Written By Unknown on Sabtu, 31 Januari 2015 | 18.46
A chemical weapons expert working with Islamic State (IS) in Iraq has been killed in a coalition airstrike, the US military has said.
Abu Malik was killed near Mosul during an air raid on 24 January, US Central Command announced on Friday.
Malik had worked at a chemical weapons production plant under Saddam Hussein's regime before the dictator was toppled in 2003.
He later forged an affiliation with al Qaeda in Iraq in 2005, before joining IS, according to Central Command.
Malik's training "provided the terrorist group with expertise to pursue a chemical weapons capability", the military said in a statement.
"His death is expected to temporarily degrade and disrupt the terrorist network and diminish ISIL's ability to potentially produce and use chemical weapons against innocent people."
Previously US officials had not publicly referred to Malik as a key IS figure.
There has been no evidence to suggest IS possesses a major chemical weapons arsenal, but there have been claims the jihadist organisation has employed chlorine gas, which is classified as a "choking agent".
A US defence official, speaking anonymously, said Malik had been "involved in operations to produce chemical weapons in 2005, and planned attacks in Mosul with AQI (al Qaeda in Iraq)".
"Based on his training and experience, he was judged to be capable of creating harmful and deadly chemical agents," added the official.
"We know ISIL is attempting to pursue a chemical weapons capability, but we have no definitive confirmation that ISIL currently possess chemical weapons."
The US-led coalition has carried out more than 2,000 air raids against IS in Iraq and Syria since 8 August.
Airstrikes have been pounding the Mosul area in the north over the past week, the military said.
There is a "state of deadlock" in negotiations to release a journalist held by Islamic State (IS) militants, according to a top Japanese diplomat.
Japan's deputy foreign minister Yasuhide Nakayama made the comments in the Jordanian capital Amman, where he is leading Tokyo's team attempting to secure the freedom of veteran war reporter Kenji Goto.
Mr Goto, 47, has appeared in videos released by IS in which his fate has been linked to another hostage, Jordanian fighter pilot Lt Muath al Kasaesbeh.
Speaking late on Friday night, Yasuhide Nakayama said: "Staying vigilant, we will continue analysing and examining information as the government is making concerted efforts together."
Jordan and Japan have held indirect negotiations with the militants, who control around a third of Iraq and Syria, for release of the men in exchange for a jailed jihadist.
Video:Families Await News Of IS Hostages
But Jordan has demanded evidence that the airman who crashed in Syria on 24 December is still alive before freeing the would-be suicide bomber, who is on death row.
IS had said it would kill Jordan's captured pilot by sunset on Thursday unless Iraqi jihadist Sajida al Rishawi was released.
Some security experts believe the stalled negotiations are being orchestrated by IS to ferment unrest in Jordan, where protests have been aimed at ruler King Abdullah over the pilot's plight.
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Gallery: Living Under Sniper Fire In Syria
Children play near a bus barricading a street, which serves as protection from snipers loyal to Syrian President Bashar al Assad, in Aleppo's rebel-controlled Bustan al-Qasr neighbourhood
Free Syrian Army (FSA) fighters peek through gaps at a concrete barrier as they watch their fellow fighters who where caught under sniper fire on the front line in Aleppo's Sheikh Saeed neighbourhood
Greece's newly elected anti-austerity government has said it will not co-operate with its international "troika" of creditors - the European Union, the European Central Bank and the International Monetary Fund.
Greece's finance minister Yanis Varoufakis said that despite warnings his country would shortly run out of money, his government preferred to do without fresh funds and instead renegotiate its entire €240bn (£180bn) bailout package.
Athens has been promised another €7.2bn (£5.4bn) in funds from the troika if it completes reforms required by its lenders by 28 February, when the bailout programme runs out.
"This government was elected on the basis of analytically questioning the very logic of the programme now being applied," Mr Varoufakis said, referring to the reforms and budget cuts demanded by the troika.
"We don't want the €7bn ... We want to sit down and rethink the whole programme."
Video:New Greek PM Takes Office
But the stance has already drawn criticism from top EU officials, and Germany's Angela Merkel.
"There has already been voluntary debt forgiveness by private creditors, banks have already slashed billions from Greece's debt," Mrs Merkel said.
"I do not envisage fresh debt cancellation."
Her comments follow remarks made at a strained news conference between Mr Varoufakis and Eurogroup chief Jeroen Dijsselbloem.
Mr Varoufakis said Athens was willing to negotiate with its lenders but not with the troika, which he described as a "committee built on rotten foundations".
Video:Greece On EU Collision Course
Mr Dijsselbloem said Greece and the Eurogroup had a "mutual interest in the further recovery of the Greek economy inside the eurozone" and warned against Athens acting on its own.
"Taking unilateral steps and ignoring previous arrangements is not the way forward," Mr Dijsselbloem said.
"The problems of the Greek economy have not disappeared or changed overnight with the elections."
Further concern comes from the potential of the anti-austerity political movement spreading to other nations, with a large "march for change" expected today in the Spanish capital Madrid to support new far left party Podemos.
The troika was formed in 2010 to rescue debt-riddled Greece with the bailout on the condition Athens imposed huge spending cuts and fiscal reforms.
Video:Greek People Ready To 'Turn A Page'
Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras was elected last Sunday on a platform of ending austerity and erasing most of the country's national debt.
Sources said Mr Varoufakis will meet French counterpart Michel Sapin later today in Paris.
Mr Tsipras will meet Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi on Tuesday and French President Francois Hollande on Wednesday, but has no plans to visit Germany - Europe's biggest economy and its effective paymaster.
Written By Unknown on Jumat, 30 Januari 2015 | 18.46
Eugene de Kock - dubbed 'Prime Evil' for his part in the torture and murder of black South African activists - has been given parole.
De Kock has been in jail for 20 years since he was sentenced to two life terms plus 212 years for atrocities carried out when he was leader of the Vlakplaas police death squad.
The Vlakplaas unit was named after the farm outside Pretoria that served as its headquarters and was the scene of many of its killings.
"In the interest of nation-building and reconciliation I have decided to place Mr De Kock on parole," Correctional Services Minister Michael Masutha said after a hearing on Friday.
He said the 66-year-old had expressed remorse for his crimes and helped authorities find the remains of some of his victims.
The date of his release from Pretoria's C-Max High Security Prison will be kept secret.
De Kock confessed to more than 100 acts of murder, torture and fraud when he appeared before the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, which was established in 1995 to consider amnesty for those who admitted to their apartheid-era crimes.
Former right-wing politician Clive Derby-Lewis will remain in jail
He was given amnesty for most of his offences - including an attack on the ANC offices in London in 1982.
The parole decision has been deferred several times over the past year.
Many South Africans believe the death squad leader should die behind bars, but De Kock himself argued that he was the only apartheid figure still being punished for his part in crimes against South Africa's black majority.
"I am the only member of the South African Police Service that is serving a sentence for crimes which I had committed, as part of the National Party's attempt to uphold apartheid and fight the liberation movements," he wrote.
"Not one of the previous generals, or ministers who were in cabinet up to 1990 have been prosecuted at all."
Mr Masutha also announced that Clive Derby-Lewis, a right-wing politician who ordered the 1993 assassination of Communist Party leader Chris Hani, would remain in prison.
Derby-Lewis, who hoped to trigger a race war in South Africa with the killing, is believed to be dying of cancer.
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.
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Gallery: Ukrainian Army's New Conscripts
Conscripts attend a ceremony marking their enrolment in the Ukrainian army in Kiev
Relatives react as they attend the ceremony. Ukraine's parliament voted to refresh its front-line forces and resume partial conscription after a top security official warned Russian forces backing rebels had sharply increased military activity in the country's east. Continue through for more images
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:Inside A Donetsk Bomb Shelter
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.
Video:'People Don't Have Money For Food'
Several described explosions and the damage to their homes.
When they were asked who was shelling them, they replied "fascists".
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.
Video:Video Shows Donetsk Airport Damage
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.
Written By Unknown on Kamis, 29 Januari 2015 | 18.46
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
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".
That would make the deadline around mid-afternoon UK time.
Video:Profile Of Sajida Al Rishawi
The brief message did not make it clear what the fate of either hostage would be even if the group's demands were met.
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.
The Japanese government is investigating the latest footage, which was originally uploaded to YouTube.
Video:IS Hostage's 'Last Message'
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.
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Video:MH370 Disappearance An Accident
Malaysia has officially declared the loss of flight MH370 was an accident and all on board are dead.
"It is with the heaviest heart and deepest sorrow that we officially declare Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 an accident," said Malaysia's civil aviation director-general Azharuddin Abdul Rahman in a broadcast on Malaysian television.
"We officially declare Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 an accident and that all 239 of the passengers and crew onboard are presumed to have lost their lives," he added.
The announcement was in accordance with international civil aviation rules said Mr Azharuddin, adding the declaration officially ends the search for the missing aircraft and would assist the families of those on board to apply for compensation.
International Civil Aviation rules state the definition of the term "accident" includes "the aircraft is missing" and an aircraft is considered to be missing when the official search has been terminated and no wreckage has been found.
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Gallery: MH370: Timeline Of False Hopes
March 8: At 9am, an hour after flight MH370 is reported missing, rumours spread online that it has landed safely in China
March 8: Search planes spot two oil slicks in the South China Sea but tests show the fuel is not from an aircraft
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March 9: Vietnam search plane spots mystery objects in the South China Sea but they turn out to be unrelated to MH370
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March 10: A moss-covered piece of floating sea debris is mistaken for a yellow life raft
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March 11: Two MH370 passengers travelling with stolen passports are identified as illegal immigrants from Iran and are no longer suspected of terrorist activity
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Mr Azharuddin said search international search teams had spared no expense in their search for the plane.
Every credible lead had been pursued and all available data that tracked the plane to a corner of the southern Indian Ocean had been reviewed, he said.
But Sarah Bajc, whose partner Philip Wood was on board the plane, rejectected the announcement.
"I think they are lying," she said. "It could very well be that the plane crashed. But there is no evidence, and until there is evidence we just can't believe them," she said, referring to the Malaysian government and airline.
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Gallery: Missing Passengers Of Flight MH370
Click through for the gallery
Stuntman Ju Kun, 35, was travelling to Beijing to see his two young children before starting work on the new Netflix and Weinstein Company series Marco Polo in Malaysia.
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"It is impossible to bring any closure until we have proof."
Some relatives accuse the Malaysian government and the airline of a chaotic response to the plane's initial diversion, which allowed it to disappear, and a subsequent cover-up; charges Kuala Lumpur and Malaysia Airlines strenuously deny.
Flight MH370 vanished on Saturday March 8 2014 during a flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing in China and no trace of the plane, passengers or crew has been found despite extensive searches.
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MH370 Loss An 'Accident' - All On Board 'Dead'
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Video:MH370 Disappearance An Accident
Malaysia has officially declared the loss of flight MH370 was an accident and all on board are dead.
"It is with the heaviest heart and deepest sorrow that we officially declare Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 an accident," said Malaysia's civil aviation director-general Azharuddin Abdul Rahman in a broadcast on Malaysian television.
"We officially declare Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 an accident and that all 239 of the passengers and crew onboard are presumed to have lost their lives," he added.
The announcement was in accordance with international civil aviation rules said Mr Azharuddin, adding the declaration officially ends the search for the missing aircraft and would assist the families of those on board to apply for compensation.
International Civil Aviation rules state the definition of the term "accident" includes "the aircraft is missing" and an aircraft is considered to be missing when the official search has been terminated and no wreckage has been found.
1/16
Gallery: MH370: Timeline Of False Hopes
March 8: At 9am, an hour after flight MH370 is reported missing, rumours spread online that it has landed safely in China
March 8: Search planes spot two oil slicks in the South China Sea but tests show the fuel is not from an aircraft
]]>
March 9: Vietnam search plane spots mystery objects in the South China Sea but they turn out to be unrelated to MH370
]]>
March 10: A moss-covered piece of floating sea debris is mistaken for a yellow life raft
]]>
March 11: Two MH370 passengers travelling with stolen passports are identified as illegal immigrants from Iran and are no longer suspected of terrorist activity
]]>
Mr Azharuddin said search international search teams had spared no expense in their search for the plane.
Every credible lead had been pursued and all available data that tracked the plane to a corner of the southern Indian Ocean had been reviewed, he said.
But Sarah Bajc, whose partner Philip Wood was on board the plane, rejectected the announcement.
"I think they are lying," she said. "It could very well be that the plane crashed. But there is no evidence, and until there is evidence we just can't believe them," she said, referring to the Malaysian government and airline.
1/8
Gallery: Missing Passengers Of Flight MH370
Click through for the gallery
Stuntman Ju Kun, 35, was travelling to Beijing to see his two young children before starting work on the new Netflix and Weinstein Company series Marco Polo in Malaysia.
]]>
"It is impossible to bring any closure until we have proof."
Some relatives accuse the Malaysian government and the airline of a chaotic response to the plane's initial diversion, which allowed it to disappear, and a subsequent cover-up; charges Kuala Lumpur and Malaysia Airlines strenuously deny.
Flight MH370 vanished on Saturday March 8 2014 during a flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing in China and no trace of the plane, passengers or crew has been found despite extensive searches.
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Breaking News: 'Thundersnow' Storms As Icy Blast Hits UK
Written By Unknown on Rabu, 28 Januari 2015 | 18.46
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.
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.
A Jordanian spokesperson has said his country is willing to hand over an Iraqi would-be-suicide bomber if a Jordanian pilot captured by Islamic State is released.
In an announcement on state television, Mohammad al Momani said: "Jordan is ready to release prisoner Sajida al Rishawi if the Jordanian pilot Lieutenant Muath al Kasaesbeh was released and his life spared."
In Jordan, the pilot's father, Safi al Kaseasbeh, had implored the government "to meet the demands" of Islamic State.
Mr al Kasaesbeh's mother holds his picture during a protest for his release
"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.
Bassam al Manasseer, chairman of Jordan's foreign affairs committee, announced earlier that negotiations were taking place through religious and tribal leaders in Iraq.
Video:Recording Said To Be IS Hostage
The news comes as the mother of a Japanese hostage also being held by Islamic State 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.
IS warned in a video that Mr Goto and Mr 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.
Video:Mum's Tearful Plea To Islamic State
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 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."
Written By Unknown on Selasa, 27 Januari 2015 | 18.46
Russia's sovereign credit rating has been downgraded to "junk" status by Standard & Poor's, which cited growing economic weaknesses.
The ratings agency's cut brings the country's rating below investment-grade for the first time in a decade.
The decision risks raising borrowing costs in Russia as many investment and pension funds have rules that prevent them buying any product not classed as investment-grade.
It also makes it more difficult for banks and other companies to refinance themselves.
S&P said it had cut the rating from BBB- to BB+ because of the growing impact of low oil prices and Western sanctions over the Ukraine crisis.
Video:Putin Promises Economic Recovery
The move, while widely expected, triggered a further weakening of the rouble - falling more than 7% at one stage to 70 to the dollar.
Banking stocks were also badly hit, while the cost of insuring Russian sovereign debt for five years rose, in a sign of investor concern.
Finance minister Anton Siluanov played down the situation.
"The decision taken shows the excessive pessimism of the agency. It fails to consider a series of factors which characterise the strong side of the Russian economy: the accumulation of large international reserves, including in the sovereign funds," he said.
Video:Can Russia Overcome Rouble Crisis?
Russia's international reserves, managed by the central bank, have collapsed since early last year following heavy spending to prop up the rouble, which has fallen more than 40% against the dollar in the last year.
Russia's economy is expected to slide into recession this year as a result of soaring inflation and the weak oil price.
A 60% fall in oil costs since June last year has depressed export revenues.
Oil is the biggest contributor to the Russian purse and President Vladimir Putin has admitted a failure to diversify the country's economy, pledging to publish soon an economic plan to combat the crisis.
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Gallery: Fierce Fighting Continues On Front Line In Ukraine
A Ukrainian serviceman fires a weapon during fighting with pro-Russian separatists in Pesky village near Donetsk
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko accused Russia on Wednesday of sending 9,000 troops to back separatist rebels in the east of his country, something Russia strongly denied
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Video:Auschwitz-Birkenau: A Hell On Earth
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.
1/28
Gallery: Portraits Of Auschwitz Survivors
Auschwitz death camp survivor Jacek Nadolny, 77. Jacek was seven during the Warsaw Uprising, when he was sent with his family to Auschwitz-Birkenau by train
Jacek holds up a wartime photo of his family. In January 1945 the family was moved to a labour camp in Berlin
]]>
Halina Brzozowska, 82. Halina was 12 when her family were sent to a camp in Pruszkow, she and her six-year-old sister were then moved by train to Auschwitz-Birkenau
]]>
Halina said that it was hard to say what had happened to them, that they were taken from their homes, family and lost their childhood
]]>
Laszlo Bernath, 87, credits his father being a practical man with his survival of Auschwitz. He was 15 when they were taken but his father told him to lie about his age so they would not be separated
]]>
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.
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.
Some survivors made an early walk through the death camp to lay a wreath, accompanied by Polish President Bronislaw Komorowski.
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.
1/19
Gallery: 70th Anniversary Of The Liberation Of Auschwitz Camp
A general view of the former German Nazi concentration and extermination camp Auschwitz in Oswiecim. The Germans built the Auschwitz camp in 1940 as a place of incarceration for the Poles
From 1942, it became the largest site of extermination of the Jews from Europe
]]>
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.
Tuesday is also Holocaust Memorial Day in Britain. Olivia Marks-Woldman, chief executive of the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust, said: "This year's Holocaust Memorial Day is of especial significance - marking the 70th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau.
"It's a day to honour the Holocaust survivors who are still with us, and to remember the six million Jewish people who were murdered."
David Cameron recalled his own visit to Auschwitz on LBC radio, saying: "You've seen the films, you've read the books, you remember watching The World At War when - in my case - you were a young boy.
Video:Survivor Tells Her Story
"But nothing actually prepares you for the reality of looking at the children's clothes and the suitcases and the human hair and the industrial scale of it all."
Labour leader Ed Miliband told BBC Radio: "It's an emotional day for people who have memories and families involved in this. It's 70 years since my grandfather died in one of the camps.
"When there's prejudice around the world and we see a rise in anti-semitism, it's incredibly important that we keep that memory alive."
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Holocaust Survivors To Mark Auschwitz Liberation
We use cookies to give you the best experience. If you do nothing we'll assume that it's ok.
Video:Auschwitz-Birkenau: A Hell On Earth
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.
1/28
Gallery: Portraits Of Auschwitz Survivors
Auschwitz death camp survivor Jacek Nadolny, 77. Jacek was seven during the Warsaw Uprising, when he was sent with his family to Auschwitz-Birkenau by train
Jacek holds up a wartime photo of his family. In January 1945 the family was moved to a labour camp in Berlin
]]>
Halina Brzozowska, 82. Halina was 12 when her family were sent to a camp in Pruszkow, she and her six-year-old sister were then moved by train to Auschwitz-Birkenau
]]>
Halina said that it was hard to say what had happened to them, that they were taken from their homes, family and lost their childhood
]]>
Laszlo Bernath, 87, credits his father being a practical man with his survival of Auschwitz. He was 15 when they were taken but his father told him to lie about his age so they would not be separated
]]>
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.
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.
Some survivors made an early walk through the death camp to lay a wreath, accompanied by Polish President Bronislaw Komorowski.
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.
1/19
Gallery: 70th Anniversary Of The Liberation Of Auschwitz Camp
A general view of the former German Nazi concentration and extermination camp Auschwitz in Oswiecim. The Germans built the Auschwitz camp in 1940 as a place of incarceration for the Poles
From 1942, it became the largest site of extermination of the Jews from Europe
]]>
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.
Tuesday is also Holocaust Memorial Day in Britain. Olivia Marks-Woldman, chief executive of the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust, said: "This year's Holocaust Memorial Day is of especial significance - marking the 70th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau.
"It's a day to honour the Holocaust survivors who are still with us, and to remember the six million Jewish people who were murdered."
David Cameron recalled his own visit to Auschwitz on LBC radio, saying: "You've seen the films, you've read the books, you remember watching The World At War when - in my case - you were a young boy.
Video:Survivor Tells Her Story
"But nothing actually prepares you for the reality of looking at the children's clothes and the suitcases and the human hair and the industrial scale of it all."
Labour leader Ed Miliband told BBC Radio: "It's an emotional day for people who have memories and families involved in this. It's 70 years since my grandfather died in one of the camps.
"When there's prejudice around the world and we see a rise in anti-semitism, it's incredibly important that we keep that memory alive."
We use cookies to give you the best experience. If you do nothing we'll assume that it's ok.
Video:New York Exodus Ahead of Storm
By Sky News US Team
New York, Philadelphia and other cities are shutting down as a monster blizzard threatens to bring misery to some 35 million Americans in the region.
Officials have ordered workers to go home early, banned travel and closed bridges and tunnels. The snow threatened to affect people in a dozen states.
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo banned travel from 11pm for all but emergency vehicles on roads.
The National Weather Service has issued blizzard warnings. Pic: NOAA
As snow fell steadily early on Tuesday, the city was eerily quiet, with no planes in the sky and a few municipal trucks rumbling down empty streets.
Mayor Bill de Blasio urged New Yorkers to go home and stay there, adding: "People have to make smart decisions from this point on."
1/16
Gallery: Blizzard Slams US Northeast
The blizzard affects millions of people in states across the Northeast
New York and other cities have shut down as they brace for the storm
]]>
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo banned travel from 11pm for all but emergency vehicles on roads. Here a pedestrian walks across Eighth Avenue in Manhattan
]]>
Wall Street plans to operate normally on Tuesday
]]>
Mayor Bill de Blasio urged New Yorkers to go home and stay there
]]>
Schools closes early, Broadway stages went dark and subway trains were halted.
Shoppers stocking up on food jammed supermarkets and elbowed one another for what was left.
Officials have called the blizzard "crippling" and "potentially historic".
Some earlier estimates that the storm could dump up to 3ft (90cm) of snow were revised down, with officials now saying that the worst would be about 2ft (60cm).
Video:'Historic' Storm: New York Braced
Boston and Providence, Rhode Island, could get the most snow. New York could see up to 20in (50cm).
In Boston, the blizzard halted jury selection on Tuesday in the trial of suspected Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev.
Travel was snarled for millions.
More than 7,700 flights in and out of the Northeast were cancelled, and many of them may not take off again until Wednesday. New York airports are among the worst affected.
Video:Mayor's Warning Ahead Of Huge Storm
Amtrak suspended rail service on Tuesday between New York and Boston, and into New York state, Vermont, Massachusetts and Maine.
Stuck at home, many Easterners turned to social media to give voice to their frustration, adopting such storm-related hashtags as #blizzardof2015, #Snowmageddon2015 and #Snowpocalypse.
"Across NE, millions are panicked they may lose internet and have to talk to their families. Trying hard to remember names. #Snowmageddon2015," tweeted Stuart Stevens, who goes by the Twitter handle @stuartpstevens.
On Wall Street, however, the New York Stock Exchange stayed open and said it would operate normally on Tuesday as well.
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'Crippling' Blizzard Shuts Down Major US Cities
We use cookies to give you the best experience. If you do nothing we'll assume that it's ok.
Video:New York Exodus Ahead of Storm
By Sky News US Team
New York, Philadelphia and other cities are shutting down as a monster blizzard threatens to bring misery to some 35 million Americans in the region.
Officials have ordered workers to go home early, banned travel and closed bridges and tunnels. The snow threatened to affect people in a dozen states.
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo banned travel from 11pm for all but emergency vehicles on roads.
The National Weather Service has issued blizzard warnings. Pic: NOAA
As snow fell steadily early on Tuesday, the city was eerily quiet, with no planes in the sky and a few municipal trucks rumbling down empty streets.
Mayor Bill de Blasio urged New Yorkers to go home and stay there, adding: "People have to make smart decisions from this point on."
1/16
Gallery: Blizzard Slams US Northeast
The blizzard affects millions of people in states across the Northeast
New York and other cities have shut down as they brace for the storm
]]>
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo banned travel from 11pm for all but emergency vehicles on roads. Here a pedestrian walks across Eighth Avenue in Manhattan
]]>
Wall Street plans to operate normally on Tuesday
]]>
Mayor Bill de Blasio urged New Yorkers to go home and stay there
]]>
Schools closes early, Broadway stages went dark and subway trains were halted.
Shoppers stocking up on food jammed supermarkets and elbowed one another for what was left.
Officials have called the blizzard "crippling" and "potentially historic".
Some earlier estimates that the storm could dump up to 3ft (90cm) of snow were revised down, with officials now saying that the worst would be about 2ft (60cm).
Video:'Historic' Storm: New York Braced
Boston and Providence, Rhode Island, could get the most snow. New York could see up to 20in (50cm).
In Boston, the blizzard halted jury selection on Tuesday in the trial of suspected Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev.
Travel was snarled for millions.
More than 7,700 flights in and out of the Northeast were cancelled, and many of them may not take off again until Wednesday. New York airports are among the worst affected.
Video:Mayor's Warning Ahead Of Huge Storm
Amtrak suspended rail service on Tuesday between New York and Boston, and into New York state, Vermont, Massachusetts and Maine.
Stuck at home, many Easterners turned to social media to give voice to their frustration, adopting such storm-related hashtags as #blizzardof2015, #Snowmageddon2015 and #Snowpocalypse.
"Across NE, millions are panicked they may lose internet and have to talk to their families. Trying hard to remember names. #Snowmageddon2015," tweeted Stuart Stevens, who goes by the Twitter handle @stuartpstevens.
On Wall Street, however, the New York Stock Exchange stayed open and said it would operate normally on Tuesday as well.
Written By Unknown on Senin, 26 Januari 2015 | 18.46
Greece's Syriza Forms Anti-Bailout Coalition
We use cookies to give you the best experience. If you do nothing we'll assume that it's ok.
Video:Greece Rejects EU Austerity
Greece's left-wing Syriza party has formed an anti-austerity coalition government, just hours after sweeping to victory in Sunday's national election.
Party leader Alexis Tsipras struck a coalition deal with the right-wing Nationalist Independent Greeks party which, like Syriza, opposes Greece's tough international bailout deal.
"From this moment there is a government in the country," Nationalist Independent Greeks leader Panos Kammenos said after talks with Mr Tsipras at Syriza's headquarters in Athens.
Alexis Tsipras (R) with the leader of the Independent Greeks party
"The Independent Greeks give a vote of confidence in Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras. There is an agreement in principle."
Syriza won 149 seats in the 300-seat parliament, just two seats short of an overall majority.
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
]]>
It had a 8.5-point lead over the ruling conservative New Democracy party of outgoing Prime Minister Antonis Samaras.
Mr Tsipras will be sworn in later this afternoon.
The unusual pairing of parties from opposite ends of the political spectrum, but with a shared drive to reverse painful austerity measures, raises the prospect of a stand-off with European creditors and economic powerhouse, Germany.
In his victory speech Mr Tsipras vowed Greece would abandon the "catastrophic austerity" measures imposed under the EU-IMF deal.
He has also promised to renegotiate the repayment terms of Greece's €240bn (£176bn) international bailout.
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
]]>
"Greece leaves behinds catastrophic austerity, it leaves behind fear and authoritarianism, it leaves behind five years of humiliation and anguish," Mr Tsipras told thousands of supporters in Athens.
But a spokesman for the German Chancellor said Angela Merkel still expects Greece to stand by its commitments to international creditors, while Chancellor George Osborne said Syriza's promises were going to "be very difficult to deliver".
The head of the Eurogroup, made up of eurozone's 19 finance ministers, Jereon Dijsselbloem, also fired a warning shot at the new government, saying Greece's eurozone membership depended on it complying with its agreements.
Greece was forced to undertake deep budget cuts and fiscal reforms as a condition for the 2010 bailout 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.
Video:Samaras: 'Greek People Have Spoken'
Financial markets have reacted nervously to the result, fearing fresh trouble in Greece and a contagion of anti-austerity sentiment in other struggling eurozone countries that could put strain the currency bloc.
The euro fell to a fresh 11-year low against the dollar shortly after the result became clear but later strengthened against the dollar and while stocks initially fell across Europe, the major markets later recovered.
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.
Mr Tsipras said he would cooperate with fellow eurozone leaders for "a fair and mutually beneficial solution", but said the Greek people come first.
"Our priority from the very first day will be to deal with the big wounds left by the crisis," he said.
Video:Osborne warning after Greek vote
"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."
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.
Video:Olympic Sites Left Crumbling
"I received a country that was almost destroyed and I was asked to hold a hot potato and I did that."
Mr Tsipras, meanwhile, 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.
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Greece's Syriza Forms Anti-Bailout Coalition
We use cookies to give you the best experience. If you do nothing we'll assume that it's ok.
Video:Greece Rejects EU Austerity
Greece's left-wing Syriza party has formed an anti-austerity coalition government, just hours after sweeping to victory in Sunday's national election.
Party leader Alexis Tsipras struck a coalition deal with the right-wing Nationalist Independent Greeks party which, like Syriza, opposes Greece's tough international bailout deal.
"From this moment there is a government in the country," Nationalist Independent Greeks leader Panos Kammenos said after talks with Mr Tsipras at Syriza's headquarters in Athens.
Alexis Tsipras (R) with the leader of the Independent Greeks party
"The Independent Greeks give a vote of confidence in Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras. There is an agreement in principle."
Syriza won 149 seats in the 300-seat parliament, just two seats short of an overall majority.
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
]]>
It had a 8.5-point lead over the ruling conservative New Democracy party of outgoing Prime Minister Antonis Samaras.
Mr Tsipras will be sworn in later this afternoon.
The unusual pairing of parties from opposite ends of the political spectrum, but with a shared drive to reverse painful austerity measures, raises the prospect of a stand-off with European creditors and economic powerhouse, Germany.
In his victory speech Mr Tsipras vowed Greece would abandon the "catastrophic austerity" measures imposed under the EU-IMF deal.
He has also promised to renegotiate the repayment terms of Greece's €240bn (£176bn) international bailout.
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
]]>
"Greece leaves behinds catastrophic austerity, it leaves behind fear and authoritarianism, it leaves behind five years of humiliation and anguish," Mr Tsipras told thousands of supporters in Athens.
But a spokesman for the German Chancellor said Angela Merkel still expects Greece to stand by its commitments to international creditors, while Chancellor George Osborne said Syriza's promises were going to "be very difficult to deliver".
The head of the Eurogroup, made up of eurozone's 19 finance ministers, Jereon Dijsselbloem, also fired a warning shot at the new government, saying Greece's eurozone membership depended on it complying with its agreements.
Greece was forced to undertake deep budget cuts and fiscal reforms as a condition for the 2010 bailout 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.
Video:Samaras: 'Greek People Have Spoken'
Financial markets have reacted nervously to the result, fearing fresh trouble in Greece and a contagion of anti-austerity sentiment in other struggling eurozone countries that could put strain the currency bloc.
The euro fell to a fresh 11-year low against the dollar shortly after the result became clear but later strengthened against the dollar and while stocks initially fell across Europe, the major markets later recovered.
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.
Mr Tsipras said he would cooperate with fellow eurozone leaders for "a fair and mutually beneficial solution", but said the Greek people come first.
"Our priority from the very first day will be to deal with the big wounds left by the crisis," he said.
Video:Osborne warning after Greek vote
"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."
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.
Video:Olympic Sites Left Crumbling
"I received a country that was almost destroyed and I was asked to hold a hot potato and I did that."
Mr Tsipras, meanwhile, 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.
