opens on Tuesday and is scheduled to last for the next 10 weeks, will attempt to fathom what their involvement was and ultimately whether or not the Russian state orchestrated the killing.
:: Follow the inquiry live from the Royal Courts of Justice on Sky News
Written By Unknown on Senin, 26 Januari 2015 | 16.15
By Robert Nisbet, Europe Correspondent
As car horns blared in the capital's streets, few doubted this had been a seismic night in European politics.
Five years of swingeing cuts have shrunk Greece's economic output by a third and delivered a primary budget surplus, but the price has been too high for many of the electorate.
A third of people in Greece live below the poverty line, a quarter are out of work and pensioners have seen their income dwindle.
That generalised anger finally found its expression at the ballot box.
While previously Syriza's core supporters had been students and a loose coalition of Marxists, Maoists, Trotskyites and environmental campaigners, it acted as a lightning rod across society.
Video:Greece's Syriza Claims Poll Victory
Many of the squeezed middle class wanted to punish the political parties they felt had sold Greece's future prosperity to protect the banking system.
Alexis Tsipras now has something of a dilemma though: he wants to keep Greece in the single currency but the European Union, the European Central Bank and the IMF won't want the country to renege on its promises.
There were strings attached to the €240bn which have kept the country afloat and the likes of Germany are unlikely to agree to allow Greece to restructure more of its debt.
Video:Greek People Ready To 'Turn A Page'
But if Mr Tsipras softens on his vow to "finish the troika" in order to prevent a default and a so-called Grexit, he may anger his core support base.
The wider repercussions could be felt outside the country's borders.
There are a host of other anti-austerity parties in Europe waiting to challenge the consensus, most prominently Podemos in Spain where an election must be held this year.
Video:Tsipras: Greece Will Regain Dignity
If this election grows into a pan-European movement, the plumbing of the global economy could face some determined opposition.
Syriza's progress might well embolden those willing to take on established political parties, which could have far reaching consequences.
Alexis Tsipras could become the youngest prime minister of Greece since 1865 but just who is he and what does he represent?
:: Teen revolutionary
Mr Tsipras joined the Young Communists Society in the 1980s and by 1991 at the age of 17 organised the occupation of his high school in protest at education reforms.
2012 saw Syriza win 27% of the vote
Pupils ate and slept at the school and he told an interviewer at the time: "We want the right to judge for ourselves whether to skip class."
He went on to university to study to become a civil engineer, where he continued his political rise.
Video:Greek People Ready To 'Turn A Page'
:: Youngest ever political leader
In 2008 at the age of 34 he became the leader of the Syriza party, which was formed in 2004 as a coalition of left-wing groups ranging from the Maoists to the Greens.
Hailed for his no fear, firebrand approach and commitment to an anti-austerity agenda, he led the party to take a 27% vote share in the 2012 general election. It made Syriza the second biggest party in the Greek parliament.
:: Tie-hater
He doesn't like ties. Simple as that. Doesn't wear them, won't wear them.
When asked about it recently, he said: "If you haven't seen me wearing a tie until now, I doubt that you will as prime minister."
Ahead of the 2012 election his predilection for motorbikes, rather than the limos favoured by other party leaders, was much-documented. However, it has been noted that he is more likely seen in the family car these days.
:: Che Guevara fanatic
Although he has toned down his approach ahead of this election he still has a passion for the revolutionary Che Guevara.
His youngest son (he has two with his partner Peristera Batziana) has the middle name Ernesto by way of tribute.
:: Austerity opponent
Firmly anti-austerity, he wants to renegotiate the terms of the EU-IMF bailout, and wants Europe to agree to erase most of Greece's debt.
However, the head of the IMF, Christine Lagarde, has said the country has "no wiggle room".
Greece has suffered five years of recession, tax hikes and record unemployment (one in four people don't have a job).
:: Good thing or bad thing?
Critics have described Mr Tsipras as "power-hungry", suggesting he would sacrifice Greece for his own political ambitions.
But he is popular with the people. He has promised to raise salaries and pensions, halt layoffs and freeze the privatisation of state assets.
He has sought to boost his international standing meeting Pope Francis and the European Central Bank chief Mario Draghi, as well as writing columns in international newspapers, including the Financial Times.
But he continues to refer to the austerity measures placed on Greece as terms of the EU-IMF £188bn bailout as "fiscal waterboarding".
However, ultimately he says that Greece's future in Europe is not a future of austerity and that has triggered fears of a Grexit.
:: Panathinaikos fan
Born in 1974, the year that marked the end of the junta which persecuted Communists, Mr Tsipras grew up in the shadow of the Apostolos Nikolaidis stadium. He has remained a fan.
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Video:Greece Rejects EU Austerity
The leader of the Syriza party has vowed to end the "humiliation and anguish" of Greek citizens after his party took victory in the country's election on an anti-austerity platform.
Alexis Tsipras told thousands of supporters in Athens that Greece will leave behind the "catastrophic austerity" measures imposed by European creditors.
The left-wing party - which was widely tipped to win the poll - looks likely to win 149 seats in the 300-seat parliament.
This indicates the party would be two seats short of an overall majority.
With 99.8% of the votes counted, Syriza was 8.5 points ahead of the conservative New Democracy party of Prime Minister Antonis Samaras, who has conceded defeat.
1/16
Gallery: Alexis Tsipras Celebrates Victory For His Anti-Austerity Party
A young child supporting anti-austerity party Syriza takes part in celebrations after the first exit polls in Athens
Syriza supporters await the final result of the Greek election at the party tent
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Members of the conservative New Democracy party watch as exit polls shows a significant victory for Syriza
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Outgoing Greek Prime Minister Antonis Samaras is seen after a news conference following an updated exit poll in Athens
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Celebrations continue for supporters of Syriza leader Alexis Tsipras in Athens
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"Greece leaves behinds catastrophic austerity, it leaves behind fear and authoritarianism, it leaves behind five years of humiliation and anguish," Mr Tsipras said in his victory speech.
He then used his first post-election tweet to respond to a message of congratulations from British actor and comedian Hugh Laurie.
"Thank you Dr", he wrote, in apparent reference to Laurie's role in the US television series House.
Syriza's win raises the prospect of a stand-off with European creditors, with Mr Tsipras promising to renegotiate the repayment terms of Greece's debt.
Financial markets have reacted nervously to the result, fearing conflict with other eurozone governments that could put strain the currency bloc.
Video:Samaras: 'Greek People Have Spoken'
The euro fell to a fresh 11-year low against the dollar shortly after the result became clear but later recovered and while stocks fell across Europe, the losses were limited with the FTSE 100 down just 0.6% in early trading.
The AthEx market - which tracks the prices of the top 25 firms in the Athens Stock Exchange - opened 0.6% lower before losing more than 5% of its value in a volatile first hour.
Greece was forced to undertake deep budget cuts and fiscal reforms as a condition for a €240bn bailout in 2010 from the so-called "Troika" - the group of creditors made up of the European Union, the International Monetary Fund and European Central Bank.
Many in Greece feel slashed public spending has hit the most vulnerable hardest, while leaving the tax evasion and corruption of the apparent elites untouched.
Mr Tsipras said he would cooperate with fellow Eurozone leaders for "a fair and mutually beneficial solution", but said the Greek people come first.
1/2
Gallery: Tsipras' Surprising First Post-Election Tweet
Syriza party leader Alexis Tsipras' first tweet after sweeping to victory in Greece's general election was somewhat unexpected
His first victory tweet was to British actor and comedian Hugh Laurie for this message of congratulations
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"Our priority from the very first day will be to deal with the big wounds left by the crisis," he said.
"Our foremost priority is that our country and our people regain their lost dignity."
He added: "The verdict of our people means the Troika is finished.
"The new Greek government will be ready to cooperate and negotiate for the first time with our peers a just, mutually beneficial and viable solution."
Germany's Bundesbank has warned Greece needs to reform to tackle its economic problems, while the euro fell nearly half a US cent.
Video:Olympic Sites Left Crumbling
Mr Samaras had insisted voters would be making a huge mistake to elect Syriza at a time when painful fiscal reforms may be about to pay off.
After conceding defeat, he told supporters: "My conscience is clear because I told the truth to the Greek people until the very end.
"I received a country that was almost destroyed and I was asked to hold a hot potato and I did that."
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Greece Will Leave Austerity 'Humiliation' Behind
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Video:Greece Rejects EU Austerity
The leader of the Syriza party has vowed to end the "humiliation and anguish" of Greek citizens after his party took victory in the country's election on an anti-austerity platform.
Alexis Tsipras told thousands of supporters in Athens that Greece will leave behind the "catastrophic austerity" measures imposed by European creditors.
The left-wing party - which was widely tipped to win the poll - looks likely to win 149 seats in the 300-seat parliament.
This indicates the party would be two seats short of an overall majority.
With 99.8% of the votes counted, Syriza was 8.5 points ahead of the conservative New Democracy party of Prime Minister Antonis Samaras, who has conceded defeat.
1/16
Gallery: Alexis Tsipras Celebrates Victory For His Anti-Austerity Party
A young child supporting anti-austerity party Syriza takes part in celebrations after the first exit polls in Athens
Syriza supporters await the final result of the Greek election at the party tent
]]>
Members of the conservative New Democracy party watch as exit polls shows a significant victory for Syriza
]]>
Outgoing Greek Prime Minister Antonis Samaras is seen after a news conference following an updated exit poll in Athens
]]>
Celebrations continue for supporters of Syriza leader Alexis Tsipras in Athens
]]>
"Greece leaves behinds catastrophic austerity, it leaves behind fear and authoritarianism, it leaves behind five years of humiliation and anguish," Mr Tsipras said in his victory speech.
He then used his first post-election tweet to respond to a message of congratulations from British actor and comedian Hugh Laurie.
"Thank you Dr", he wrote, in apparent reference to Laurie's role in the US television series House.
Syriza's win raises the prospect of a stand-off with European creditors, with Mr Tsipras promising to renegotiate the repayment terms of Greece's debt.
Financial markets have reacted nervously to the result, fearing conflict with other eurozone governments that could put strain the currency bloc.
Video:Samaras: 'Greek People Have Spoken'
The euro fell to a fresh 11-year low against the dollar shortly after the result became clear but later recovered and while stocks fell across Europe, the losses were limited with the FTSE 100 down just 0.6% in early trading.
The AthEx market - which tracks the prices of the top 25 firms in the Athens Stock Exchange - opened 0.6% lower before losing more than 5% of its value in a volatile first hour.
Greece was forced to undertake deep budget cuts and fiscal reforms as a condition for a €240bn bailout in 2010 from the so-called "Troika" - the group of creditors made up of the European Union, the International Monetary Fund and European Central Bank.
Many in Greece feel slashed public spending has hit the most vulnerable hardest, while leaving the tax evasion and corruption of the apparent elites untouched.
Mr Tsipras said he would cooperate with fellow Eurozone leaders for "a fair and mutually beneficial solution", but said the Greek people come first.
1/2
Gallery: Tsipras' Surprising First Post-Election Tweet
Syriza party leader Alexis Tsipras' first tweet after sweeping to victory in Greece's general election was somewhat unexpected
His first victory tweet was to British actor and comedian Hugh Laurie for this message of congratulations
]]>
"Our priority from the very first day will be to deal with the big wounds left by the crisis," he said.
"Our foremost priority is that our country and our people regain their lost dignity."
He added: "The verdict of our people means the Troika is finished.
"The new Greek government will be ready to cooperate and negotiate for the first time with our peers a just, mutually beneficial and viable solution."
Germany's Bundesbank has warned Greece needs to reform to tackle its economic problems, while the euro fell nearly half a US cent.
Video:Olympic Sites Left Crumbling
Mr Samaras had insisted voters would be making a huge mistake to elect Syriza at a time when painful fiscal reforms may be about to pay off.
After conceding defeat, he told supporters: "My conscience is clear because I told the truth to the Greek people until the very end.
"I received a country that was almost destroyed and I was asked to hold a hot potato and I did that."
Written By Unknown on Minggu, 25 Januari 2015 | 16.15
The father of the Japanese hostage apparently killed by Islamic State has said he is overwhelmed by grief.
Shoichi Yukawa said he still had hope "deep in my heart that this is not true" and added that if he were reunited with his son he would give him a "big hug".
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe slammed "an outrageous and unforgivable act" after a video reportedly showing an image of captive Kenji Goto holding a picture of a beheaded Haruna Yukawa was posted online.
The clip also purportedly contained the voice of journalist Mr Goto, 47, claiming the 42-year-old private military company operator had been killed.
Mr Abe said the video, which also includes a demand for a prisoner exchange for Mr Goto, appears to be authentic.
Kenji Goto purportedly claimed his fellow hostage has been killed
The jihadist group Islamic State (IS) had threatened to kill the captives unless a $200m (£133m) ransom was paid to secure their release.
The 72-hour deadline set by the Islamist militants expired on Friday.
However, in the new video they have called for the release of Sajida al Risahwi, an Iraqi woman sentenced to death in Jordan for her part in the Amman bombings in 2005 that killed 60 people.
Mr Abe insisted Tokyo would not bow to terrorism and said his government would spare no effort to secure the release of the remaining captive.
Islamic State have demanded the release of Sajida al Risahwi from Jordan
But he reiterated that Japan would not give in to terrorism.
Barack Obama condemned the "brutal murder" and said the United states would stand "shoulder to shoulder" with Japan.
He called Mr Abe to offer his condolences and called for the immediate release of Mr Goto.
In the video, Mr Goto spoke in English, blaming Mr Abe for Mr Yukawa's death, and told his wife and family not to give up on him.
A Japanese news agency reported the video of Mr Goto had also been emailed to the wife of one of the hostages.
The hostages had appeared in videos wearing the same orange jumpsuits as those worn by captives in previous IS videos.
The mother of Mr Goto has pleaded with militants to spare her son's life.
Junko Ishido said he is a friend of Islam who devoted his life to helping children in war zones.
Mr Yukawa was seized by militants in August, after he went to Syria in what he described as a plan to launch a security company.
Mr Goto, a veteran war correspondent, went into Syria in late October seeking to secure Mr Yukawa's release, according to friends and business associates.
Voting is under way in a Greek election likely to send shockwaves through Europe and global markets.
Polling suggests the leftist Syriza party is set to sweep to victory on its anti-austerity platform, setting the stage for a clash with European creditors.
Syriza's 40-year-old leader, Alexis Tspiras, is adamant he will renegotiate the repayment terms of Greece's €318bn debt and restore the country's "dignity" by tackling the soaring unemployment and mass wage cuts that followed the country's international bailout.
Opinion polls give Syriza at least a four point lead over the New Democracy party, led by incumbent Prime Minister Antonis Samaras.
But Syriza's refusal to continue meeting the austerity demands placed on Greece by its creditors has sparked fears the country may be unable to repay its debts, which could force the country's exit from the Eurozone.
Video:Greek Elections Underway
Mr Samaras has insisted voters would be making a huge mistake to elect Syriza at a time when painful fiscal reforms may be about to pay-off.
"Syriza will turn all of Europe against Greece... They don't understand Europe, they don't believe in Europe," he said.
The Greek government was forced to undertake deep budget cuts and fiscal reforms as a condition for a €240bn euro bailout in 2010 from the so-called "Troika" - the group of creditors made up of the European Union, the International Monetary Fund and European Central Bank.
Video:Power Cut Kills Paraplegic Mum
Many in Greece feel the slashed public spending has hit the vulnerable hardest, while leaving the tax evasion and corruption of the elites untouched.
Alexis Tsipras has said he wants to introduce measures to shrink the size of the government, slashing advisor positions and some ministries, while also forcing the wealthy to pay their share of taxes.
But he is also committed to working with the ECB to renegotiate the terms of the bailout - the deadline for such a move being July, the month at which Greece will no longer be able to pay its debts without a further injection of funds.
Video:How Greece Affects The UK
So far the ECB and IMF have said the regime of demands around growth targets and deficit reduction, must remain in place, meaning a stand-off with Syriza may become inevitable should it win the election.
However, Syriza's hand will be determined by the final outcome of the vote, due to Greece's system of proportional representation.
If the party can achieve a simple majority of more than 150 of the 300 parliamentary seats, analysts believe it will be able to take a tougher stance in its negotiations.
Video:Olympic Sites Left Crumbling
But much will be determined by how many smaller parties are able to pass the threshold of 3% of the overall vote necessary to take a parliamentary seat.
On the final day of campaigning, Mr Samaras was keen to point out up to 14% of voters remained undecided, suggesting Syriza may in the end be forced to form a coalition government which could constrain its options.
US President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle have arrived in New Delhi at the start of a three-day visit to India.
Mr Obama, who landed in the capital at around 9.40am local time, was given a red carpet welcome and received a hug from Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his arrival.
It is the second time the president has travelled to India while in office.
The two leaders are due to hold detailed talks later today on a range of issues including climate change, defence co-operation, intelligence sharing and a civil nuclear power agreement.
Analysts say it appears unlikely that their discussions will result in major policy breakthroughs, but the mere fact that they're talking is a sign of progress given recent tensions that have marred relations between the US and India.
Video:US And India In Renewed Partnership
Their relationship hit rock bottom in late 2013 when Indian Deputy Consul General Devyani Khobragade was arrested and strip-searched in New York over allegations she lied on visa forms to bring her maid to the US while paying her a pittance.
The diplomatic row saw the Stars and Stripes torched on the streets of New Delhi.
But ties between the two countries have been steadily improving since Mr Modi took office last May.
He and Mr Obama met for the first time late last year in Washington, and officials from both countries say they quickly developed an "easy chemistry".
In an interview ahead of his arrival, Mr Obama hailed the "remarkable" rise of the 64-year-old Mr Modi, the son of a tea-seller who was elected the leader last year of the world's largest democracy.
Video:New Indian PM Takes Oath Of Office
He told India Today magazine: "When I addressed the Indian Parliament on my last visit (in 2010), I outlined my vision for how we could become global partners meeting global challenges.
"I'd like to think that the stars are aligned to finally realise the vision I outlined."
Mr Obama will be the chief guest at Monday's Republic Day parade in the capital.
He had been due to visit the Taj Mahal in the city of Agra on Tuesday, but he has scrapped that leg of his trip in order to attend the funeral of King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz in Saudi Arabia.
