Boy, 6, Shot In Neck By Gunman In Dublin

By David Blevins, Ireland Correspondent

A six-year-old boy has been seriously injured after being shot in the neck by a gunman in west Dublin.

It is understood the shooting took place outside the boy's home in the Ballyfermot area of the city late on Friday.

Sky sources say the child was not the gunman's intended target, but was caught in crossfire.

The boy was taken to the nearby Crumlin hospital where his condition is said to be "stable and non life-threatening".

A police officer is also thought to have been injured in a subsequent car chase following the attack.

Police have sealed off the area in Croftwood Gardens while they investigate.

A spokesman said: "The shooting occurred shortly after 10pm, a six-year-old boy received what is believed to be a gunshot wound to his neck. When gardai arrived on scene they administered first aid until the arrival of the ambulance.

The shooting adds to the deteriorating criminal picture in Dublin where there has been a significant rise in violent crime in recent months.

Most of it is related to drugs and other gangland crime - but this, to the best of my knowledge, is the first time that a child has been caught up in the violence.

It will certainly increase pressure on the Irish police force to deploy more officers to the area.

18.46 | 0 komentar | Read More

Ukrainian Aircraft Shot Down By Separatists

Separatists have shot down a Ukrainian military plane in the city of Luhansk, killing 49 people, according to a Ukrainian Defence Ministry spokesman.

It is the biggest loss of life suffered by government forces in a single incident since Kiev began a military operation to try to defeat the pro-Russia insurgency in east Ukraine.

A statement released by the ministry accused pro-Russian "terrorists" of shooting down the Ilyushin-76 aircraft, which was about to land at Luhansk airport.

It said the rebels "cynically and treacherously" downed the plane using anti-aircraft guns and heavy calibre guns at 11pm UK time on Friday (1am local time on Saturday).

Luhansk is close to the Russian border

The attack came as presidential bodyguards discovered a bomb, packed with five grenades and 1kg of metal nuts, at the gates of Petro Poroshenko's headquarters.

The device, which was discovered on Friday night and described as "really powerful", was disposed of by security services.

The plane was carrying nine crew and 40 paratroopers, as well as food and equipment.

The prosecutor's office said a criminal investigation had been opened under anti-terrorism laws.

Alexei Toporov, a defence spokesman for the self-proclaimed Luhansk People's Republic, said the aircraft was shot down after what he called Ukrainian "occupiers" had refused an ultimatum to leave Luhansk airport.

Footage has been uploaded online, claiming to show the plane coming down.

The first flash of light in the footage

In the CCTV footage, which Sky News has not yet been able to verify independently, a small flash of light is seen in the sky.

This is then followed by a second, much larger, burst of light which illuminates the horizon.

The Luhansk Oblast is at the heart of the separatist rebellion launched in April, and local media is reporting that there is fighting in the region's administrative centre, also called Luhansk.

The rebels said the Ukrainian air force have fired on the industrial town of Horlivka, north of Donetsk.

It comes after Russia was accused by the US State Department of sending tanks and heavy weaponry to Ukraine in support of separatists in the country's east.

A Russian tank seen at a military base near Simferopol in March

Several tanks and rocket launchers were moved into Ukraine from an arms depot inside Russia, the department said.

The statement comes after Kiev alleged that three tanks had crossed from Russia into Ukrainian territory this week.

Ukraine's President Petro Poroshenko told his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on Thursday that the action was "unacceptable".

State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf said three T-64 tanks, several BM-21 or Grad rocket launchers and other vehicles had crossed into Ukraine's east as part of a convoy.

Amateur videos posted on the internet in recent days show the same kind of tanks moving through cities in eastern Ukraine, including Snizhnye, Torez, and Makiyivka.

Moscow has denied the allegation.

18.46 | 0 komentar | Read More

Iraq: Iran Offers To Work With Arch Foe US

Iran's president has said he would consider working with the US to combat Islamist militants in Iraq, as he offered help fight the insurgents.

President Hassan Rouhani suggested he would be willing to co-operate with Iran's traditional enemy to keep the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) from taking control of its Middle East neighbour.

In a televised address on Saturday morning Mr Rouhani said Iran would be willing to go to Iraq's assistance and added: "We all should practically and verbally confront terrorist groups."

A refugee boy fleeing his Iraqi home after militants took control

Asked if Tehran would work with the Americans, he said: "We can think about it if we see America start confronting the terrorist groups in Iraq or elsewhere."

President Barack Obama has ruled out putting American troops on the ground in Iraq, but says the White House is considering all other options for support.

Barack Obama has ruled out troops on the ground

He said he would make a decision "in the days ahead" on the options, amid reports that the Pentagon is drafting plans for possible air strikes against the Islamist rebels.

"The United States will do our part, but ultimately it's up to the Iraqis as a sovereign nation to solve their problems," Mr Obama said. "We can't do it for them."

Iran has already sent a Major General from the Revolutionary Guard to Baghdad to meet leaders of the city.

Hassan Rouhani has offered to help Iraq

Iran is predominately Shia and does not want to see a Sunni caliphate established on its borders by ISIS fighters, who are now thought to be fewer than 50 miles (80km) from Iraq's capital.

Foreign Secretary William Hague has ruled out sending UK troops, but said Britain may offer other support, such as counter-terrorism expertise, which could see the involvement of the SAS, as it did in Libya.

"Work is under way on that now and we will continue to liaise closely with our United States allies in particular on that," he said.

Britain is to provide £3m in emergency aid to help refugees fleeing the violence.

Volunteers waiting to join the Iraqi army to fight ISIS

It comes as the governor of Mosul told Sky News he would welcome US support in ousting Islamist militants from Iraq, but does not want troops on the ground.

Speaking from Irbil in the Kurdish north after fleeing Mosul when it was taken by ISIS, Atheel al Nujaifi said the insurgents' attack on several Iraqi cities came as a complete surprise to Iraqi authorities.

Mr Nujaifi said: "We need to have weapons. We need to have political support.

A comparison of the Iraqi army and ISIS

"(But) we don't like the American army to come into Iraq and to occupy Iraq another time and turn back to the same problem that happened before."

The UN has said the 7,000-strong ISIS force has carried out summary executions and rapes in its bloody takeover of large swathes of the country. It has met with little resistance as 90,000 Iraqi soldiers are said to have deserted their posts.

Some of the areas affected by the fighting

On Saturday morning hundreds of young Iraqis attended volunteer centres across Baghdad to sign up to fight the militants after the country's most senior cleric urged people to take up arms

Sheikh Abdulmehdi al Karbalai, a representative for Grand Ayatollah Ali al Sistani, said: "People who are capable of carrying arms and fighting the terrorists in defence of their country ... should volunteer to join the security forces to achieve this sacred goal."

:: Watch a special report on the conflict in Iraq on our catch up service. Sky's Foreign Affairs Correspondent Lisa Holland asks whether the current crisis means the end of Iraq. It's free for TV customers with Sky HD+ boxes connected to broadband.

18.46 | 0 komentar | Read More

Iraqis Told: 'Take Up Arms And Defend Country'

Iraq has implemented an emergency plan to defend Baghdad as a representative for its most senior Shi'ite cleric urged people to take up arms and defend their country.

Sheikh Abdulmehdi al Karbalai, a representative for Grand Ayatollah Ali al Sistani, said: "People who are capable of carrying arms and fighting the terrorists in defence of their country ... should volunteer to join the security forces to achieve this sacred goal."

Islamist insurgents are edging closer to the country's capital after seizing large swathes of territory as they head south on the road from Mosul to Baghdad.

Along the way the fighters have been parading seized military equipment and flying the black and white flag of the Islamic caliphate, or state, they hope to create.

Security forces are gathering at a base just 20 miles outside Baghdad, ready to protect the city from Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) fighters who have vowed to march on the city.

Brigadier General Saad Maan told the AFP news agency: "The plan consists of intensifying the deployment of forces, and increasing intelligence efforts and the use of technology such as (observation) balloons and cameras and other equipment."

Volunteers who have joined the Iraqi Army to fight ISIS board an army truck

Insurgents have taken control of the northern cities Mosul and Tikrit, having already seized Fallujah and parts of Ramadi.

The militants have also moved into the towns of Saadiyah and Jalawla in the eastern province of Diyala, after security forces abandoned their positions.

A security source and local official have told Reuters that insurgents have clashed with Shi'ite militia at two locations in the province.

A comparison of the Iraqi army and ISIS

The Iraqi army fired artillery at Saadiyah and Jalawla from Muqdadiya, 50 miles from the Baghdad city limits, sending dozens of families fleeing towards the Iranian border, security sources said.

The Iraqi air force also launched airstrikes on militant fighters' positions around Mosul and Tikrit.

Witnesses say the fighters are preparing a third assault on Samarra, 70 miles north of Baghdad, following two failed attempts to take the city.

Some of the areas affected by the fighting in Iraq

As the chaos spreads, Iraqi Kurdish forces have seized control of Kirkuk, an oil hub close to their autonomous enclave, after government troops abandoned their posts.

Sky's Middle East Correspondent Sherine Tadros, in Irbil, northern Iraq, said: "The army right now is extremely demoralised, it feels like it's lacking in leadership and it's splintering under this pressure.

"Meanwhile, the militants certainly seem like they have the upper hand and all the momentum."

An Iraqi security officer stands guard as Iraqi civilians wait to volunteer

UN human rights Spokesman Rupert Colville said the number of people killed in Mosul may run into the hundreds.

He said his office had reports the killings included the execution of 18 civilians working for the police.

Four women killed themselves after being raped, while 16 Georgians had been kidnapped, Mr Colville added.

A woman cradles her baby at a temporary camp in Nineveh province

"We've also had reports suggesting that the government forces have also committed excesses, in particular the shelling of civilian areas on 6 and 8 June," he said.

"There are claims that up to 30 civilians may have been killed."

18.46 | 0 komentar | Read More

World Cup Kicks Off With Parties And Protests

The World Cup in Brazil has kicked off with street parties celebrating the host nation's opening win and scattered protests over the huge costs of the event.

Millions of fans took to the streets as their side beat Croatia 3-1 in the tournament opener in Sao Paulo.

Parties continued late into the night with a heavy presence of police and troops to maintain order.

Brazil fans celebrate their team's victory

Tensions spilled over in a number of host cities following construction delays and months of unrest with many Brazilians furious over the $11bn spent on hosting the tournament.

There were violent clashes in Sao Paulo before and after the game.

Police fired stun grenades and tear gas to break up the protests and a number of people were injured.

Clashes were also witnessed in Rio de Janiero, Belo Horizonte, Porto Alegre and Brasilia.

A protester during clashes in Sao Paolo

It is hoped the mood of the country will be improved by their side's encouraging start to the tournament, with fans' favourite Neymar scoring twice.

"This joy will be a contagion that will spread to all Brazilians," one supporter said.

Another Brazil fan added: "The victory will improve the mood a bit. I'm against opportunistic protests.

"Now is not the time to protest during an international event. The problems like bad hospitals date from before the World Cup."

Despite fears over the stadium in Sao Paulo, which was completed six months late, the game passed without any major problems.

Neymar scored twice and it's hoped the result will ease tensions

A number of floodlights failed during the first half but the problem was resolved quickly.

President Dilma Rousseff, who has defended the World Cup against criticism ahead of her bid for re-election in October, was jeered by many in the stadium and by fans watching the game on big screens across the country.

After the final whistle Brazil's coach, Luiz Felipe Scolari, described the stadium as "incredible" and "fantastic".

18.46 | 0 komentar | Read More

Ukraine Troops Storm Rebel-Held Buildings

Ukrainian government forces have reclaimed the port city of Mariupol after heavy fighting with pro-Russian separatists.

The Interior Ministry said troops stormed rebel-held buildings after they were surrounded and those inside given 10 minutes to surrender.

At least five separatists and two Ukrainian soldiers were killed in the gun battle, before the rebels fled the city.

Government forces also regained control of a 75-mile stretch of the border with Russia.

Interior minister Arsen Avakov wrote on Facebook: "At 10.34am the Ukrainian flag was raised over City Hall in Mariupol."

He added that National Guard and interior ministry units took part in the battle alongside special forces.

Mariupol lies on major roads from the southeastern border of Ukraine.

The separatists seized control of government buildings across eastern Ukraine after Russia annexed Crimea in March following the overthrow of former president Viktor Yanukovych.

The new president, Petro Poroshenko, has stepped up the military operation against the rebels since his election on May 25.

Relations between Ukraine and Russia, already strained by the occupation of Crimea, have remained hostile after Ukraine accused its neighbour of supporting rebels and allowing them to bring equipment over the border.

Talks between the two countries on a gas pricing row have also stalled.

18.46 | 0 komentar | Read More

World Cup: Top 11 Players To Watch In Brazil

By Nick Powell, Sports Editor

Like the Grand National, the World Cup has become a great participation event in offices, clubs and schools.

Join the sweep, pick the top scorer, guess how far England will go, perhaps even have a bet.

So to help, here's a team of men who are probably not big names in your household or workplace - but might be in a month's time.

:: Thibos Courtois, goalkeeper (Belgium/Atletico Madrid)

Actually a Chelsea employee, but doing so well on loan at Atletico that his future has become a big debating point in the last few months.

If Belgium are to do as well as the bookies predict, then he is certain to have enhanced his reputation even further.

Italy's veteran keeper Gianluigi Buffon has picked him out as a man to watch - and he should know.

:: Mauricio Isla, attacking right-back (Chile/Juventus)

Older than some of his colleagues in this fabled team at the age 25 and with almost half a century of appearances for Chile behind him, he has a great chance to win more admirers of his charging runs down the right.

Chile are in the same group as Spain and Holland but do not rule out Isla helping dump one of those giants out at the first hurdle.

:: Raphael Varane, central defender (France/Real Madrid)

He has only played five times for France, but at 21 years old he is part of a badly needed new generation for the 1998 world champions.

Big and strong - not to mention fiery - he got involved in an altercation on the pitch with opposition boss Diego Costa at the end of the Champions League final, in which his Real team beat city rivals Atletico Madrid.

Jose Mourinho says he's the world's best young defender.

:: Mats Hummels, central defender (Germany/Borussia Dortmund)

If Germany go a long way in the World Cup, Hummels has the potential to be one of the stars of the tournament.

A dominant figure who can play as well as block, he also has a memorable name and a girlfriend, Cathy Fischer, who has been described as Germany's top WAG.

:: Yuto Nagatomo, left-back (Japan/Inter Milan)

Nagatomo has talked ambitiously about Japan winning the World Cup. One day, perhaps. Although they did reach the last 16 in 2010.

If they are to do it again, he will need to be at his best, both in defence and marauding down the left.

:: Juan Cuadrado, midfield (Colombia/Fiorentina)

Top scorer from midfield for Fiorentina in the Italian League with 11 goals last season, Cuadrado was converted from a right-back and is already interesting many of Europe's top clubs.

There is every chance there will be a long queue at his agent's door after the World Cup.

:: William Carvalho, midfield (Portugal/Sporting Lisbon)

You thought Angola was not the place to look for football talent?

This young man from Luanda has to force his way into Portugal's team but he is big and powerful (think Manchester City's Yaya Toure) with a future to match.

:: Paul Pogba, midfield (France/Juventus)

Still only 21, he has been in the headlines since Sir Alex Ferguson decided he was not good enough for Manchester United.

His poise belies his years. Zinedine Zidane, a World Cup winner in 1998, says his young countryman will become one of Europe's best central midfielders.

:: Ciro Immobile, striker (Italy/Borussia Dortmund)

This guy could be huge and may even be the World Cup's top goalscorer - worth a punt at around 50-1 if you like a bet.

No one got more than him in Italy last season and he has just signed for Dortmund.

Mario Balotelli is the big name in the Italians' attack ... so far.

:: Carlos Bacca, striker (Colombia/Sevilla)

Now carrying a nation's goalscoring hopes on his shoulders after injury ruled out his more illustrious colleague, Radamel Falcao, but he is up to the task.

He scored four goals towards the end of the season for his Spanish club, the Europa League winners.

And Bacca has every chance of helping Colombia progress from a group that also includes Greece, Ivory Coast and Japan - therefore boosting his own reputation.

:: Joel Campbell, striker (Costa Rica/Arsenal)

You're going to hear plenty about Joel Campbell because he is a big threat to England's hopes of progress from Group D.

Arsenal have loaned him out for the last three seasons, most recently to Greek club Olympiakos, for whom he scored against Manchester United in the Champions League.

His mum told him to read Psalm 27 - "The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?" - before matches and apparently he does so.

18.46 | 0 komentar | Read More

World Cup: 'Brazil Ready For The Kick-Off'

In Rio de Janeiro, the sun has been a reluctant guest at Brazil's World Cup party.

On the eve of the tournament clouds have hung stubbornly to the hills above the city all week, obscuring the statue of Christ the Redeemer.

If and when he does emerge, he may have his work cut out.

This is a World Cup and a country in need of a bit of redemption.

Brazil is a nation defined like no other by its national game.

Pele, speaking at one of his countless corporate gigs this week, said that when he first played in the World Cup no-one knew where his country was. Thanks to football, and its ultimate star, no-one can claim ignorance today.

Brazilian football legend Pele promotes the World Cup

But that does not mean the population are ready to roll over with gratitude at the first sight of a Brazuka, the official match ball.

The build-up to this tournament has been marked by unprecedented protests and disaffection. The $15bn price tag, and particularly the demands made by Fifa, have been a source of genuine public anger.

Brazil is a different country to the one that won an uncontested bid eight years ago. The economic boom has slowed and some of the self-confidence that also secured the 2016 Olympics has ebbed away.

Against that backdrop Fifa's demands, which have included overturning a law banning the sale of alcohol in stadiums to satisfy sponsor Budweiser, have seemed autocratic.

One of the many protests over the cost of staging the World Cup

President Dilma Rousseff has certainly got the message. She stayed away from the Fifa Congress this week, sending the sports minister instead, though she has called on the country to unite behind the tournament.

That remains the big question as Brazil kick-off against Croatia. It is unlikely that every stadium will be finished as planned, transport will range between tricky and impossible, and there will inevitably be other frustrations.

But if the country gets behind its team, and with them the tournament, we will be in for a treat. Organisers are confident it will.

"As a citizen I can say we are behind the World Cup," Ricardo Trade, chief executive of the organising committee told Sky News.

Sky will have all the latest news from Brazil

"The sign is we sold all the tickets. We made records. The volunteers are working with us. We have beaten all records. The teams are arriving. And we have a lot of investments that arrived with the World Cup.

"We have had investments in infrastructure, investments renewing the airports, not just for the World Cup but beyond. It's a huge legacy that we are receiving.

"We are ready to deliver the World Cup. We are not ready as a country. We need to develop more. That's another thing. But to deliver the World Cup, we are ready. "

18.46 | 0 komentar | Read More

World Cup Airport Strike Threatens Chaos In Rio

Thousands of football fans flying to Brazil for the start of the World Cup are facing a chaotic welcome, after ground staff voted to stage a 24-hour strike.

Hours before the tournament gets under way, workers at Rio de Janeiro's Galeao airport, which is expected to be one of the busiest in Brazil over the next four weeks, have declared a partial walkout in a row over pay.

Baggage handlers and check-in staff will join colleagues at the city's Santos Dumont airport - an important hub for flights to Sao Paulo, where England play Uruguay next week - in downing tools.

Rio de Janeiro's airports are busy even in a non-World Cup month

They have promised to maintain an 80% service and although fans heading to Sao Paulo will be at least be able to catch the subway after metro staff voted against taking industrial action themselves, there is potential for disruption at already-stretched terminals.

Some 2.1 million people passed through the two airports last month - an average of 68,000 people a day - with World Cup arrivals set to bolster those numbers further still.

Excitement is building in Brazil as the four-week tournament gets under way

Sky's Sports Correspondent Paul Kelso, in Rio de Janeiro, said: "This city is a hub for many supporters, including England fans heading for their team's opening game in Manaus on Saturday, and if the strike goes ahead they face disruption.

"The vote by Sao Paulo's metro workers is a significant relief for organisers, but it may not lift the considerable anxiety around the start of the tournament."

All the latest World Cup news and analysis on the Sky News catch up service

After a build-up dominated by delays to infrastructure projects, deaths at stadium construction sites and protests over spiralling costs, the World Cup kicks off in Sao Paulo later today.

The host nation face Croatia in the tournament's curtain-raiser after an opening ceremony featuring performances by the likes of Jennifer Lopez and Pitbull.

The pitch in Manaus appears dry and yellow

England's first match is on Saturday and as Roy Hodgson's players continue to acclimatise, the pitch at Manaus' Amazonia Arena where they will face Italy appears to be in poor condition.

A journalist for the AFP news agency said the playing surface was noticeably dry and particularly bare around one of the goals, "revealing large yellowing areas of turf".

18.46 | 0 komentar | Read More

Egypt President Apologises To Sex Attack Victim

By Sherine Tadros, Middle East Correspondent

Egypt's new president has apologised to the victim of a sex assault who was attacked during the celebrations to mark his inauguration at the weekend.

Abdel Fattah al Sisi visited the woman at a Cairo hospital and told her: "I have come to tell you and every Egyptian woman that I am sorry. I am apologising to every Egyptian woman."

It comes after he ordered a crackdown on sex crimes after a video, which has been circulated on social media, emerged of the woman being assaulted in Cairo's Tahrir Square.

The blurry, two-minute clip, which was allegedly filmed during Sunday's inaugural festivities, shows a woman completely naked and bruised with hordes of men around as she is carried into a vehicle.

Dozens of women say they have been attacked in Tahrir Square in the past two years but this is the worst many people have seen.

Mr al Sisi has described sexual harassment as "unacceptable"

It has been covered widely by Egyptian media, with one newspaper demanding the perpetrators be executed.

In one of his first public statements, Mr Sisi called it an "unacceptable form of conduct, alien to the best principles of Egyptian culture".

It comes as a global summit to stop sexual violence in war zones, co-hosted by Angelina Jolie, continues in London.

On Tuesday, the actress told the summit: "We must send a message across the world that there's no disgrace in being a survivor of sexual violence. The shame is on the aggressor."

Part of the problem in Egypt has been an absence of laws protecting women against sexual harassment, allowing attackers to act with complete impunity.

Jolie co-hosted the London summit with Foreign Secretary William Hague

A decree issued last week made it a criminal act for the first time, with offenders warned they could face up to five years in prison.

Importantly, it defines harassment as including the making of obscene gestures "in any manner", recognising it does not have to be of a physical nature.

A study conducted last year by the UN showed 99.3% of Egyptian women have experienced some form of harassment, with around half (47%) claiming they are harassed daily.

It has become so prevalent and widespread in Egypt that many women have simply grown to accept it.

Men often stare and shout obscene comments at women as they walk along the street.

The video that has shocked many in Egpyt was filmed in Tahrir Square

At times, it is seen as acceptable for women to feel shame and humiliation, as if something about how they dress or walk is to blame. 

It is an endemic problem and has become part of Egyptian culture - a dysfunctional yet accepted norm.

Farah Shash, of the Nadeem Centre for the Rehabilitation of Victims of Violence, said: "The culture here when it comes to sexual harassment is to blame the victim."

She said authorities in Egypt have never seen women's rights as a priority and women are reluctant to report incidents because the police are so unsympathetic.

Journalist Hania Moheeb, who was gang raped in Tahrir Square last January and is attending this week's summit, said: "The denial this society has been living in for over two decades is something that has to end."

18.46 | 0 komentar | Read More

Tea Party Ousts Top Republican Eric Cantor

The second most powerful Republican in the US House of Representatives has suffered a shock primary election defeat to a Tea Party outsider.

Majority Leader Eric Cantor, who has been the Representative for Virginia's 7th district since 2001, lost to challenger David Brat.

The economics professor secured victory on a wave of public anger over calls for looser immigration laws, in one of the most stunning upsets in modern American politics.

He spent just $200,000 on his campaign, compared to Mr Cantor's $1m in April and May alone.

Mr Cantor's loss was the first primary setback for a leader in Congress in recent years.

The victory is a major success for the right-wing Tea Party movement, which advocates reducing government debt through spending cuts and opposes tax increases.

Last week, Tea Party supporters forced veteran Mississippi Republican Senator Thad Cochran into a June 24 runoff.

The result has sent shockwaves through American politics, which has been been subjected to periods of paralysis as a result of increasing polarisation.

Tea Party sympathisers delayed a deal on the country's budget last year that led to the US government shutdown.

Ever since he was elected, Mr Cantor was seen as a future star, being named chief deputy whip within a year of his election and becoming the highest-ranking Jewish Republican in Washington.

Eric Cantor is the second most powerful Republican after John Boehner (L)

After John Boehner became Speaker of the House in 2009, and the most senior Republican, Mr Cantor had been seen as both a likely eventual successor and potential rival.

Analysts said the result may well mark the end of Mr Cantor's political career and aides did not respond when asked if the 51-year-old would attempt to run in November's election anyway.

With votes counted in 99% of the precincts, Mr Cantor polled 28,631, compared with 37,369 in 2012, even though the number voting in 2014 increased by more than a third.

Mr Brat, a teacher at Randolph-Macon College, a small liberal arts school north of Richmond, said: "This is a miracle from God that just happened."

Conceding, Mr Cantor said: "Obviously we came up short."

It was unclear if Mr Cantor was intending to remain in his leadership post for the duration of the year.

The result has implications for policies being discussed at national level, with current immigration legislation likely to face a tougher challenge. 

Last Saturday, Democrats picked Jack Trammell as their nominee for the general election in the 7th District. He is an associate professor of sociology at Randolph-Macon College, the same school where Mr Brat teaches.

18.46 | 0 komentar | Read More

Mystery Surrounds Brit Backpacker Missing In Oz

By Jonathan Samuels, Australia Correspondent

A mother has flown from Scotland to Australia in a desperate attempt to find her son who has gone missing while backpacking.

Judith Ansell said her son was "distressed" when he spoke to her on the phone from Australia before he vanished two weeks ago.

Jonathan Ansell, 27, disappeared from Melbourne and is believed to have had no passport or money, and with no place to stay had been forced to sleep rough.

His mother believes he also had no mobile phone and had called her in Scotland from a payphone.

"I think he must have been calling from a phone box and didn't have any more money and it just got cut off," she told reporters in Melbourne on Tuesday.

"He said he had run out of money, and was living rough."

Mr Ansell, from Glasgow, came to Australia on a work visa in April 2013 which ran out in April 2014.

He had been working on Hamilton Island, a popular holiday resort, before heading off to travel, visiting Sydney and Byron Bay.

In February, he met up with friends in Sydney, where his Scottish bank records indicate the last use of a credit card.

Victoria Police are checking to see if he had an Australian bank account that could shed more light on his movements. They believe he may have travelled into a rural area of the state.

Mrs Ansell described her son as affable, but extremely quiet and she said he was unlikely to approach people to ask for help.

A Twitter account called @Find_Jonathan has been set up and his sister Kate has also started a campaign on Facebook urging anyone with information to come forward.

18.46 | 0 komentar | Read More

Pakistan's Karachi Airport Hit By Fresh Attack

Taliban See Airport Attack As Job Well Done

Updated: 11:46am UK, Tuesday 10 June 2014

By Sam Kiley, Foreign Affairs Editor

A protracted gun battle. Buildings ablaze. Three dozen dead. An international airport shut down. In the morbid calculus of the Taliban - a job well done.

The scenes recalled the humiliating attack on a Navy base, also in Karachi, three years ago in which 11 died.

On both occasions the Pakistani Taliban, Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, claimed responsibility and that the blood letting was revenge.

This time the Taliban used Twitter to boast of worse to come.

"We have yet to take revenge for the deaths of hundreds of innocent tribal women and children in Pakistani air strikes. It's just the beginning, we have taken revenge for one, we have to take revenge for hundreds," the militant group said.

'The one' referred to is Hakimullah Mehsud, who was killed in a US drone strike last November.

His predecessor, Baitullah Mehsud, died the same way.

Barack Obama said recently that in counter terror operations "we must not create more enemies than we take off the battlefield".

The campaign of extra-judicial killing by remote control in the ungoverned regions of Pakistan has left an estimated 500 dead, many of them civilians.

Mostly drawn from Pashto communities, survivors will inevitably see an obligation to attack the US or her allies in a blood feud.

This is the interpretation that the Taliban want commentators to reach.

It is also largely a statement of the obvious.

But the Taliban threats of yet more bloody retribution cannot be seen as entirely US-driven.

The radical Islamist movement has been trying to take over the country and impose it's own interpretation of Sharia law for decades.

Its weekend attack on Karachi's airport was followed with another on Tuesday in which two groups on motorcycles conducted a hit-and-run against the Airport Security Force Academy on the northern perimeter.

The gunmen escaped but not before they had, for a few hours, once again shut the airport, dealing another body blow to Pakistan's commercial capital.

The movement came close to the gates of the Pakistani capital, Islamabad, a few years ago when it launched a ground offensive.

The failure of talks with the government, which collapsed earlier this year, meant that a spectacular "listen to us" attack was almost inevitable.

But Pakistan's military has also been planning an all out offensive against the Taliban for several months.

It had been held back to give talks a chance.

The generals will see the attack on Karachi's international airport as a signal for their campaign to begin.

This may give the Taliban the 'victory' of more 'martyrs' – but both sides know neither can truly win.

18.46 | 0 komentar | Read More

Vegas Gunman As Joker In YouTube Videos

Police are investigating social media postings in which one of the Las Vegas shooters rants against the government and announces the "dawn of a new day".

Jerad Miller, 31, and his wife Amanda Miller, 22, also posed as Batman villains the Joker and Harley Quinn in a Facebook photo.

The couple posing as the Joker and Harley Quinn. Pic: Facebook

The couple who killed two policemen and a good Samaritan on Sunday shared anti-government and white supremacist ideologies, authorities said.

They placed a yellow "Don't Tread On Me" flag and a swastika on the officers' bodies, officials said.

The yellow flag, with its roots in the American Revolution, is a symbol for anti-government groups.

In a YouTube video, Jerad Miller, can be seen saying he is under house arrest for selling pot. The camera then focuses on an ankle bracelet before he rants against what he describes as an authoritarian US government.

Pointing to a courthouse that can be seen from his window, he calls it a "monument to authoritarianism".

He laments citizens must go to the courthouse and "submit, crawling and grovelling on your hands and feet: 'Oh give me permission to do this, give me permission to do that'."

Jerad Miller,31, and his wife Amanda, 22

He says: "Sounds a little like Nazi Germany to me, or maybe Communist Russia."

In another online video, dressed as the Joker, he says he is running for President: "Year after year I've watched you Americans, my fellow citizens, vote for tyranny."

In his last Facebook posting, he says: "The dawn of a new day. May all of our coming sacrifices be worth it."

The scene of the shooting on Sunday

The attack at a CiCi's Pizza restaurant on Sunday killed Officers Alyn Beck, 41, and Igor Soldo, 31.

Police believe while the Millers wanted to target police, the choice of Mr Soldo and Mr Beck, who were having lunch at the restaurant, was random.

The Millers then fled to a Walmart across the street, where they gunned down 31-year-old Joseph Wilcox, who pulled his concealed firearm but was shot by Amanda Miller.

When police arrived at the scene, she shot her husband several times with a handgun, killing him, before shooting herself in the head.

Officers Alyn Beck, 41 (L) and Igor Soldo, 31, were killed in the attack

It has also emerged the Millers went to Cliven Bundy's Nevada ranch during a stand-off with federal authorities in April, but they were kicked off because they were "very radical," according to Mr Bundy's son.

Ammon Bundy said the Millers were at his father's ranch for a few days before they were asked to leave by militia members for unspecified "conduct" problems.

He told the AP news agency the couple "did not align themselves" with the beliefs of other protesters.

18.46 | 0 komentar | Read More

Angelina Jolie Hosts War Zone Rape Summit

By Rachel Younger, Sky News Correspondent

Angelina Jolie has said a message must be sent around the world that there is "no disgrace" in being a rape survivor - "that the shame is on the aggressor".

The actress is co-hosting the Global Summit to End Sexual Violence in Conflict with Foreign Secretary William Hague, in London.

It is the largest ever gathering of its kind, with more than 140 countries taking part.

The aim is to make sexual violence in war zones as unacceptable as chemical weapons and cluster munitions.

Poline Akello was abducted from her home in Uganda and raped

As she arrived for the summit this morning, to a bank of photographers, reporters and broadcasters, Jolie, 39, said she was "so, so happy to be here".

Speaking at the start of the summit in east London, the Hollywood star said she had met a woman earlier this year on a campaigning trip to Bosnia.

She said the woman was too humiliated to tell her own child that she had been raped -  and had seen her attacker "on the streets free".

Jolie said: "On our way over, we spoke about the women we met recently on our last trip, and in particular one woman, who said that she had yet to tell her child that she had been raped because she was so humiliated and she could not bring herself to admit it to him.

Angelina Jolie at the summit this morning

"And she felt that having had no justice for her particular crime, in her particular situation, and having seen the actual man who raped her on the streets free, she really felt abandoned by the world.

"On the way over, we thought 'What is she going to think of this day?'. This day is for her."

Later, in the official opening statement Jolie added: "We must send a message across the world that there is no disgrace in being a survivor of sexual violence - the shame is on the aggressor." 

Every year, 150 million girls and women are raped in conflict around the world, along with 70 million men and boys, and the overwhelming majority of them never get justice.

Mr Hague, who announced the UK will pledge a further £6m to survivors of sexual violence, told Sky News: "This is an unacceptable crime practised on a vast scale.

"What we're trying to achieve is standards on documentation so that people don't get away with it."

Under the UK's presidency, the G8 last year declared rape and serious sexual violence in conflict as grave breaches of the Geneva Convention, as well as war crimes.

Some 144 world governments have now endorsed the declaration.

The London Summit wants to seize that momentum and turn it into practical action to prevent rape and help victims.

Estella Nelson says babies are being targeted too

One of the speakers will be Poline Akello, who was abducted from her home in Uganda when she was just 14.

Forced by the army of notorious warlord Joseph Kony to become a child soldier, she survived six years in the bush where she was given to one of Kony's commanders.

"I knew it wasn't the right time for me," she said. "My body wasn't mature enough but they took my virginity."

Poline became pregnant but her baby did not survive and she was not allowed to hold or bury her child.

"I wasn't allowed to mourn," she said. "If you cried, they would kill you."

Victim Estella Nelson, of Liberia Women Media Action Committee, told Sky News babies were also being attacked.

"We have girls as young as eight months being raped. We need to know why babies are being targeted by perpetrators," Ms Nelson said.

The summit, which is being held at ExCeL London, will run until Thursday and includes dozens of free events which will be open to the public.

Around 200 foreign, defence and development ministers have been invited to attend, along with experts from courts, charities and the military.

18.46 | 0 komentar | Read More

Karachi Airport 'Revenge' Attack Leaves 23 Dead

At least 23 people have been killed after gunmen disguised as police guards attacked a terminal at Pakistan's Jinnah international airport in Karachi.

Militants armed with automatic weapons, a rocket launcher and grenades stormed the airport and were involved in an intense six-hour firefight with the airport's security force, police, paramilitaries and commandos.

Ten of the dead were the attackers, according to Pakistan's paramilitary Rangers.

Also killed were at least four airport security staff, civilian airport employees and four Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) staff.

Troops joined the firefight after the major security breach

The Pakistani Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack saying it was in revenge for their late leader Hakimullah Mehsud, who was killed in a US drone strike in November.

"We have yet to take revenge for the deaths of hundreds of innocent tribal women and children in Pakistani air strikes," spokesman Shahidullah Shahid said.

"It's just the beginning, we have taken revenge for one (Mehsud), we have to take revenge for hundreds."

He also dismissed the possibility of a new round of peace talks with the Pakistan government.  

Television footage showed what appeared to be a major fire and plumes of smoke floating across the runway near parked aircraft.

Pakistan's military spokesman Major General Asim Bajwa said after the operation had ended: "Update: Area cleared. No damage to aircraft, fire visible in pics was not plane but a building, now extinguished. All vital assets intact."

Hakimullah Mehsud was killed by a drone strike last year

Maj Gen Bajwa added that ammunition, rockets and grenades were recovered from the dead attackers.

"Precautionary sweep after day light. Airport will be cleared by midday for operations, handed back to CAA (Civil Aviation Authority)/ASF (Airport Security Force). Pakistan Zindabad (long live Pakistan)!" he tweeted.

Heavy gunfire and multiple explosions had been heard coming from the airport as authorities scrambled to secure the area.

The terminal targeted by the militants was said to be used for VIPs and cargo. Passengers were evacuated and all flights diverted.

The attack will raise fresh concerns about Pakistan's security situation, and questions about how militants were able to penetrate the airport which serves one of the world's biggest cities.

Karachi has been the site of frequent militant attacks in the past.

18.46 | 0 komentar | Read More