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Merkel: Ukraine Peace Bid 'Uncertain'

Written By Unknown on Sabtu, 07 Februari 2015 | 18.46

German Chancellor Angela Merkel has said a bid to resolve the Ukrainian conflict is "uncertain but worth trying", as the French President warned it was "one of the last chances" for peace.

Speaking at a security conference in Munich, Mrs Merkel also said Russia "needs to its bit" in resolving the Ukrainian crisis.

She accused Moscow of showing "territorial disrespect" for its neighbour, and said international law had been violated.

Mrs Merkel told the summit: "We want to shape security on Europe together with Russia not against Russia.

"Russia needs to do its bit in the Ukrainian crisis as well.

"This crisis cannot be resolved by military means."

Her comments come after she and the French President Francois Hollande met Russian leader Vladimir Putin in Moscow, in what was widely seen as a last-ditch attempt to thrash out a deal to end fighting which has claimed the lives of more than 5,300 people.

The Kremlin has described the discussions as "substantial and constructive".

Mrs Merkel said of the peace efforts: "It is uncertain whether it will lead to success, but from my point of view and that of the French President (Francois Hollande) it is definitely worth trying.

"I believe we owe that much to those who are affected in Ukraine."

Mr Hollande told reporters: "I think this is one of the last chances, that's why we took this initiative.

"If we don't manage to find not just a compromise but a lasting peace agreement, we know perfectly well what the scenario will be. It has a name, it's called war."

Clashes between pro-Russian separatists and Ukrainian forces in the east of the country have escalated in recent weeks, despite a peace deal agreed in Minsk last September.

A spokesman for the Ukrainian military said that five soldiers had been killed and 26 wounded in fighting in the last 24 hours alone.

He said separatists had stepped up shelling of government forces and appeared to be amassing for new offensives on the key railway town of Debaltseve and the coastal city of Mariupol.

There are also fears of a growing humanitarian crisis in the war-torn east of the country.

The West accuses Russia of sending troops and weapons across the border although Moscow has consistently denied backing the rebels.

Mrs Merkel and Mr Hollande went to Moscow with a peace proposal discussed during a separate meeting with Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko on Thursday.

Asked at the Munich Security Conference on Saturday whether he thought the peace proposal could work, Mr Poroshenko replied: "Yes."

Amid a debate in Washington over whether to send weapons to help the Kiev government fight pro-Russian rebels, the German Chancellor argued this would not help end the crisis.

"There is already a large number of weapons in the region and I don't see that this has made a military solution more likely," she said.

Her comments echo those of the British Defence Secretary Michael Fallon who warned providing additional weapons could escalate the conflict.

But NATO's top military commander has said this should not be ruled out.

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  1. Gallery: Civilians Flee Besieged Ukrainian Town

    A member of the Ukrainian armed forces assists local residents onto a bus to flee fighting in Debaltseve, eastern Ukraine

Two dozen buses escorted civilians out of the town after separatist rebels and government forces agreed a brief truce to allow civilians to be evacuated. Click through for more images ...

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Kayla Mueller: What We Know About IS Hostage

Islamic State claims US hostage Kayla Mueller has been killed in an airstrike by Jordanian jets, but what do we know about her?

The 26-year-old is an aid worker from Prescott in Arizona, a small town 100 miles north of Phoenix and from a young age had a single-minded determination to help others.

She was taken prisoner in Aleppo, Syria on 4 August 2013 after leaving a Spanish Doctors Without Borders hospital.

Ms Mueller is thought to be Islamic State's last remaining American hostage.

Other aid workers kidnapped at the same time are thought to have been released, but according to a CBS report last year, IS was demanding a $6.6m (£4.3m) ransom to set her free.

Ms Mueller had been helping Syrian refugees on the Turkish border since December 2012, working with aid agencies including Support to Life and the Danish Refugee Council.

In 2013, she described the desperate situation in a refugee camp, including how she helped reunite a six-year-old with his relative after the camp was bombed.

"For as long as I live, I will not let this suffering be normal," she told Prescott's Daily Courier.

"(I will not let this be) something we just accept."

"This story is not rare in Syria," she added. "This is the reality for Syrians two and a half years on.

"When Syrians hear I'm an American, they ask, 'Where is the world?' All I can do is cry with them, because I don't know."

Ms Mueller had also campaigned on behalf of genocide victims and volunteered for three years with the Save Darfur Coalition in her late teens.

A 2007 interview for the Daily Courier describes how she called and wrote to members of the US Congress, and took part in silent walks to raise awareness.

"I love cultures and language and learning about people's cultures," she told the paper as she prepared to start university in Flagstaff.

After graduating in 2009, she spent around a year living and working with humanitarian aid groups in northern India, Israel and Palestine.

Heading back to Arizona in 2011, she worked at an AIDS clinic and volunteered at a women's shelter at night.

The US government and Ms Mueller's family had kept her name secret until IS claimed she had been killed, fearing any publicity would put her in more danger.

Her parents, Carl and Marsha Mueller, said in a statement on Friday: "Kayla found this (aid) work heart-breaking but compelling; she is extremely devoted to the people of Syria.

"When asked what kept her going in her mission, she said, 'I find God in the suffering eyes reflected in mine, if this is how you are revealed to me, this is how I will forever seek you.'"

If her death is confirmed she would be the fourth American to die while being held by IS.

The others, journalists James Foley and Steven Sotloff, and aid worker Peter Kassig were beheaded by the group.


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Family Of IS Hostage Hopeful She Is Still Alive

The family of US hostage Kayla Jean Mueller say they are hopeful she is still alive, despite Islamic State claims that she was killed in a Jordanian airstrike.

In a statement released by a family representative, Ms Mueller's parents Marsha and Carl Mueller made a personal appeal to IS.    

"You told us that you treated Kayla as your guest, as your guest her safety and well-being remains your responsibility," they said, addressing "those in positions of responsibility for holding Kayla".

The statement asked IS to contact the family privately.

According to the Site Intelligence Group, which monitors extremists, IS said the 26-year-old aid worker died on Friday after Jordanian warplanes struck the building where she was being held.

The terrorist group said no IS fighters died in the raids in their de facto capital of Raqqa, Syria.

It released images showing a damaged building it said had been targeted in airstrikes, but no photos to back their claims Ms Mueller had been killed.

The White House, State Department and Pentagon have said they can't confirm the unsubstantiated report.

"We are obviously deeply concerned by these reports," said Bernadette Meehan, spokeswoman for the White House National Security Council, in a statement.

"We have not at this time seen any evidence that corroborates ISIL's claim."

Jordan has also dismissed the IS claim as "criminal propaganda" and an "old and sick trick", but said its jets did carry out a second consecutive day of strikes on IS sites on Friday.

It has stepped up its operations against IS since the militants burned to death a captured Jordanian pilot.

Ms Mueller, of Prescott, Arizona, disappeared in August 2013 in the northern Syrian city of Aleppo.

A media blackout on her abduction was recently broken by President Barack Obama, when he confirmed IS still had at least one US hostage.

He said the US was "deploying all the assets that we can" to find Ms Mueller.

Her name had not been made public due to fears for her safety.

The group has already executed three American hostages: James Foley, Peter Kassig and Steven Sotloff.

Two British hostages, David Haines and Alan Henning, and two Japanese hostages, Kenjo Goto and Haruna Yukawa, have also been killed.

British reporter John Cantlie is still being held captive. 


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War-Torn Ukraine Facing AIDS Care 'Disaster'

Written By Unknown on Jumat, 06 Februari 2015 | 18.46

By Nick Martin, Sky News Correspondent

Hundreds of children were born with HIV unnecessarily in Ukraine last year because of a shortage of vital drugs, a Sky News investigation has discovered.

A year of conflict has led to claims the country's AIDS programme is "breaking down" and not enough is being done to fight the epidemic, which has plagued the former Soviet state for more than 25 years.

War in the east of the country and political turmoil in Kiev has choked off the supply of antiretroviral drugs used to prevent the spread of the virus.

International organisations like Unicef are worried that one of the key indicators - the transferral of the virus from pregnant women to unborn children - is beginning to rise for the first time since 2002.

"There is potential for a real disaster," said Giovanna Barberis, Unicef's representative in Ukraine.

"Because of the crisis in Ukraine the system is breaking down and there is a shortage of antiretroviral drugs.

"They cost money, they are expensive and whilst the international community is there to support, it is probably not enough."

Many pregnant women who should have received antiretroviral therapy did not get access to the drug and have gone on to give birth to HIV-positive babies, Ms Barberis said.

Months of turmoil have left Ukraine's finances shattered and the government forced to sign a $17bn (£11bn) bailout with the International Monetary Fund.

Despite the warnings, Ukraine's new health minister Alexander Kvitashvili told Sky News the country has "a grip" on the epidemic.

"We're very well prepared to face the challenges and we are ready to send that message to our international donors," he said.

"Given the situation in the country, given the full-blown Russian aggression that we're facing, given the financial crisis, I think we have a grip on the situation."

But doctors on the frontline of the fight against HIV do not agree.

The National Treatment Centre in Kiev is home to 20 children, all of whom have HIV.

Many of them have been abandoned by their mothers and left to live in state-run orphanages.

Dr Vera Checheneva, an HIV specialist and paediatrician, is one of the few doctors who agrees to treat children with HIV - such is the level of fear among the medical profession.

"At the moment I feel I am not in Ukraine, that I am in Africa or somewhere," she said.

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  1. Gallery: Mothers And Children Shunned In War-Torn Ukraine

    These are antiretrovirals which can help alleviate the symptoms of HIV or AIDS. They are expensive and Ukraine needs constant help from international donors in order to keep up supply

Dr Vera Checheneva is an HIV specialist and Paediatrician at the Okhmadut clinic in Kiev. She is one of the few doctors in Ukraine willing to treat children with HIV and AIDS

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Ukraine: Duo Jet In For Putin Truce Talks

Ukraine: Duo Jet In For Putin Truce Talks

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German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Francois Hollande are due in Moscow for talks aimed at ending the 10-month conflict in Ukraine.

The pair will try to persuade Russian President Vladimir Putin to sign up to a peace plan as part of their biggest push yet to halt the crisis.

It follows a meeting in Kiev with Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, who said discussions had raised "hope for a ceasefire".

The West sees Mr Putin as the orchestrator of rebels who have taken territory in eastern Ukraine - something the Kremlin denies.

Mrs Merkel and Mr Hollande say their new initiative is "based on the territorial integrity of Ukraine" - though few details have been made public.

Several previous peace deals have collapsed.

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  1. Gallery: Latest Pictures From Ukraine

    A serviceman from the battalion 'Aydar' throws a tyre on a fire during a protest against disbanding of the battalion in front of Ukraine's Defence Ministry in Kiev

Pro-Russian separatists vowed to mobilise up to 100,000 fighters for their latest east Ukraine offensive as the US mulled sending weapons to Kiev's out-gunned forces after the latest truce bid collapsed

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Ukraine: Duo Jet In For Putin Truce Talks

We use cookies to give you the best experience. If you do nothing we'll assume that it's ok.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Francois Hollande are due in Moscow for talks aimed at ending the 10-month conflict in Ukraine.

The pair will try to persuade Russian President Vladimir Putin to sign up to a peace plan as part of their biggest push yet to halt the crisis.

It follows a meeting in Kiev with Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, who said discussions had raised "hope for a ceasefire".

The West sees Mr Putin as the orchestrator of rebels who have taken territory in eastern Ukraine - something the Kremlin denies.

Mrs Merkel and Mr Hollande say their new initiative is "based on the territorial integrity of Ukraine" - though few details have been made public.

Several previous peace deals have collapsed.

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  1. Gallery: Latest Pictures From Ukraine

    A serviceman from the battalion 'Aydar' throws a tyre on a fire during a protest against disbanding of the battalion in front of Ukraine's Defence Ministry in Kiev

Pro-Russian separatists vowed to mobilise up to 100,000 fighters for their latest east Ukraine offensive as the US mulled sending weapons to Kiev's out-gunned forces after the latest truce bid collapsed

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Taiwan Plane: Both Engines Failed Before Crash

Both engines of the TransAsia Airways plane that smashed into a bridge and then crashed into a river had failed, investigators have revealed.

One of the engines of the ATR 71-600 went idle just 37 seconds after take-off, before the aircraft dropped out of the sky, narrowly avoiding apartment buildings and leaving at least 35 people dead.

Investigators believe the pilots may have switched off the other engine so they could be restarted together, but Flight 235 crashed before that could happen.

According to Taiwan's Vice President, Wu Den-yih, the flight crew may have deliberately steered away from buildings to prevent further loss of life.

He said: "In his final moments, (the pilot) still wanted to control the plane to avoid harming residents in the housing communities."

When Liao Chien-tsung's body was found, he was still clutching the joystick, which officials believe is proof "he was still trying to save the aircraft until the last minute".

The crash, earlier this week, was captured on a car's dashboard camera.

Thomas Wang, director of the Aviation Safety Council, said: "Based on the data we have so far we can see that for a period of time both engines showed no thrust."

Although the pilot had announced that the right engine "flamed out" - meaning the fuel supply was interrupted - aviation analysts believe this was not the case. 

Some 58 people were on board the plane, which had taken off from Songshan airport in Taipei. Fifteen people managed to get out alive.

A further eight passengers remain unaccounted for, with a team of 190 divers searching the muddy waters of the Keelung River.

The full investigation into the crash is expected to take 12 months, but a preliminary report will be published within 30 days.


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Pilot's Father Denounces IS 'Wild Beasts'

Written By Unknown on Kamis, 05 Februari 2015 | 18.46

The father of the Jordanian pilot who was burned alive by Islamic State has told Sky News his son's killers are "wild beasts".

His condemnation came as Jordan's King Abdullah pledged a "relentless war" against the extremists as he flew home early from Washington for crisis talks over the response to the murder of Mu'ath Al Kassasbeh.

His country's response was swift, taking revenge by executing two prisoners after a horrific video of Mr Al Kassasbeh's killing was published online.

One of them was the Iraqi would-be suicide bomber Sajida al Rishawi, who the extremists had wanted freed.

Safi, the dead pilot's father, said: "My feeling is that of every father - I am mourning my own son.

"The whole world, the Arab world, the Jordanian society is mourning with me.

"What they did is more than criminal - it's never been seen before in history.

"Even animals couldn't do this - they are wild beasts, they have no connection to Islam.

"They are not human beings let alone Muslims.

"I think the reaction of Jordan will be very strong."

There has been widespread condemnation of the fighter pilot's death, with Saudi Arabia's new King Salman describing his murder as "inhuman and contrary to Islam".

Mr Al Kassasbeh was captured by the militants in December when his F-16 crashed near Raqqa, Syria, the de facto capital of the Islamic State group's self-styled caliphate.

The 26-year-old's murder appeared to be aimed at pressuring the government of Jordan - a close US ally - to leave the coalition that has carried out months of airstrikes on IS positions in Syria and Iraq.

But experts say the brutality shown by the extremists against a fellow Muslim could backfire and serve to galvanise opposition against the militants.


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Mothers Of Hostages Criticise US Policy

By Sky News US Team

The parents of two American journalists kidnapped in Syria have criticised the Obama administration's hostage policies.

Speaking to Sky News, the mothers of James Foley and Austin Tice cast doubt on whether media blackouts and a blanket ban on ransom payments are truly effective.

They also voiced shock at the "horrific" recent killings of a Jordanian pilot and two Japanese men by Islamic State militants.

Speaking at an event on press freedom in Washington DC, Mrs Foley said she hoped a new White House-ordered review on Americans held captive by terrorists overseas would bring changes.

Mrs Foley said the US government had kept her "totally" in the dark about her son, who was beheaded by Islamic State militants in August last year.

"Jim was let down big time," she said, adding that the family now regretted abiding by the media blackout.

The Foley family was left to negotiate by email with the captors, she said, after the FBI refused to discuss a ransom, angering the militants.

"There was no communications from our government agencies to us," she told Sky News at the Newseum.

"They were constantly asking us for information but nothing came back to us.

"We never knew a thing. They always told us Jim was the highest priority, trust us, don't talk to the media."

Mrs Foley said she never received any official notification of his death, only learning their nightmare had come true from a reporter.

Debra Tice, whose son Austin Tice was abducted in August 2012, said she was now hoping to "raise the volume" on his case.

She said her family's relationship with the FBI had "become acrimonious in a middle-school kind of way, unfortunately" because of the "information vacuum" from the agency.

A month after the 33-year-old freelance reporter went missing, a brief video uploaded to YouTube showed him blindfolded, apparently being walked through rocky terrain by Islamist militants.

The State Department raised the possibility at the time that the former US Marine was actually in the custody of the Syrian government. No ransom demands have been made.

The mothers also said the recent immolation of a Jordanian pilot in an Islamic State video had appalled them.

"The pain that family's feeling, it's just a horrific thing to go through again," said Mrs Foley.

Douglas Frantz, US Assistant Secretary of State for public affairs, accepted some of their points.

"We have had difficulty communicating consistently with families and I'm confident that the (hostage) review is going to fix this," he said.

He told Sky News the National Counterterrorism Center would report back with recommendations in the spring.

Mr Frantz also said the State Department was working "very hard" to free a 26-year-old female aid worker who is the Islamic State's last known US captive.

But he said ransom payments "put targets on the back of every American overseas and feed the kidnap economy".


18.46 | 0 komentar | Read More

IS Reaches Out To Women With Inequality Message

Women should "remain hidden and veiled", only leaving their homes in exceptional circumstances, according to an Islamic State intended as a recruitment tool.

The document includes a curriculum for teaching young girls how to be homemakers and mothers who are "sedentary, still and stable" - and condemns the notion of gender equality.

It also criticises the West's obsession with studying "the brain cells of crowd, grains of sand and fish arteries", and suggests such educational pursuits are a distraction from worshipping God, which is "the only reason for their existence".

Circulated widely on jihadist forums, the text was apparently released in an attempt to recruit women living in Saudi Arabia.

"Woman was created to populate the Earth just as man was," one passage reads.

"But, as God wanted it to be, she was made from Adam and for Adam. Beyond this, her creator ruled there was no responsibility greater for her than that of being a wife to her husband."

The fashion industry and beauty salons are deemed as the work of Satan.

"He wishes to bring her from her Paradise of covering and decency, and encourages her to spend huge amounts of money to change God's creation and demand that surgeons change her nose, ear, chin and nails," the document states.

"This is the 'real fashion of women' - things hanging from ears, hair shaved in some places and not in others."

A plan for "the ideal education of our girls" is also included, which takes place when they are between seven and 15 years old. Religious studies, knitting, cooking and Sharia law feature prominently in the curriculum.

"It is considered legitimate for a girl to be married at the age of nine," the text adds. "Most pure girls will be married by 16 or 17, while they are still young and active."

In another section, IS authors state: "Women gain nothing from the idea of their equality with men apart from thorns.

"Under 'equality' they have to work and rest on the same days as men, even though they have 'monthly complications' and pregnancies - in spite of the nature of her life and responsibilities to their husband, sons and religion."

The Quilliam Foundation, which translated the document from Arabic, has labelled it as "fundamentally misogynist".

The think-tank added: "This (treatise) enables us to get into the mindset of the hundreds, perhaps thousands, of women who willingly join its ranks.

"Its objective is clear. This is a piece of propaganda aimed at busting myths and recruiting supporters."

According to the group, the manifesto was not translated into English by IS because it would have been "ineffective – perhaps even counterintuitive - in achieving its propagandistic aims with a Western audience".


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Dashcam Captures Fatal Plane Bridge Crash

Written By Unknown on Rabu, 04 Februari 2015 | 18.46

Dashcam Captures Fatal Plane Bridge Crash

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At least 19 people have been killed after a passenger jet crashed into a river in Taiwan minutes after takeoff.

The TransAsia ATR 72-600 plane with 58 people on board was on a domestic flight when it hit a road bridge in the capital Taipei.

The moment of impact was captured on a passing driver's dashcam, and shows the aircraft's wing clipping a taxi before it disappears out of view.

State media said the plane came down in the Keelung River about 25 metres (30 yards) from the shore.

According to reports, it took off from nearby Sungshan airport at 10.53am local time and lost contact with air traffic control two minutes later.

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  1. Gallery: Pictures Show Plane's Bridge Collision

    The images - which have not been independently verified - appear to show the moment the plane clipped the bridge in Taiwan's capital Taipei Credit: @Missxoxo168

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It was heading for the Kinmen islands, and as many as 31 passengers were Chinese, three of them children. Kinmen's airport is a common link between Taipei and China's Fujian province.

The other 22 passengers, including one child, and five crew were from Taiwan.

Taiwan's Civil Aeronautics Administration said 19 people were confirmed dead, 15 were injured and 24 were still missing.

Wu Jun-hong, a Taipei fire department official coordinating the rescue operation, said those missing were either in the fuselage or had been swept down river.

"At the moment, things don't look too optimistic," Mr Wu told reporters at the scene. "Those in the front of the plane are likely to have lost their lives."

Television footage showed survivors wearing life jackets wading and swimming clear of the wreckage, which was surrounded by rubber boats.

Others, including a young child, were taken to safety by rescuers, who could also be seen pulling carry-on luggage from an open door.

The Ministry of National Defence said it had sent 165 people and eight boats to the rescue scene, joining fire department crews.

No reasons have been given for the crash, although a 'flameout' - caused by a fuel supply problem or faulty combustion - is thought to be a possibility.

According to an air traffic control recording at liveatc.net, the last communication from one of the aircraft's pilots was "Mayday Mayday engine flameout".

TransAsia director Peter Chen said contact with the plane was lost four minutes after takeoff, but weather conditions were suitable for flying.

"Actually this aircraft in the accident was the newest model. It hadn't been used for even a year," he told a news conference.

Mr Chen confirmed the taxi driver and his passenger were both injured when their vehicle was hit.

The crash is the latest in a string of mishaps to hit Asian carriers in the past 12 months.

In December an AirAsia jet bound for Singapore crashed soon after taking off from the Indonesian city of Surabaya, killing all 162 people on board.

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  1. Gallery: Rescue Operation Following Plane Crash

    At least 19 people were killed and many trapped after a passenger jet crashed into a river in the Taiwanese capital Taipei

The plane clipped a taxi crossing a bridge before coming down in the Keelung River. Continue through for more images

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A baby is rescued from the wreckage

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Jordan Will Have Revenge For Murdered Pilot

Jordan Will Have Revenge For Murdered Pilot

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It's slickly produced with iconography and graphics fitting for a thriller or spy movie.

It even uses 'flashbacks' as the condemned man looks into the sky and contemplates just how justified his punishment is going to be compared to the 'crimes' he has committed.

The latest murder video from the death cult that calls itself Islamic State is revealing not for the visible 'power' of the movement but for its weakness.

Indeed the whole saga of the Japanese hostages and murder of flight lieutenant Mu'ath Al Kassasbeh begins to reveal a picture of an organisation that is losing its grip.

It has already abandoned Kobani after losing 1,200 men. It has been driven from some key towns and villages in the east of Iraq, and now it would appear to be incoherent in its kidnap policy.

Last year it made about £30m ($45m) from negotiating the release of foreigners.

It murdered Britons and Americans on camera because the shocking snuff movies of their deaths generated a level of publicity that outweighed the profits it might have raised from desperate families.

Throughout the talks aimed at swapping Sajida al Rishawi, a failed suicide bomber on death row in Amman, IS was unable to provide proof that Flt Lt Kassasbeh was alive.

Activists in Raqqa said on 8 January that they believed he had been killed.

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  1. Gallery: Tension Mounts Over IS Hostages' Plight

    Japanese television networks reveal the plight of hostage Kenji Goto, whose release in exchange for freedom for a jailed female jihadist is being negotiated through the Jordanian capital Amman

Supporters of Mr Goto take part in a vigil outside Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's Tokyo office

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A Japanese journalist at the protest headquarters in Amman for the family of pilot Muath al Kasaesbeh, who has been held hostage by IS since December

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The father of the missing pilot has led the campaign for his son's release

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Public protest is increasing in Jordan over the pilot's fate, with pressure growing on King Abdullah, as supporters continue to revere his father King Hussein

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Jordan Will Have Revenge For Murdered Pilot

We use cookies to give you the best experience. If you do nothing we'll assume that it's ok.

It's slickly produced with iconography and graphics fitting for a thriller or spy movie.

It even uses 'flashbacks' as the condemned man looks into the sky and contemplates just how justified his punishment is going to be compared to the 'crimes' he has committed.

The latest murder video from the death cult that calls itself Islamic State is revealing not for the visible 'power' of the movement but for its weakness.

Indeed the whole saga of the Japanese hostages and murder of flight lieutenant Mu'ath Al Kassasbeh begins to reveal a picture of an organisation that is losing its grip.

It has already abandoned Kobani after losing 1,200 men. It has been driven from some key towns and villages in the east of Iraq, and now it would appear to be incoherent in its kidnap policy.

Last year it made about £30m ($45m) from negotiating the release of foreigners.

It murdered Britons and Americans on camera because the shocking snuff movies of their deaths generated a level of publicity that outweighed the profits it might have raised from desperate families.

Throughout the talks aimed at swapping Sajida al Rishawi, a failed suicide bomber on death row in Amman, IS was unable to provide proof that Flt Lt Kassasbeh was alive.

Activists in Raqqa said on 8 January that they believed he had been killed.

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  1. Gallery: Tension Mounts Over IS Hostages' Plight

    Japanese television networks reveal the plight of hostage Kenji Goto, whose release in exchange for freedom for a jailed female jihadist is being negotiated through the Jordanian capital Amman

Supporters of Mr Goto take part in a vigil outside Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's Tokyo office

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A Japanese journalist at the protest headquarters in Amman for the family of pilot Muath al Kasaesbeh, who has been held hostage by IS since December

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The father of the missing pilot has led the campaign for his son's release

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Public protest is increasing in Jordan over the pilot's fate, with pressure growing on King Abdullah, as supporters continue to revere his father King Hussein

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Iraqi Militant Executed After IS Murders Pilot

Iraqi Militant Executed After IS Murders Pilot

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Jordan has executed two prisoners after Islamic State murdered one of their pilots, a government spokesman has said.

One of those executed was Iraqi would-be suicide bomber Sajida al Rishawi, who was on death row for her role in a hotel attack that killed 60 people.

The other was Ziad al Karbouli, who had been an aide to the late former leader of Al Qaeda in Iraq, Abu Musab al Zarqawi, and who was sentenced to death in 2008 for plotting terror attacks on Jordanians in Iraq.

Jordan had promised a swift and lethal response after IS released a video showing captured pilot Mu'ath Al Kassasbeh being burned alive in a cage.

Since news of his death emerged, #IAmMuath has been trending on Twitter, with protesters chanting the slogan outside King Abdullah's palace in Amman.

The pilot's father, Safi, has said he "considers Mu'ath a martyr to God", and called on the Jordanian government "to take revenge for Mu'ath's blood".

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  1. Gallery: Everything We Know About Sajida Al Rishawi

    Sajida Al Rishawi, believed to be in her 40s, was known as the 'would-be bomber'. She was executed in Jordan following the murder by IS of Jordanian pilot Mu'ath Al Kassasbeh

She and her husband were involved in the 2005 Amman bombings, a plot to attack a string of Jordanian hotels

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Sixty people were killed and 115 injured after other suicide bombers targeted three hotels. Al-Rishawi's device, which was packed with ball bearings, failed to detonate

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She and her husband targeted a wedding party at the Radisson SAS hotel - the fathers of the bride and the groom were both killed

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In 2005 Al-Rishawi released a televised confession while in Jordanian custody. She was sentenced to death and lost an appeal against the conviction in 2007

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Iraqi Militant Executed After IS Murders Pilot

We use cookies to give you the best experience. If you do nothing we'll assume that it's ok.

Jordan has executed two prisoners after Islamic State murdered one of their pilots, a government spokesman has said.

One of those executed was Iraqi would-be suicide bomber Sajida al Rishawi, who was on death row for her role in a hotel attack that killed 60 people.

The other was Ziad al Karbouli, who had been an aide to the late former leader of Al Qaeda in Iraq, Abu Musab al Zarqawi, and who was sentenced to death in 2008 for plotting terror attacks on Jordanians in Iraq.

Jordan had promised a swift and lethal response after IS released a video showing captured pilot Mu'ath Al Kassasbeh being burned alive in a cage.

Since news of his death emerged, #IAmMuath has been trending on Twitter, with protesters chanting the slogan outside King Abdullah's palace in Amman.

The pilot's father, Safi, has said he "considers Mu'ath a martyr to God", and called on the Jordanian government "to take revenge for Mu'ath's blood".

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  1. Gallery: Everything We Know About Sajida Al Rishawi

    Sajida Al Rishawi, believed to be in her 40s, was known as the 'would-be bomber'. She was executed in Jordan following the murder by IS of Jordanian pilot Mu'ath Al Kassasbeh

She and her husband were involved in the 2005 Amman bombings, a plot to attack a string of Jordanian hotels

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Sixty people were killed and 115 injured after other suicide bombers targeted three hotels. Al-Rishawi's device, which was packed with ball bearings, failed to detonate

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She and her husband targeted a wedding party at the Radisson SAS hotel - the fathers of the bride and the groom were both killed

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In 2005 Al-Rishawi released a televised confession while in Jordanian custody. She was sentenced to death and lost an appeal against the conviction in 2007

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Greece In New Debt Deal Talks With Osborne

Written By Unknown on Senin, 02 Februari 2015 | 18.46

Greece's finance minister is due to meet British counterpart George Osborne, as Athens launches its drive to secure a new debt agreement.

Yanis Varoufakis is in London after holding talks in Paris, where he compared Greece to "drug addicts craving the next dose" of loan tranches.

Greece wants to end its existing arrangement with the European Union, the European Central Bank and International Monetary Fund "troika" when its aid deadline expires on 28 February.

Mr Varoufakis said it was time for his country to go "cold turkey".

"For the last five years, Greece has been living for the next loan tranche," he said.

"We have resembled drug addicts craving the next dose. What this government is all about is ending the addiction,"

Greece has begun to roll back on austerity measures imposed under its existing bailout deal and France says it will try to help the country's new government find a debt agreement.

French finance minister Michel Sapin ruled out cancelling the debt but said Athens was right to be concerned about the burden of its repayments.

"France is more than prepared to support Greece in this approach," he said.

"I am confident that Greece will be in a position to overcome the present challenges. I am confident that the Greek government will be in a position to produce indispensable reforms.

"Anything that can alleviate the Greek debt burden will be welcome... but of course there is no question of cancelling the Greek debt."

Mr Osborne said: "I welcome this opportunity, so soon after the Greek election, to discuss face to face with Yanis Varoufakis the stability of the European economy and how to boost its growth."

Prime Minister David Cameron initially responded to Syriza's rise to power by warning it would increase "economic uncertainty across Europe" but later offered the new leader UK help on tax collection.

Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras wants to agree a bridging deal with the troika to gain breathing space.

He hopes a new deal can be negotiated to reduce Greece's unmanageable public debt burden of more than 175% of its economic output, or €320bn (£240m).


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Family's Relief As Jailed Reporter Released

A journalist freed after 400 days in an Egyptian jail "won't rest" until the two colleagues he was detained with are also released, his brother has said.

Australian Peter Greste was flown to Cyprus after a presidential "approval" meant he was allowed out of prison in Cairo.

But fellow al Jazeera journalists Mohamed Fahmy and Baher Mohamed remain in jail, where the trio had been held since their arrest in December 2013.

And Mr Greste's brother, Andrew, told a news conference in Brisbane: "On a more sombre note, I know Peter wanted me to...  acknowledge that Peter's two other colleagues are still there.

"Peter was arrested with Baher and Mohamed, and they also deserve to be free.

"Peter won't rest until they're released from prison and we hope that will follow in the very near future.

"Of course, we are thinking of Baher, Mohamed and their families who, thankfully, in this unusual twist of fate, we've got to know very well."

Andrew Greste said his 49-year-old brother was "safe, healthy and very, very happy to be on his way home".

He also thanked journalists "who have not let the story die", adding: "You've all been on this ride with us and have supported us and Peter faithfully."

The three reporters were jailed for offences including spreading lies to help the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood, but were facing a retrial after their original convictions were overturned.

Canadian-Egyptian Mr Fahmy is expected to be freed over the coming days, when paperwork is completed that would allow authorities to deport him to Canada,

His fiancee Marwa Omara told reporters: "His deportation is in its final stages. We are hopeful."

It remains unclear what will happen to Mr Mohamed, who is Egyptian.


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Ex-IMF Head Strauss-Kahn On Trial For Pimping

Disgraced former IMF head Dominique Strauss-Kahn goes on trial in France later accused of aggravated pimping as part of a prostitution ring.

If convicted, the one-time presidential contender, known as DSK in France, faces up to 10 years in prison and a €1.5m (£1.1m) fine.

Strauss-Kahn and more than a dozen other French and Belgian businessmen will be tried in the northern city of Lille.

Luxury hotel managers, police, freemasons and a brothel owner nicknamed "Dodo the Pimp" are also standing trial.

"Specifically the charges against Mr Strauss-Kahn can be translated best as aggravated pimping, so participating in a structured prostitution ring involving a number of women operating both in France and in Belgium," said lawyer Christopher Mesnooh.

Prostitutes questioned in the case said they had sex with Strauss-Kahn during 2010 and 2011 at a luxury hotel and a restaurant in Paris and also in Washington, where he lived while working for the International Monetary Fund, and in Brussels.

His lawyers said he had attended "libertine" gatherings, but denied knowing the women were paid.

In France, it is not against the law to pay for sex, but is illegal to solicit or run a prostitution business.

Pimping has a much wider scope in legal terms than its usual definition of acting as an agent for prostitutes - it also includes profiting from and aiding and abetting prostitution.

During the high-profile three-week trial, lurid details of group sex and high-end prostitution are expected to emerge.

Prosecutors have been divided over whether there was enough evidence for Strauss-Kahn to stand trial.

State prosecutor Frederic Fevre called for the charges to be dropped in 2013.

But investigating judges overruled him and ordered Strauss-Khan to face trial.

Strauss-Kahn's financial and political career ended four years ago amid accusations he sexually assaulted hotel maid Nafissatou Diallo in New York.

Diallo told police he forced her to perform oral sex, tried to rape her and tore a ligament in her shoulder after she arrived to clean his luxury hotel suite.

Strauss-Kahn, who was forced to resign as head of the IMF due to the scandal, said the sex was consensual but described it as "a moral failing."

New York prosecutors dropped the case three months later because they said Diallo had lied about her background and changed her account of her actions after the alleged attack.


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