Abandoned Migrant Ship Reaches Italian Port

Written By Unknown on Sabtu, 03 Januari 2015 | 18.46

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A dramatic rescue mission to bring an abandoned cargo ship carrying hundreds of migrants under control has been carried out by the Italian Air Force.

Six coastguard officers were airlifted aboard the ship after stormy seas made it impossible to reach the runaway vessel by boat.

They took control of the Sierra-Leone-flagged ship, the Ezadeen, which was abandoned by people traffickers as it headed towards the southern tip of Italy.

It is the second ship of its kind to be abandoned at sea in several days.

Rescue pilot Francesco Pastore told Sky News: "The mission was very difficult due to the conditions."

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Gallery: An Italian Coast Guard Patrol Plane Spotted The Vessel

The Ezadeen cargo ship was stopped by Italian authorities after smugglers sent it speeding toward the coast in rough seas with nobody at the helm

The Sierra Leone-flagged vessel was towed to the Italian port of Corigliano after coastguard officials were lowered onto the ship by helicopter to secure it.

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Around 450 migrants were on board the ship, which apparently set sail from Turkey

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The 197ft-long ship was rescued floating around 40 miles off Capo di Leuca

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Most of the migrants were believed to be from war-ravaged Syria, Italian Coast Guard Commander Filippo Marini said

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The ship was towed by an Icelandic Coast Guard ship to Italy and arrived at the port of Corigliano hours later.

The 197ft-long ship, which was carrying pregnant women and children, mostly thought to be fleeing Syria, was rescued floating around 40 miles off Capo di Leuca.

Coastguard Commander Filippo Marini said one of the migrants on board was able to operate the ship's radio and pleaded for help saying: "We're without crew, we're heading toward the Italian coast and we have no one to steer."

Before losing power, the ship had been moving at a brisk seven knots and had been spotted by a coastguard plane 80 miles offshore shortly after nightfall on Thursday.

The coastguard asked for assistance from Icelandic patrol boat Tyr, which was in the area on a mission with Frontex, the European Union's border agency.

The Tyr was able to draw alongside the runaway ship, but initially the weather conditions made boarding impossible.

The drama comes two days after Italian sailors intercepted an unmanned freighter carrying more than 700 mostly Syrian migrants that had been heading for the rocks in Italy's Puglia region.

The Moldovan-registered Blue Sky M cargo ship got to within five miles of a disaster before six navy officers were lowered on to the ship by helicopter and succeeded in bringing it under control.

The vessel's human cargo included 60 children and two pregnant women, one of whom gave birth on board, according to the Italian Red Cross.

Many of the migrants on the ship were treated for hypothermia and broken limbs.

More than 170,000 people have been rescued by Italy in the last 14 months and it is estimated that hundreds, possibly thousands, have perished trying to make the crossing.

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Written By Unknown on Jumat, 02 Januari 2015 | 18.46

A suspected suicide bomber has been held at Atocha railway station in Madrid after claiming to have left a bomb on a train.

According to reports in Spanish media, the man said he left a rucksack containing an explosive device on board.

The station was evacuated as security officials searched the trains, however, police have since confirmed that the incident was a false alarm.

Police sources told Europa Press the backpack was found to contain just a bottle of water and no explosives.

The railway station was the scene of the terror bombings in 2004, which saw an al Qaeda-inspired terror cell target packed morning commuter trains, killing 191 people and injuring 1,800.

The devices exploded almost simultaneously and the bombings occurred a few days before scheduled elections.

18.46 | 0 komentar | Read More

Most Cancers Simply Down To Bad Luck - Study

The majority of cancers are down to bad luck more than anything else, according to scientists in the United States.

They say two-thirds of cancer types are down to random DNA mutations rather than heredity or bad habits such as smoking.

Researchers at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore looked at 31 cancer types and found that 22 could generally be explained in this way.

These included leukaemia and pancreatic, bone, testicular, ovarian and brain cancer,

The other nine types, including skin cancer known as basal cell carcinoma and smoking-related lung cancer, were more heavily influenced by heredity and environmental factors.

Overall, they attributed 65% of tumours to random mutations in genes that can spur cancer growth.

"When someone gets cancer, immediately people want to know why," said oncologist Dr Bert Vogelstein, who conducted the study with Johns Hopkins biomathematician Cristian Tomasetti.

"They like to believe there's a reason. And the real reason in many cases is not because you didn't behave well or were exposed to some bad environmental influence, it's just because that person was unlucky. It's losing the lottery."

Dr Vogelstein added that people who live a long time without getting cancer, despite being long-time smokers or being exposed heavily to sunshine, do not have "good genes".

"The truth is that most of them simply had good luck."

Mr Tomasetti said harmful mutations occur for "no particular reason other than randomness" as the body's master cells, called stem cells, divide in various tissues.

He said the study, published in the journal Science, indicates that changing one's lifestyle and habits like smoking to avoid cancer risks may help prevent certain cancers, but may not be as effective for others.

"Thus, we should focus more research and resources on finding ways to detect such cancers at early, curable stages," he added.

The researchers charted the cumulative number of lifetime divisions in the stem cells of a given tissue - for example, lungs or colon - and compared that to the lifetime cancer risk in that tissue.

Generally speaking, tissues that undergo more divisions - thus increasing the probability of random mutations - were more prone to tumours.

The study did not cover all cancer types. Breast and prostate cancer were excluded because the researchers were unable to ascertain reliable stem cell division rates.

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Abandoned Migrant Ship Rescue Mission Begins

A dramatic rescue mission to bring an abandoned cargo ship carrying hundreds of migrants under control is being carried out by the Italian Air Force.

Six coastguard officers have been airlifted aboard the ship after stormy seas made it impossible to reach the runaway vessel by boat.

They are now in control of the Sierra-Leone-flagged ship, the Ezadeen, which was abandoned by people traffickers as it headed towards the southern tip of Italy.

It is the second ship of its kind to be abandoned at sea in several days.

Rescue Pilot Francesco Pastore told Sky News: "The mission was very difficult due to the conditions."

He said the migrants would not be evacuated. The ship is now being towed by an Icelandic Coast Guard ship to Italy.

Three doctors are also expected to be winched aboard the ship, which is carrying pregnant women and children.

The 197ft-long ship was rescued floating around 40 miles off Capo di Leuca.

Before losing power, the ship had been moving at a brisk seven knots and had been spotted by a coastguard plane 80 miles offshore shortly after nightfall on Thursday.

The coastguard asked for assistance from Icelandic patrol boat Tyr, which was in the area on a mission with Frontex, the European Union's border agency.

The Tyr was able to draw alongside the runaway ship, but initially the weather conditions made boarding impossible.

The drama comes two days after Italian sailors intercepted an unmanned freighter carrying more than 700 mostly Syrian migrants which had been heading for the rocks in Italy's Puglia region.

The Moldovan-registered Blue Sky M cargo ship got to within five miles of a disaster before six navy officers were lowered on to the ship by helicopter and succeeded in bringing it under control.

The vessel's human cargo included 60 children and two pregnant women, one of whom gave birth on board, according to the Italian Red Cross.

Many of the migrants on the ship were treated for hypothermia and broken limbs.

More than 170,000 people have been rescued by Italy in the last 14 months and it is estimated that hundreds, possibly thousands, have perished trying to make the crossing.

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36 Killed In New Year's Stampede In China

Written By Unknown on Kamis, 01 Januari 2015 | 18.46

Thirty-six people have been killed in a stampede at a New Year's event in Shanghai, city officials have said.

A statement from the Shanghai government confirmed another 43 people were injured in the chaos.

The stampede happened at the city's riverfront Bund area, which is usually jammed with spectators for major events, at 11.35pm (local time), according to the Xinhua news agency.

Photographs on Weibo, the Chinese version of Twitter, show one person doing chest compressions on a shirtless individual, while other people lay on the ground nearby.

Another image shows the area ringed by police.

It was not immediately clear what triggered the stampede, but state media and a witness said the incident was caused when people tried picking up fake money thrown from a building.

A man who brought one of the injured to a local hospital for treatment said fake money had been thrown down from a bar above the street as part of a New Year's celebration.

People rushed to pick up the money, triggering the stampede, said the man, who declined to be identified.

Angry family members clashed with security guards at a hospital where some of the victims were taken.

Authorities had shown some concern about crowd control in the days leading up to New Year's Eve.

They had cancelled an annual 3D laser show on the Bund that last year attracted around 300,000 people.

The historic riverfront strip runs along an area of narrow streets surrounded by restored old buildings, shops and tourist attractions.

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Retrial Ordered For Al Jazeera Journalists

Three Al Jazeera journalists jailed in Egypt are to face a retrial.

The decision, which was made by an appeals court after a hearing lasting a few minutes, has given families of the men fresh hope that they might be freed.

However, there were mixed emotions among relatives at Egypt's Court of Cassation after the trio were denied bail.

Canadian-Egyptian Mohamed Fahmy, Australian Peter Greste and Egyptian Baher Mohamed have been held since December 2013 in a case that has provoked an international outcry and widespread calls for their freedom.

The arrests followed the ousting of Egypt's Islamist President Mohamed Morsi and their original trial was dismissed as a sham by rights groups.

Fahmy and Greste each received a seven-year prison sentence, while Mohamed got 10 years.

Egyptian authorities had accused the Qatar-based Al Jazeera of acting as a mouthpiece for the Muslim Brotherhood, which had swept to power after the country's 2011 revolution.

Marwa Omara, the fiancee of Mohamed Fahmy, told Sky News the families were disappointed that the journalists had not been released before the retrial gets under way.

She said her fiance was in poor health with hepatitis B, but is in "high spirits".

"He's just a journalist who was doing his job," she said.

"They were accused of being members of the Muslim Brotherhood, fabricating news and harming national security, and calling for a civil war in Egypt.

"All these accusations are faulty and there is no evidence whatsoever - we don't understand why they are in prison."

Greste's mother, Lois, said: "We need some time to process. It's not as positive as we had hoped."

Defence lawyer Negad Al-Borai said after Thursday morning's hearing that he hoped for a "happy end" to the case. There has been speculation that President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi could pardon or deport the men.

Sherine Tadros, Sky News' Middle East Correspondent, said a date for the retrial has not been set, but that lawyers could make a further request for bail on its first day.

She said: "There's another opportunity that they could be freed and wouldn't have to spend the next trial behind bars, but because these are very serious charges - belonging to a terrorist organisation is essentially what they're charged with - it's unlikely that this would be granted."

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North Korea's New Year Summit Offer To South

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has delivered a New Year's speech saying he is open to more talks with Seoul or even a summit with his South Korean counterpart.

But Kim stressed North Korea will continue to strengthen its military amid an atmosphere of distrust and tension while trying to diversify its economy and raise the national standard of living.

His call for improving inter-Korea relations comes as Pyongyang is facing heightened criticism over its human rights record.

North Korea also has souring ties with Washington over allegations it was involved in the massive hacking attack on Sony Pictures.

The allegation has caused major economic damage to the company and clouded the release of "The Interview," a dark comedy that portrayed an assassination attempt on Kim.

North Korea has denied involvement, but said the hack was a "righteous deed" and suggested it might have been carried out by sympathisers or supporters abroad.

"We believe we can resume suspended senior-level talks and hold other talks on specific issues if South Korea sincerely has a position that it wants to improve North-South relations through a dialogue," Kim said in the nationally televised speech.

"And there is no reason not to hold the highest-level talks if the atmosphere and conditions are met."

Meeting such conditions has proven to be virtually impossible in the past.

The two countries have not held a summit since 2007 and, despite Kim's remarks, the likelihood of one happening again soon is very low given the deep distrust that remains between the two countries.

However, the South responded positively to the news today.

"Our government hopes South and North Korea will hold dialogue without formality in the near future," Ryoo Kihl-Jae, the South's unification minister in charge of inter-Korean affairs, told a briefing.

"The government takes (Kim's message) as meaningful as it showed an advanced attitude towards inter-Korean dialogue and exchanges."

Seoul is waiting for the North to respond to its earlier proposal to hold talks this month to discuss a range of issues needed to prepare for the unification and other issues of mutual concern.

South Korea made the proposal earlier this week.

In his speech, Kim noted that this year is particularly significant because it marks the 70th anniversary of Korea's liberation from Japanese colonial rule.

Both sides claim to hold reunification as a fundamental goal.

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Gallery: Sky News On China's North Korea Border

Sky News has filmed rare pictures across the Chinese border into North Korea. The images demonstrate the poverty inside the country and the degree to which China cooperates with its old ally

At the border town of Ji'an only a narrow river separates China with North Korea

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UN Push For Palestinian Statehood Blocked

Written By Unknown on Rabu, 31 Desember 2014 | 18.46

A resolution demanding Israel ends its occupation of the Palestinian territories in three years has been rejected by the UN Security Council.

The draft, put forward by the Palestinians, was one vote short of being adopted.

However, if the resolution had won enough support, the US would have exercised its right to veto, preventing the plan from being taken further.

Of the 15 nations in the council, eight voted "yes" - including China, France and Russia.

The US and Australia voted "no", while the five remaining countries - Britain among them - abstained.

Israel's closest ally, the US, had objected to the timetable imposed by the resolution - and warned the draft did not take Israel's security concerns into account.

"We voted against it because… peace must come from hard compromises that occur at the negotiating table," US ambassador Samantha Power added.

The Palestinians now have two options - to submit another resolution after five new member states join the UN Security Council on 1 January, or try and join the International Criminal Court, where they could accuse Israel of war crimes.

There have been months of tension between Israel and the Palestinians, who are seeking to become an independent state.

A 50-day war between militants from both sides broke out in the summer, killing more than 2,200 people, most of them Gaza residents.

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Putin Critic Alexei Navalny Arrested At Rally

Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny has been detained by police after tweeting he was breaking his house arrest to join a protest.

The opposition activist - who ran for mayor of Moscow in 2013 - had been convicted of fraud alongside his brother Oleg earlier on Tuesday.

Although Alexei Navalny received a three-and-a-half-year suspended sentence, Oleg Navalny, a father-of-two who has no role in the opposition movement, was jailed for the same period.

Navalny said on Twitter that he planned to join protesters in Moscow and posted a picture of himself on what appeared to be a metro train.

"I may be under house arrest, but today I really want to be with you. That's why I am going too," he wrote.

The blogger's supporters called for a mass protest near the Kremlin, with at least 18,000 pledging on Facebook to attend.

Moscow officials warned that "all unsanctioned actions will be prevented by the security forces".

TV footage showed several thousand anti-Kremlin demonstrators gathered in the dark near Red Square and ringed by police or soldiers with riot shields.

Navalny was taken into custody as he approached the rally, but he tweeted urging others to stay and protest.

"I was detained, but they won't be able to detain everyone," he wrote.

He was then driven home and prevented from leaving his apartment again.

The protesters who gathered on the square chanted: "We are the power!" and "You won't be able to jail us all!"

About 100 other people were arrested but the rally was allowed to continue for two hours before it was broken up by security forces.

The verdict in the brothers' case was scheduled for next month, but was abruptly moved forward to the day before New Year's Eve, the main holiday in Russia, leading to speculation that authorities wanted to head off planned protests.

The trial - which saw the pair accused of stealing 30 million roubles, around $500,000 (£372,000) at the current exchange rate, from two firms - was viewed by many critics as part of a campaign to stifle dissent.

Alexei Navalny reacted angrily to the jailing of his brother, shouting out: "Aren't you ashamed of what you're doing? You want to punish me even harder?"

He briefly entered the metal cage that his brother was put into after the verdict and appeared to be holding back tears.

The European Union said the verdict appeared to be "politically motivated" but called for protesters to show restraint.

The US State Department said it was a "disturbing development designed to punish and deter political activism".

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Abbas' Plan To Rally UN Support Backfires

Pushing the UN Security Council to vote on a resolution demanding a strict timetable for the end of Israel's occupation was supposed to be a win-win move for the Palestinians.

At least, that's what one of those close to the Palestinian negotiating team told me recently.

In the unlikely event the resolution passed, he said, they would have set the clock running against Israel in the international arena.

In the almost inevitable event the US was forced to veto, he said, it would "expose" what the Palestinians see as the "true positions" of countries that they say favour a two-state solution, but only on Israel's terms.

If it was a move that the US and Israel deemed unhelpful, unilateral and counter to the spirit of negotiations, at least the majority of the Security Council would disagree.

But that's not what transpired on Monday evening in New York.

Failing to achieve nine votes meant the draft did not receive the necessary majority.

The US did not need to wield its veto, and the UK was able to fudge its reasons for abstention.

If this was Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' big play, it was a diplomatic screw-up.

Just the night before, the Jordanians, who put the Palestinian draft forward on behalf of the Arab group at the UN, voiced their uneasiness with pushing for a vote within 24 hours.

If it had been delayed until 1 January, there may have been a different outcome - not in terms of avoiding a US veto, but in getting the nine-vote majority required for the 'symbolic victory'.

Changing seats on the council would have seen Malaysia, Angola and New Zealand replace South Korea, Rwanda and Australia, who either abstained or voted against.

It could have made a difference.

Now the Palestinians must decide whether to try for a second vote with the new Council formation, or push ahead with their threat to sign the Rome Statute and join the International Criminal Court - allowing them to bring war crimes charges against Israel.

Mr Abbas has made joining the ICC one of the key cards he holds politically, and ironically for that reason he may refrain from playing the hand right now.

Not only would it likely draw fierce condemnation from the US, but also possible financial sanctions against the Palestinian Authority.

Israel welcomed the UNSC rejection, and slammed the Palestinian effort as a "march of folly" and a "violation of all understandings".

Yet if there was one message that came clearly from the Security Council, it was this - many world powers now believe the so-called "internationalisation" of the conflict is necessary and the failures of bilateral negotiations are impossible to deny.

France, Russia, in fact all of the countries on the Council apart from the US, voiced such opinions - with China going so far as saying the UNSC should "effectively assume responsibility" for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

It is perhaps those sentiments, rather than the Palestinian draft resolution, that may set the tone for 2015.

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Hunt For Killer Shark As Teen Victim Named

Written By Unknown on Selasa, 30 Desember 2014 | 18.46

Australian officials are hunting a shark that killed a teenager off Australia's southwest coast in the nation's second deadly attack in as many weeks.

Jay Muscat, 17, was spearfishing with a friend on Monday off Cheynes Beach, on the south coast of Western Australia (WA), when he was attacked.

The shark is believed to be a great white measuring between 4m and 5m (13ft and 16 ft) long, said Carlo Vittiglia, spokesman for the state fisheries department.

There is a chance the animal was injured, Vittiglia said, as Mr Muscat's friend is thought to have fired a spear at the shark during the attack.

His friend Matt Pullella wrote on Facebook that "the shark hit me first then attacked Jay", The West Australian reported.

"The shark turned and came for me, I pushed the speargun down its throat and fired the gun!" he wrote.

"This is something no one should ever have to see."

Friends and relatives left tributes to the victim, including on social media.

Rae Batten wrote on Facebook: "So very sad and so hard to believe. Highly respected young man by so many. Thoughts and prayers for the Muscat family."

WA's Department of Fisheries said Cheynes Beach would remained closed while equipment was deployed from boats to try and catch the shark.

If the shark is caught, it will be destroyed.

"One of them (boats) will be setting (drum) lines, the other will be doing patrols in the nearby regions," Department of Fisheries spokesman Rick Fletcher told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

The attack comes two weeks after an 18-year-old man was killed by a shark while spearfishing on the Great Barrier Reef off Australia's east coast.

Sharks are common off Australia's beaches, but fatal attacks are rare.

The country has averaged fewer than two deadly attacks per year in recent decades, but experts say attacks are becoming more common as water sports increase in popularity.

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Al Shabaab Leader Targeted In US Airstrike

The US military has targeted a senior leader of the al Shabaab Islamist militant group in Somalia.

"The strike took place in the vicinity of Saakow, Somalia," Defense Department spokesman Mark Wright said in a statement.

"At this time, we do not assess there to be any civilian or bystander casualties. We are assessing the results of the operation and will provide additional information, when appropriate, as details become available."

The airstrike came after a man identified as a senior intelligence official in the group, which is seeking to overthrow the Somali government, surrendered.

Zakariya Ismail Ahmed Hersi - the subject of a $3m bounty as part of the US State Department "Rewards for Justice" programme - reportedly handed himself over to Somali government and African Union troops on Saturday.

He was said to have been hiding out in the Gedo region, which borders Kenya and Ethiopia.

But al Shabaab claimed he had left the group more than a year ago.

"All the information on military set up or plans he knew has been changed since he left, and therefore the so-called defector has no intelligence value to offer to our enemies,"a senior militant was quoted as telling AFP.

Hersi was said to have been close to al Shabaab leader Ahmed Abdi Godane, who was killed in a US airstrike

Al Shabaab - meaning The Youth - grew out of the Islamic Courts Union which controlled Mogadishu and much of Somalia in 2006 before being forced out by Ethiopian forces.

It has since been fighting a bitter war with government troops and the African Union forces. It has also been blamed for attacks in Kenya and Uganda.

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Bodies Found In AirAsia Missing Plane Search

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At least 40 bodies and wreckage including a plane door and oxygen tanks have been recovered in the search for missing AirAsia Flight QZ8501.

The bodies - which were not wearing life jackets - have been brought on board a navy ship, said Indonesia's National Search and Rescue Director SB Supriyadi.

Local television broadcast pictures of the bodies floating in the sea.

"The warship Bung Tomo has retrieved 40 bodies and the number is growing. They are very busy now," said a navy spokesman.

They were found in the Java Sea about six miles (10km) from where the plane last communicated with air traffic control.

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Gallery: The Search For Missing AirAsia Plane

Relatives at Surabaya airport weep as they receive news that bodies have been found in the hunt for the missing plane

There were 162 passengers on board, including one British man, Chi Man Choi, and his two-year-old daughter

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The search had included 30 ships and 21 aircraft from South Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, Australia and Indonesia

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A search and rescue worker loads body bags onto a flight to Kalimantan in Pangkal Pinang, Bangka

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A crew member of an Indonesian Maritime Surveillance plane says a prayer. Officials have confirmed debris spotted in the sea was from the plane

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Search chief SB Supriyadi also said an air force Hercules had "found an object described as a shadow at the bottom of the sea in the form of a plane".

Objects spotted earlier have also been confirmed as wreckage from the plane and some have been taken away by helicopter for testing.

AirAsia boss Tony Fernandes said he was rushing to the scene and wrote on Twitter: "My heart is filled with sadness for all the families involved in QZ 8501.

"On behalf of AirAsia my condolences to all. Words cannot express how sorry I am."

The Airbus A320-200 disappeared from radar on Sunday morning, on its way from Surabaya in Indonesia to Singapore.

There were 162 people on board, including one British man, Hull-born Chi Man Choi, and his two-year-old daughter.

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Gallery: History Of The Low-Cost Asian Airline

AirAsia was founded in 1993 by a Malaysian government-owned conglomerate called DRB-Hicom, which is involved in automotive manufacturing

AirAsia Malaysia was established in Malaysia in 2001. It expanded into Thailand in 2003 and Indonesia in 2004. It has also since launched subsidiaries in the Philippines and India

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The aircraft's last request - to climb higher to avoid a storm - was turned down.

Minutes later it fell off the radar without giving any distress call.

Geoffrey Thomas, editor of AirlineRatings.com, told Sky News: "We have a radar plot which shows the plane actually climbing through 36,300ft - it wasn't given permission to do that.

"It also shows that its speed had decayed by 134mph and dropped dramatically to a level where it couldn't sustain flight."

Some 30 ships and 21 aircraft from South Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, Australia and Indonesia have been involved in searching 10,000 nautical miles of ocean.

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Written By Unknown on Senin, 29 Desember 2014 | 18.46

By Sherine Tadros, Middle East Correspondent

One year ago today Egyptian police burst in and raided the hotel room Al Jazeera English were using as an office.

Acting bureau chief Mohamed Fahmy and Australian correspondent Peter Greste were questioned for an hour before being taken to a police station.

Hours after the hotel raid, dozens of officers wearing masks and holding guns turned up at the house of Baher Mohamed, a freelance producer who at the time was working for AJE.

Mohamed's wife Jehan says special forces came in over the walls of the house while others created a human chain around the premises.

It was 3am and they were sleeping, but woke up when they heard a shot being fired - one of the officers shot their dog Gatsby in the leg as they entered.

Jehan, who was pregnant at the time, saw the dog lying on the floor in a pool of blood as officers broke down the front door.

She grabbed her two young children who were lying frozen with fear in their beds.

The officers raided the house, flipping over mattresses and breaking cupboards and drawers.

After an hour, the officers took Mohamed, put a hood over his head and threw him in the back of a police van.

She didn't hear from him for a day and a half after that.

Mohamed and Fahmy were kept in solitary confinement in Tora Prison for weeks after their arrest.

"We've spent a year in sadness and we don't know why he's in prison. The whole household is sad in a way I can't describe," said Jehan.

"We are adults, we can take it and understand, but what have the children done to deserve this?" she told us, unable to hold back the tears.

The three journalists were charged with spreading false news and belonging to or aiding the Muslim Brotherhood, deemed a terrorist organisation.

After a four-month trial, the judge handed the three men seven-year sentences, and Mohamed an additional three years for having a spent bullet in his possession.

His family told us he had picked it up when he was covering the uprising in Libya in 2011.

Greste's parents say being in the courtroom was one of the hardest moments in this nightmare year.

"Seeing Peter in handcuffs, dressed in white inside a cage, like a caged animal, it was just shock and horror," his mother Lois told Sky News.

Rights organisations called the trial a "show trial" that was politically motivated and had no legal merit.

The prosecution showed irrelevant evidence - holiday photos and even reports produced by other networks including Sky News Arabia.

At the time of the arrests, the Egyptian military had successfully ousted Muslim Brotherhood President Mohamed Morsi in a popular coup.

That sparked a major government crackdown on all forms of opposition and media seen as unfriendly to the new military rulers, especially any with links to the Brotherhood.

Qatar, the owners of Al Jazeera, were well-known supporters of the Brotherhood and were offering refuge to senior leaders escaping the crackdown in Egypt.

Mohamed, Fahmy and Greste may have been used as pawns in a larger battle between Egypt and Qatar.

In recent months, relations between the two countries have improved, which may help their case.

Fahmy's fiancee Marwa Omara says she knows there have been positive signs with the Qatar-Egypt reconciliation, but she's afraid to get her hopes up.

They were planning on getting married in April but had to postpone their plans after his arrest.

Now she insists they're getting married, even if has to be behind bars: "It's a message to the whole world that he is innocent and I believe in his innocence.

"Even if he has to spend the next seven years in prison I want to be his wife."

The three men are appealing their sentence on 1 January but if a retrial is granted it could take months for another verdict.

Timeline of Events:

29 December 2013: Three Al Jazeera English journalists were arrested. Mohamed Fahmy, Peter Greste and Baher Mohamed were charged with spreading false news, aiding or belonging to a terrorist organisation and operating without a permit.

Al Jazeera denied all of the charges against its journalists.

20 February 2014: Trial begins of the "Marriott Cell" - the name Egyptian authorities gave the case after the journalists were found working at the Marriot Hotel in Cairo.

Alongside the journalists, students who were protesting against the ousting of Muslim Brotherhood President Mohamed Morsi were also put on trial.

In total, 20 people were involved in the Al Jazeera trial, 11 were tried in absentia.

23 June 2014: The three journalists were convicted of terrorism in Egypt, as a result of their reporting.

Fahmy and Greste were sentenced to seven years in prison, while Mohamed got an additional three years for possession of a spent bullet he picked up at a protest in Libya when he was covering the uprising there.

Six other AJ staff were sentenced in absentia to ten years - the maximum penalty. Only two of the group of 20 were acquitted - students Anas Mohamed El Beltagy and Shady Abdelhamid.

1 January 2015: The appeal process for the three journalists is due to start. At this point they will have spent just over a year in prison.

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Objects Spotted In Sea In Missing Plane Search

An Australian plane has spotted debris in the sea during the hunt for the missing AirAsia flight QZ8501, authorities have said.

Jakarta's Air Force base commander Rear Marshal Dwi Putranto said an Australian Orion aircraft had detected "suspicious" objects near Nangka island, between Sumatra and Borneo and close to Belitung island.

The AP news agency said the spot is about 700 miles (1,120km) from the location where the plane lost contact with air traffic controllers over the Java Sea in the early hours of Sunday morning.

But it is well within the area currently being searched.

The flight had been on its way from Surabaya on the Indonesian island of Java to Singapore at the time.

The pilot had asked for permission to fly higher to avoid bad weather but was refused because other aircraft were in the area, officials told Reuters.

One Briton was among the 162 on board, with the rest from Indonesia, South Korea, Singapore, Malaysia and France.

Indonesian Vice President Jusuf Kalla confirmed debris had been found but added that it needed to be clarified that it was from the missing plane.

Searchers have also been looking at an oil slick off the east coast of Belitung island.

Earlier, the chief of Indonesia's search effort Bambang Soelistyo said that the missing AirAsia passenger plane "is likely at the bottom of the sea".

More than a dozen ships have been sent to the area to try to find the aircraft.

Australia, Singapore and Malaysia have deployed planes to assist in the Indonesian-led search.

The UK, France and the US have offered technology to assist in the search for debris, much of which may not be on the surface.

Search teams are currently scouring an area where the sea is 40-50 metres (130-160 feet) deep, Mr Soelistyo told journalists.

Distraught relatives spent the night in the Indonesian city of Surabaya hoping for news of loved ones.

One, who called herself Intan, called on Indonesia to ask for help from other countries, rather than try to carry out the search alone.

She said: "My hope is Indonesia seeks as much help as possible from other countries. Don't claim 'We have sophisticated technology', just ask other countries because they are better equipped."

Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott pledged his country would do "whatever it humanly can to assist", but said what had happened was very different to the mystery surrounding the disappearance earlier this year of Malaysian Airlines plane MH370.

Several storm clouds were along the route of the flight, and Sunday's search for the Airbus A320 was hampered by heavy rain.

More follows...

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Four Bodies Recovered From Burning Ferry

Four bodies have been recovered from a burning ferry off the coast of Corfu, Greek authorities have said.

A Greek passenger was already known to have died after falling into the water during the rescue operation, which is being carried out amid stormy seas and winds of up to 46mph.

Some 391 people have already been rescued from the Norman Atlantic car ferry, leaving 82 on board.

Among those saved by Italian and Greek rescuers are four Britons, including showjumper Nick Channing-Williams, who has been taken to an Italian hospital for a check-up along with his fiancee Regina Theofilli.

The 422 passengers and 56 crew members were forced to spend hours being lashed by driving rain, hail and high winds as they huddled on the top deck while trying to avoid the flames and smoke coming from one of the car decks.

Italy has opened a criminal investigation into the disaster. It will focus on how the fire started and how it was able to spread.

The Italian owner of the ferry has reportedly said the boat was in full working order and had passed technical tests - including on its fire doors - as recently as December 19.

A cargo ship carrying 49 of those rescued has arrived in the Italian port of Bari.

The ship, The Spirit Of Piraeus, had previously tried to dock in Brindisi but was forced back by rough seas.

Some of those disembarking in Bari had to be given assistance as they made their way down a gangway.

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Gallery: More Than 100 People Saved From Vessel Near Corfu

Passengers among 49 survivors evacuated from the burning ferry "Norman Atlantic arrive aboard the Singapore-flagged cargo container ship "Siprit of Piraeus" to the harbor of Bari

Passengers arrive on the Italian Navy's vessel San Giorgio

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Missing AirAsia Plane: What We Know So Far

Written By Unknown on Minggu, 28 Desember 2014 | 18.46

A search is under way after an AirAsia plane went missing en route from Indonesia to Singapore. Here's what we know so far:

:: Flight QZ8501 took off from Juanda International Airport in Surabaya bound for Singapore at 5.35am local time.

:: At 7.24am the flight lost contact with air traffic controllers.

:: The flight was due to arrive in Singapore at 8.30am.

:: According to the air traffic control website Flight Radar, the aircraft was travelling at 32,000 feet over the Java Sea when contact was lost.

:: A request was made to deviate from the flight path due to poor weather conditions prior to contact being lost.

:: There are 155 passengers on the plane: 138 adults, 16 children and one infant.

:: Two pilots and five cabin crew are also on board.

:: The nationalities of those on the plane are: 156 Indonesians, three South Koreans, one French citizen, one Malaysian and one Singaporean.

:: The captain of the flight has logged a total of 6,100 flying hours. The first officer has logged 2,275 hours in the air.

:: The aircraft is an Airbus A320-200 which underwent its last scheduled maintenance on 16 November.

:: A search and rescue operation is under way led by the Indonesian Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).

:: AirAsia has set up a hotline for family members and friends of those on the plane: +62 212 985 0801.

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Search Under Way For Missing AirAsia Plane

An AirAsia flight carrying 162 people from Indonesia to Singapore has lost contact with air traffic controllers.

Indonesian Transport Ministry official Hadi Mustofa said Flight QZ8501 stopped communicating with the Jakarta air traffic control tower at 7.24am local time.

One of those on board is a British national, who according to Channel News Asia was travelling with his two-year-old daughter and Singaporean wife.

He said the plane had asked for an unusual route before contact was lost with Indonesia's Juanda International Airport in Surabaya.

The flight was expected to arrive in Singapore at 8.30am local time (12.30am UK time).

:: Follow live updates with Sky News here

An AirAsia statement said there are 155 passengers on board; 138 adults, 16 children and one infant. Also on board are two pilots and five crew members.

Most of those on board - 149 - are from Indonesia, with six from Indonesia, three from South Korea, and one each from Malaysia, France, Singapore and the United Kingdom.

The Foreign Office says the Briton's next of kin have been informed.

According to air traffic control website Flight Radar, the aircraft was travelling at 32,000-feet over the Java Sea when contact was lost.

Pilot Rakam Singh told Sky News: "As you climb higher the temperature gets lower ... if you hit turbulence you've got more chance of stalling an aircraft if you hit this kind of weather."

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Gallery: In Pictures: Missing Flight QZ 8501

The A320-200 took off from Juanda International Airport in Surabaya. There are 155 passengers on board the flight. This includes 138 adults, 16 children and one infant

The passengers and crew include one Singaporean, one Malaysian, one French and three South Koreans and 156 Indonesians

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Live Updates: AirAsia Flight QZ8501 Missing

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