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Ukraine: Fresh Bombing Endangers Peace Deal

Written By Unknown on Sabtu, 14 Februari 2015 | 18.46

Ukraine's president has warned that fresh shelling in the east of the country is putting the impending ceasefire in danger.

At least 11 people have been killed and dozens wounded in the last 24 hours, but a ceasefire agreed on Thursday is due to come into force at 10pm UK time.

A shell landed in a school yard in the eastern Ukrainian town of Artemivsk controlled by the government forces on Friday, killing one child and two adults.

Meanwhile, Ukraine and Russian-backed rebels fought fiercely across the east of the country despite the new peace deal brokered by Germany and France in Minsk.

And Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said: "We have city of Artemivsk which is situated about 30km from the touchline, absolutely not anything involved in the military operation.

"And in the same way like in Kramatorsk, the Russian multiple rocket launch system Grad, or Smerch, just killed, confirmed killed three civilians.

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  1. Gallery: Ukraine Crisis Continues

    Germany, France, Russia and Ukraine agreed a deal on Thursday that offers a "glimmer of hope" for an end to fighting in eastern Ukraine after marathon overnight talks

Ukraine's President Petro Poroshenko (L) addresses journalists as he takes part in peace talks on resolving the Ukrainian crisis in Minsk

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Boko Haram Fight Intensifies In West Africa

By Alex Crawford, Special Correspondent, Fotokol

The battle against Boko Haram is intensifying in the run-up to the delayed Nigerian elections.

The terror group appears to be mounting more attacks especially on neighboring border towns along the country's frontier.

Authorities who put back the elections by six weeks because of the threat from the extremist group, have vowed to crush all Boko Haram camps between now and polling day on March 28.

A five-Nation group of West African countries are now involved in the fight. Nigeria has been joined by Cameroon, Niger, Chad and Benin.

The Sky News team of myself, cameraman Garwen McLuckie and producer Nick Ludlam gained rare access to Cameroon's elite Rapid Intervention Battalion - known as BIR - and joined their troops in the far north of the country.

We travelled with them to the town of Fotokol, which continues to be the focus of fighting.

Parts of Fotokol have been torn apart - with rows of stalls, homes and vehicles torched. Survivors talk of men being sprayed with bullets as they rose from praying in one of the mosques.

We saw the walls of the mosque, peppered with holes. One of those who carried the bodies out said 37 men were killed there.

Fotokol is just one of the towns on the border with Nigeria to be invaded and terrorised by the Boko Haram extremist group - and its inhabitants are traumatised.

One inhabitant told us he had been too scared to leave his household since the attack five days earlier. Nine members of his household had been killed shortly after early morning prayers.

The stakes are high for the Cameroon military posted along the frontier with their much richer, bigger, more powerful Nigerian neighbour.

They have now been bolstered by troops from Chad, but the battle with the militants is just as fierce. And if they fail, the consequences are devastating - as Fotokol found out.

As we arrived in the area, more Chadian troops were preparing to advance into Nigeria, telling us there was a battle still raging over the bridge separating Cameroon from their neighbour.

One Chadian soldier who spoke to us told us the fighting was "very dangerous and hard".

"We don't even have time to sleep," he said.

"The fighting goes on through the night even."

The Cameroon soldiers are fiercely dedicated to their task.

"We will not let Boko Haram enter our country," said one commander.

"That will not happen. If I go, then someone else will take my place. There is no other option."

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  1. Gallery: Profile Of Boko Haram Leader

    Abubakar Shekau is the leader of Boko Haram. He took control of the Islamist group after the death of founder Mohammed Yusuf in 2009

Little is known about him, although he was born in Shekau village in the northeastern state of Yobe and is now thought to be in his early 40s

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One Dead After 'Valentine's Day Massacre Plot'

An alleged plot to kill as many people as possible at a shopping centre on Valentine's Day has been foiled, say Canadian police.

A 19-year-old Canadian man and 23-year-old US woman were suspected of planning to carry out a shooting in Halifax on 14 February before committing suicide.

There could have been a "large loss of life" if the attack had gone ahead, according to authorities.

The pair had access to firearms, were apparently obsessed with death, had many photographs of mass killings, and had been on a chat site, an official said.

The woman was arrested at Halifax's airport and confessed to the plot, said the official, who added she had written a number of messages to be tweeted after her death.

The teenager had shot himself dead after police were tipped off about the plot and surrounded his home, the official went on.

Police had stopped his parents while they were driving and then officers called the suspect.

He said he did not have any guns but then took his own life as he made his way out of the house.

Meanwhile, a 20-year-old man was detained at the airport and a 17-year-old youth, who was wanted for threatening to carry out a gun attack at a school, was arrested elsewhere.

It is thought the pair were also involved in the plot but investigators were still trying to work out what their roles were.

The plot was not related to Islamist extremism, said authorities.

Brian Brennan, from Nova Scotia Royal Canadian Mounted Police, said: "Information gathered suggested that a 19-year-old Timberlea male and a 23-year-old Geneva, Illinois, female had access to firearms.

"And it was their intention to go to a public venue in the Halifax region on February 14 with the goal of opening fire to kill citizens and then themselves.

"Evidence also suggested that two other males, ages 20 and 17, of Halifax and Cole Harbour respectively were involved. Their role is still to be determined as part of the investigation."

He added: "Had they been able to carry out their intentions, the possibility for a large loss of life was definitely there.

"I would classify it as a group of individuals that had some beliefs and were willing to carry out violent acts against citizens. But there is nothing in the investigation to classify it as a terrorist act."


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Tempers Flare Over One Key Word At Euro Talks

Written By Unknown on Jumat, 13 Februari 2015 | 18.46

Even without a tie, the new Greek leader seemed comfortable and relaxed as he entered the ugly concrete box where Brussels summitry is conducted.

It's the first time he's met all 27 of his EU peers since Syriza's convincing win in last month's Greek elections.

But a few hours ago, the atmosphere between the Eurozone's finance ministers was anything but cordial.

A source present at the Eurogroup negotiations told Sky News that an argument flared over a single word, but one which has become central to the entire stand-off.

The new government in Athens argues the current bailout conditions are stifling growth and causing a humanitarian crisis.

They are trying to get some money to tide them over this summer while they enter complex negotiations over a third of the most stringent demands made by the lenders.

The Greek delegation led by Yanis Varoufakis had insisted that any written conclusions over what they term a "bridging loan" for Greece - after the rescue package expires in a fortnight - should contain the word "amended".

To the Germans, and some of the other hardliners, that inferred Greece's creditors had been convinced to disburse cash under less onerous conditions.

When he read this, German finance minister Wolfgang Schauble became visibly irritated, insisting the word be changed to "extended".

The Greeks refused to budge and the evening hit the buffers.

After fruitless attempts to find a compromise, Mr Schauble concluded that a compromise would be impossible, according to our source.

Today's summit was hoping to hear some good news about Greece, but it looks as though a new form of words will have to be sought before the next group of ministers meeting next Monday.


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Greek Crisis: Merkel Offers Olive Branch

Germany has relaxed its fierce opposition to an easing of the bailout demands faced by Greece, though there are no signs a new deal is imminent.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel offered an olive branch at a summit of EU leaders in Brussels after the country's biggest creditor had previously ruled out writing off debt or allowing a relaxation of austerity.

She told reporters: "Europe always has been geared towards finding compromises. Compromises are agreed when the advantages outweigh the disadvantages. Germany is ready for this."

The new Greek government - led by prime minister Alexis Tsipras - rose to power on the back of anger at the rescue deal among Greeks that it was killing off any chance of economic recovery.

Its economy is around 25% smaller than it was before the crisis and poverty and unemployment have swelled, with the youth jobless rate above 60%.

Merkel has been the key cheerleader for austerity, fearing that any relaxation of the €240bn bailout's terms would send a signal to other heavily indebted nations that they could divert from reforms.

It was confirmed on Thursday that technical discussions had begun ahead of another meeting of eurozone finance ministers on Monday after talks broke down between them on Wednesday.

Hope that a deal can be reached to support Greek economic recovery and avoid the possibility of a default and exit from the single currency helped support Greek stocks on Thursday following days of volatility.

News of German support for compromise extended the rally on Friday, with some banks enjoying gains of more than 17%.

Tsipras expressed his hope that a "mutually acceptable" debt deal could be secured as early as next week.

He said: "The Greek delegation will take part in these meetings with crystal clear proposals and we will try and convince, not blackmail, our partners about our proposals.

"Our program will respect European rules .... we will keep balanced budget, respect the fiscal rules of the EU.

"We don't want to go back to era of deficits."

Tsipras said his government will propose a set of reforms particularly dealing with the "shortcomings of the Greek state" such as corruption and tax evasion.

The Greek government sees compromise as the way forward but it has ruled out extending the current bailout programme and its associated austerity.

It wants to negotiate a so-called bridge to tide Greece over for the summer until such time as a more permanent deal can be arranged.


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More Fighting In Ukraine After Peace Deal

At least eight service personnel have been killed and dozens wounded in overnight fighting in eastern Ukraine, officials have reported.

It comes despite the ceasefire agreement reached on Thursday which is due to come into force this weekend.

"In the Donbass, this night was not a calm one. The enemy shelled positions of the 'anti-terrorist operation' forces with the same intensity as before," a statement by the military said.

It said fighting had been particularly intense around Debaltseve, a key railway junction linking the rebel strongholds of Donetsk and Lugansk

Pro-Russia separatists had used rockets and artillery to attack government forces holding the town, the statement added.

Rebel authorities said three civilians had been killed and five wounded in shelling by government troops on Lugansk.

Another two civilians were killed and six injured on Friday morning when a shell fired by separatists hit a busy cafe in the nearby town of Shchastya, the Kiev-controlled regional administration said.

Russia has been warned sanctions will be stepped up if the truce to end the 10-month Ukraine conflict is not fully implemented.

The ceasefire, which comes into effect on Sunday, was agreed after 16 hours of talks between Russia, Ukraine, France and Germany in the Belarusian capital Minsk.

A previous truce was violated almost immediately by both sides and there are doubts the latest one will hold.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel said the deal provided "a glimmer of hope - no more, no less".

Russia has already been hit with financial and diplomatic sanctions for allegedly supplying the separatists with heavy weapons and fighters - which it denies.

Mrs Merkel warned: "We hold open the possibility, if these new agreements are not implemented, that we must take further measures."

European Council President Donald Tusk said previously-agreed sanctions against 19 Russian and Ukrainian individuals and nine entities would still come into force next week.

"Our trust in the goodwill of (Russian) President Putin is limited, this is why we have to maintain our decision on sanctions," he said.

The terms of the ceasefire include a withdrawal of heavy weapons, Ukraine taking control of its Russian border, the granting of special status to rebel regions and addressing the humanitarian crisis created by the fighting.

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko admitted to having doubts, saying: "It was very difficult negotiation and we expect a not easy implementation process."

Soon after the ceasefire was announced, Kiev complained of a new mass influx of Russian armour into rebel-held areas.

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  1. Gallery: Ukraine Crisis: Fighting Increases (February 11)

    Local residents look at the remains of a rocket shell on a street in the town of Kramatorsk, eastern Ukraine

Seven civilians have been killed and 26 wounded in rocket strikes on the town of Kramatorsk

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Long Way To Go Before There's A Ukraine Deal

Written By Unknown on Kamis, 12 Februari 2015 | 18.46

It may seem strange but a precursor to a ceasefire is often a spike in the actual fighting on the battlefield and that is exactly what is happening in eastern Ukraine.

Both the government and rebel forces are engaged in what are effectively land grabs as the expectation of some type of deal being reached in Minsk draws nearer.

There may of course be no deal or not one that lasts too long, so it sort of makes sense for the protagonists to go at each other "hammer and tongs" as the countdown begins.

If you are sheltering in a Soviet-era block of flats while grad rockets land in your neighbourhood it might not feel like it makes any sense at all.

There has been a ceasefire deal of course. It was agreed in September last year and brought around a period of some stability rather than an actual end to the fighting. Both sides took the opportunity to strengthen their positions though and as the year began the hostilities grew more intense and finally flared into the current state of war once again.

The key question is whether the leaders of Ukraine, France, Germany and, of course, Russia can come up with a renewed plan acceptable to everyone.

In essence, the formula for the peace deal would be an immediate ceasefire; after that its starts getting more tricky.

A wide demilitarised zone on both sides of the front line and monitored by international observers is being proposed with a similar observer corp on the proper Ukrainian/Russian border.

Heavy weapons would be withdrawn by both sides and prisoners exchanged in the ensuing peace.

Ukraine would maintain its territorial integrity but the Kiev government would give greater autonomy to the local governments of Donetsk and Luhansk.

All of the above agreements would be acceptable to all sides as well as the countries watching in. The problem is that the details aren't just sticking points - they could be game changers.

To begin with, exactly where is the demilitarised zone and the "border" with western Ukraine? Since the September treaty, the rebels have taken more ground and want to keep it. Ukraine wants it back.

What constitutes heavy weapons and will some of the rebels' suspiciously new bits of kit return across the border to Russia from whence it came?

What about those rebels who everyone acknowledges are Russian? Sent by the Kremlin or not, Ukraine says they have to go home.

What will be the status of the newly empowered rebel-held regions? Ukraine wants to remain the government of the whole country. The rebels and Russia, to all intents and purposes, want these areas to be autonomous although remaining within Ukraine to act as a veto for any future attempts by Kiev to strengthen its ties to Europe.

What happens to Crimea is probably way too toxic for these talks and will probably be set aside and put in the "just don't go there" bin for now.

So if all these issues have been addressed and everyone sticks to their side of the bargain a permanent peace is imminent.

However, I wouldn't bet on it.

Both sides have said they will strengthen their positions and prepare for a greater escalation in the war if no deal is reached. Regardless, one must expect them to strengthen their positions and prepare for war anyway; it just might be further back than the current front lines.

What the local population can hope for is a ceasefire and a return to a sort of peace. Most agree that they want the fighting to stop and it all to go away. While many support the Kiev side, many also distrust Kiev, won't forgive attacks by government troops on their towns and are fearful of revenge by the substantial right-wing militias that make up Ukraine's "Civil Defence" forces.

A year on, Ukraine remains bitterly divided and riven with complex ideological, social and geographical problems.

A Minsk deal won't solve these problems but it might halt the killing; for a while.


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On The Front Line Of Battle Against Boko Haram

By Alex Crawford, Special Correspondent

The terror group Boko Haram is "perpetually mutating" according to Cameroon military leaders - and it has a well-organised structure with constantly changing tactics.

Sky News has been given rare access to special forces in Cameroon who are at the forefront of the battle against the extremist militant group.

The group is increasingly conducting its operations over Nigeria's borders and mounting attacks into neighbouring countries like Cameroon.

Our team travelled to the north of the country and its border with Nigeria where the militant group was born.

We joined the Cameroon elite unit, the rapid response battalion or BIR, as it attempted to plug the long, porous border with Nigeria.

The Sky News team was the sole British news organisation to travel with the troops to Amchide, Kolofata and Kerawa - three towns along the border which have all suffered at the hands of Boko Haram.

The army commanders told us the extremist group already had a self-declared caliphate in at least one area of Nigeria - in Gwoza.

"Behind that mountain is Nigeria and a Boko Haram state," said Major Garangsou Clement, commander of Kolofata post.

"There is no Nigerian Government there. It is Boko Haram's caliphate."

The militant group has also developed a new favourite form of attack: roadside bombs or IEDs.

They are much more deadly for the troops and a lot less dangerous for the militants.

We drove past a wrecked army pickup. "IED," one of the soldiers told us.

"Two of our soldiers died there."

In front of Amchide army post there are more charred vehicles: an armoured personnel carrier and a pick-up truck.

The militants almost got to the gate of the post in a large attack last October, before being repelled.

Amchide town appears deserted now.

More troops and heavier weapons have been sent to the border town, but so far the residents do not seem to have been persuaded to return.


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Ceasefire In Eastern Ukraine From Sunday

Ceasefire In Eastern Ukraine From Sunday

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A ceasefire in eastern Ukraine has been agreed after all-night talks in Belarus involving the leaders of Russia, Ukraine, France and Germany.

It will come into effect on 15 February and will involve the withdrawal of heavy weapons, Russian President Vladimir Putin said.

"We have managed to agree on the main things," he told reporters after the talks, which began on Wednesday evening and lasted 17 hours.

Mr Putin said the discussions had taken so long because Kiev was unwilling to negotiate directly with rebels.

"Even though they have not been recognised, one needs to take into account the realities of life," he said.

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  1. Gallery: Ukraine Crisis: Fighting Increases (February 11)

    Local residents look at the remains of a rocket shell on a street in the town of Kramatorsk, eastern Ukraine

Seven civilians have been killed and 26 wounded in rocket strikes on the town of Kramatorsk

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The body of a woman killed by the recent shelling lies on a street in the town's residential sector

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Members of the Ukrainian armed forces ride on an armoured personnel carrier (APC) near Debaltseve, eastern Ukraine

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Ceasefire In Eastern Ukraine From Sunday

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

A ceasefire in eastern Ukraine has been agreed after all-night talks in Belarus involving the leaders of Russia, Ukraine, France and Germany.

It will come into effect on 15 February and will involve the withdrawal of heavy weapons, Russian President Vladimir Putin said.

"We have managed to agree on the main things," he told reporters after the talks, which began on Wednesday evening and lasted 17 hours.

Mr Putin said the discussions had taken so long because Kiev was unwilling to negotiate directly with rebels.

"Even though they have not been recognised, one needs to take into account the realities of life," he said.

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  1. Gallery: Ukraine Crisis: Fighting Increases (February 11)

    Local residents look at the remains of a rocket shell on a street in the town of Kramatorsk, eastern Ukraine

Seven civilians have been killed and 26 wounded in rocket strikes on the town of Kramatorsk

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The body of a woman killed by the recent shelling lies on a street in the town's residential sector

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Members of the Ukrainian armed forces ride on an armoured personnel carrier (APC) near Debaltseve, eastern Ukraine

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TransAsia Offers £307,000 To Crash Families

Written By Unknown on Rabu, 11 Februari 2015 | 18.46

Taiwan's TransAsia Airways will pay nearly half a million US dollars in compensation to relatives of each victim following a plane crash earlier this month.

The offer of $14.9m Taiwanese New Dollars (£307,000) for each family comes seven months after the airline made a similar payout to the families of 48 passengers killed in another crash last July.

TransAsia Airways Flight GE235 crashed last Wednesday just minutes after taking off from Taipei's Songshan airport.

There were 53 passengers and five crew on board and at least 42 of these were killed.

Dramatic footage captured by a bystander showed the plane hitting a road and cart-wheeling into the Keelung River.

The compensation deal comes after private discussions held in Taipei between the airline and representatives of some of the families affected.

A spokesman for the airline said the amount was offered as compensation for each person who died in the accident, adding: "We hope to reach a settlement with the families.

"We can fully understand that it would be hard for the families to accept it immediately. Still we hope the representatives could take the proposal back and take it into consideration."

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  1. Gallery: Survivors Of TransAsia Plane Crash

    Rescuers are working to help survivors. Click through for more photos

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Mortar Attacks Before Ukraine Peace Talks

Four people have been killed in mortar attacks on a bus station and a metals plant in the rebel-held Ukrainian city of Donetsk, as peace talks were due to begin in Belarus.

"A bus driver died as a result of mortar fire at a bus station in the centre of Donetsk," a spokesman for the pro-Russian separatists told AFP.

An employee of the metals plant said three people including two guards had lost their lives during an attack on the smelter.

Elsewhere, 19 Ukrainian soldiers have been killed and 78 wounded in rebel attacks near the key railway town of Debaltseve, a military spokesman said.

In a statement on his website, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko revealed he made an impromptu visit to the war-torn eastern region early on Wednesday.

He stopped in the city of Kramatorsk, some 50km (30m) from the front line, where Kiev says 16 people were killed and 48 wounded in a rocket strike on Tuesday.

"We demand an unconditional peace," Mr Poroshenko said. "We demand a ceasefire, a withdrawal of all foreign troops, and closing of the border... We will find a compromise within the country."

In a telephone call on the eve of the talks, US President Barack Obama urged his Russian counterpart to reach a deal to end the Ukraine conflict, which has cost more than 5,300 lives since April. 

The White House said afterwards Mr Obama warned Vladimir Putin the "costs for Russia will rise" if a peaceful solution is not found.

"If Russia continues its aggressive actions in Ukraine, including by sending troops, weapons, and financing to support the separatists, the costs for Russia will rise," a statement said.

The Kremlin said the two leaders highlighted the need for a political solution to the "internal" conflict in Ukraine, and noted the importance of safeguarding the rights of all inhabitants, including Russian-speakers in the east.

The summit in the Belarus capital follows last week's discussions between Mr Putin and Mr Poroshenko, led by Germany and France. 

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  1. Gallery: Ukraine Crisis: Fighting Intensifies

    A destroyed Ukrainian Army tank outside Uglegorsk, 6km (4m) southwest of Debaltseve

Pro-Russian separatists' ammunition and an armoured vehicle in Uglegorsk. The EU has put fresh sanctions against Moscow on hold ahead of further talks to thrash out a lasting peace deal

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Belgian Islamists Convicted On Terror Charges

A Belgian court has convicted the leader of an Islamist group and many of his followers for sending jihadists to Syria.

Fouad Belkacem, the chief of the now disbanded Sharia4Belgium group, was led into the court in handcuffs and smiled as he was jailed for 12 years.

Only eight of the 46 accused appeared in Antwerp's tightly-secured courtroom during the five-month trial, with the remainder believed to be in Syria or to have died fighting.

Judge Luc Potargent said: "Belkacem is responsible for the radicalisation of young men to prepare them for Salafist combat, which has at its core no place for democratic values."

"Sharia4Belgium recruited these young men for armed combat and organised their departure for Syria."

Belgium has more jihadist fighters per head of population than any other European country, with authorities estimating 350 Belgians have left for Syria, and the sentence comes with the country on high alert after a plot to kill police was uncovered last month.

Belkacem, 32, a Moroccan-born car engineer, is already serving a two-year sentence for inciting hatred against non-Muslims.

He is known for his street sermons and was a leading figure in persuading young Belgians to fight in Syria, despite never having been there himself.

The aim of his group of radicals was to establish Sharia law in Belgium, an intention he expressed in a series of YouTube videos.

Public prosecutor Ann Fransen told reporters: "Belkacem's words can only be interpreted as a call to violence and jihad."

One of the young men Belkacem was accused of radicalising is 19-year-old Jejoen Bontinck, who was charged with belonging to Sharia4Belgium.

Bontinck later became a key prosecution witness and was given a 40-month suspended sentence.

The teenager claimed he had travelled to Syria to help victims of the conflict, but his father, Dimitri, who brought him home, said he knew his son was being indoctrinated.

The other members of the group were sentenced to between three and five years in prison, with some of the sentences being suspended.


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Russia Looks With Envy At China's Economy

Written By Unknown on Selasa, 10 Februari 2015 | 18.46

By Katie Stallard, Moscow Correspondent, in Blagoveshchensk

Blagoveshchensk translates as the "city of good news", but there has been precious little of that for the Russian economy lately.

The value of the rouble has plummeted and the country is heading into recession, hit by the falling oil price and Western sanctions.

Russia's sovereign credit rating has been downgraded to one notch above junk level.

The government says inflation could reach 17% this year, but people we spoke to on the streets of Blagoveshchensk in the Russian Far East said prices in shops were already spiralling.

"The prices have really jumped here,"  said 75-year-old Valentina Kirrilova.

"It's awful, horrible. I can come to a shop with 1,000 roubles (approximately £10) and it's not enough to buy anything."

An elderly couple said prices were rising "for everything".

From the riverside in Blagoveshchensk, they can look across to the gleaming towers of Heihe City in China.

The two great powers are separated by just a few hundred metres, the breadth of the frozen Amur River.

There were plans to build a bridge to make this a trade gateway between Russia and China.

But, as with so much of the Russian economy, the promised development has so far failed to materialise.

Instead, you take an old bus over a temporary pontoon bridge - in summer everything has to go by boat.

This time last year Russians found shopping on the Chinese side cheap, but now it's the other way around - the rouble buys you half as much.

Lubov Pikolova moved here from Russia five years ago. She works in one of Heihe's hotels and sees better prospects in China.

"We have non-stop crises in Russia," she explained.

"We always have to pay for this or for that. It's not easy economically to live in Russia, so many people are trying to leave it."

Others are coming for health care. In a Chinese dental clinic we found a number of Russian patients.

"Many Russians are coming here for dentistry because it's high quality," patient Inna Sergienko said.

"The prices are low and they are excellent doctors."

Back on the Russian side, we met businessman Dmitry Gudzovskiy, who runs two Chinese restaurants in Blagoveschensk.

He outlined the problems of doing business in Russia - the endless battle with bureaucracy, and to stay on the right side of the many laws.

"Not a single businessman will tell you on camera that he is paying bribes, but you should guess yourself," he said.

"You cannot do everything correctly in business, it's just impossible. If you will act as it is written in law you should stop your business right now and just go home.

"I think that the biggest problem of the Russian economy is that there is no dialogue between the Russian government and businessmen, they don't talk to us, they treat us as vassals."

Down by the Amur River, a bronze Soviet border guard stands to attention, a monument to a lost empire.

While the oil price was high, it was easy to believe President Vladimir Putin was rebuilding that power, reclaiming Russia's place in the world, but it doesn't feel so convincing here now.


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Charles Urged To Address Human Rights In Saudi

Prince Charles is under pressure to raise humanitarian concerns when he meets Saudi Arabia's new king, Salman.

The Prince of Wales will be arriving in Riyadh on the latest leg of a six-day tour of Middle East countries which border areas dominated by Islamic State militants.

He has been asked to raise the case of jailed Saudi blogger Raif Badawi, who faces 1,000 lashes and at least ten years in jail after he was convicted of insulting Islam.

Kate Allen, Amnesty International UK director, said: "We don't expect Prince Charles to give up the red carpets and state banquets and become a human rights campaigner, but as a man who knows the Middle East well we hope that he will use this visit to pass on a few well-chosen words to his royal hosts.

"We know that freedom of religion is an issue close to the Prince's heart, and in Saudi Arabia he will surely want to raise the outrageous case of Raif Badawi. We still need the UK government to do more on Raif's case, but Charles' diplomatic intercession could help secure this man's freedom."

Amnesty has also called on the Prince to highlight the plight of foreign workers employed to build the infrastructure of the 2022 World Cup when he goes to Qatar.

Charles, and Prime Minister David Cameron, were criticised last month after visiting Saudi Arabia to pay respects following the death of the nation's 90-year-old King Abdullah.

The decision following the King's death to fly flags at half-mast on key public buildings in London, including Downing Street, drew sharp criticism from prominent politicians.

They highlighted claims of Saudi Arabia's abuses of free speech, women's rights and the country's role as a cradle of Islamist extremism.

Charles began his trip to the region by warning about radicalisation among young Muslims in the UK.

It is an issue he is likely to raise when holding talks with Crown Prince Muqrin and other senior Saudi government figures.


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Topless Protesters Climb On Strauss-Kahn's Car

Dominique Strauss-Kahn has been confronted by topless protesters outside a courthouse in France before taking the stand at his "aggravated pimping" trial.

The economist was ambushed as his car approached the building, with Femen activists climbing on to the roof and shouting insults.

Many of the women had "guilty" scrawled on their half-naked bodies, amid allegations that Strauss-Kahn was involved in a prostitution ring.

Police handcuffed the demonstrators and forcibly removed them from the scene, throwing coats over the women's exposed chests.

Strauss-Kahn, the former head of the International Monetary Fund, faces 10 years behind bars and a £1.1m fine if he is found guilty of organising prostitutes to attend sex parties with him in luxury hotels around the world.

In court, the 65-year-old denied any wrongdoing and insisted that his attendance at sex parties was rare.

The one-time presidential hopeful is expected to say that engaging in orgies with consenting adults is within his rights, and that he was unaware that the women giving him attention were prostitutes.

In 2011, a maid accused Strauss-Kahn of sexual assault at a luxury hotel in New York. That case was eventually settled in a civil suit.

His lawyer, Henri Leclerc, said at the time: "In these circumstances one isn't always clothed, and I challenge you to tell the difference between a prostitute naked and any other woman naked."


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Plight Of Refugees Fleeing Terror Of Boko Haram

Written By Unknown on Senin, 09 Februari 2015 | 18.46

By Alex Crawford, Sky's special correspondent in Manoua, northern Cameroon

The terror of Boko Haram has forced a six-week delay for Nigeria's presidential elections - but few Nigerians who have escaped the extremists believe their power will be curbed in that time.

Safety has come at a heavy price for tens of thousands of Nigerians who have run away from the Islamic militant group and are now sheltering in neighbouring Cameroon.

They scratch around for food and complain bitterly at the shortage of water in the huge refugee camp north of Maroua which is now their home.

There are rows and rows of tents made of plastic sheeting supplied by the UN refugee agency UNHCR which now house families - but there are also large numbers of fragile one-room stick homes.

Halima Adam and her five children live in one of them.

Tears roll down her cheeks as she tells Sky News how the militant fighters murdered her husband and she fled for her life, over the border to Cameroon.

A free and fair election in her homeland is not her first priority right now. Surviving is.

"I'm hungry," cries her 12-year-old daughter Aisha. Her three-year-old sister asks her mother: "Maybe they've come to give us food or water?" She's talking about the foreigners in their shack - us.

But along with the tens of thousands like her, she will not be able to vote in the upcoming Nigerian elections.

The polls have been delayed for six weeks until March 28 in the hope that the danger of Boko Haram can be more adequately contained.

But few believe that is the sole reason for the vote delay or that the militants who have grown increasingly powerful in northern Nigeria, can be cowed in that time.

Many sceptics believe the set-back to the voting could have more to do with the increasingly close race between the current President Goodluck Jonathan, who is seeking re-election, and his rival, Muhammedu Buhari.

Certainly many of the refugees we spoke to in the huge camp (31,222 registered refugees but locals say the more accurate figure is 47,000+) insist they feel let down by their government and the Nigerian army.

"The military have sold us to the Boko Haram fighters," said Yohanna Ayamesi, one of the refugees.

"They're just playing with Boko Haram. There were 30 of us and the militants killed 27. I'm just one of three who survived. The powerful Nigerian army can't take on Boko Haram. They are working with them. They have sold out the poor of Nigeria."

His view is replicated through much of the camp and in northern Nigeria.

The attacks by Boko Haram appear to be every more frequent and deadly.

The extremist group wants to create its own caliphate across Western Africa much like Islamic State in Syria and Iraq - and the violence is spilling more and more often across the Nigerian borders and into her neighbours' backyards.

Cameroon and Niger have both suffered Boko Haram attacks within the past week alone. Niger had two attacks within three days.

The decision by the five West African nations of Cameroon, Nigeria, Niger, Benin and Chad have agreed to pool resources and deploy a combined force of 8,750 troops into the area by probably as early as next month.

But the idea that they will be able to curb the militant group's activities within the next six weeks before the new election date, is seen as hopelessly optimistic by most civilians.


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Kremlin: Don't Issue Ultimatums To Putin

Vladimir Putin will not be spoken to in the language of ultimatums, a Russian radio station has quoted the Kremlin as saying.

The words came amid speculation that German Chancellor Angela Merkel had issued the Russian president with an ultimatum over the Ukraine conflict.

Reports said Germany had given him until Wednesday to agree a peace plan or face new sanctions.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Govorit Moskva radio: "Nobody has ever talked to the president in the tone of an ultimatum - and could not do so even if they wanted to."

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Hooded Gunmen Fire On Police In Marseille

Hooded gunmen have fired on police in the French city of Marseille where the Prime Minister Manuel Valls had been due to visit.

A patrol car was the target of the attack, according to reports.

Witnesses said a gang of around 10 armed men fired Kalashnikovs into the air.

The shooting, which may be gang-related, happened on La Castellane estate on Monday morning.

Some 7,000 residents are in lockdown and have been told not to go outside.

Scores of police including elite special forces have sealed off the area.

Local politician Samia Ghali tweeted that Castellane is in a "state of siege", adding it is was his "worst nightmare".

Sky's Foreign Editor Sam Kiley said: "The gap between organised crime and terrorists is quite blurred because of the access to weapons."

Mr Valls had been due in the city to welcome the "excellent" results of a crime crackdown.

France has been on high alert in the wake of recent terror attacks.

French journalist Stefan De Vries told Sky News: "The area is sealed now and heavily armed squad teams are in the area.

"There is a very high murder rate but almost all the murders are gang-related. Very few victims are civilians."

The shooting comes as a senior French official said the country was stepping up its efforts to combat extremism.

In response to the threat posed by returning jihadists, Elisabeth Guigou, president of the French National Assembly's Committee on Foreign Affairs, said France is ramping up security.

Speaking at the Munich Security Conference, she said the measures included reinforcing border inspection and setting up hotlines.

"We estimate that about 1,300 French people or residents in France have been concerned by going back and forth to Syria or to Iraq, so that's quite a lot of people to keep an eye on," said Ms Guigou.

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Protests As Nigeria Poll Delayed Over Boko Haram

Written By Unknown on Minggu, 08 Februari 2015 | 18.46

Protests have erupted in Nigeria after the country's electoral commission delayed the presidential election due to increased fighting with the extremist group Boko Haram.

The vote will now be held on 28 March, instead of 14 February, giving the ruling party more time as it struggles against the opposition.

The delay was announced after security chiefs pleaded for more time to make voting safe in parts of the country seized by Boko Haram.

The Islamist extremist group has taken over large parts of the country's northeast and there are fears of a repeat of 2011, when around 1,000 people were killed in post-poll rioting.

Attahiru Jega, chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, said: "If the security of personnel, voters, election observers and election materials cannot be guaranteed, the lives of innocent young men and women and the prospect of free, fair and credible elections will be greatly jeopardised."

The insurgency, which views the election as un-Islamic, has killed at least 13,000 people and pushed more than one million people from their homes since 2009.

Mr Jega had previously said voting would not go ahead in the parts of the country under Islamist control, prompting concerns that those left homeless by the violence would not be able to vote.

President Goodluck Jonathan is in a tight race with former military ruler Muhammadu Buhari for the presidency.

The announcement of the poll delay was met with protests from Nigerians and John Odigie-Oyegun, chairman of Mr Buhari's All Progressives Congress, described it as "highly provocative" and "a major setback for Nigerian democracy".

The US expressed disappointment in the delay, with Secretary of State John Kerry having suggested a link between a peaceful and timely election and US help to fight Boko Haram.

Election monitors from West Africa and the European Union are already in Nigeria and have urged the country to hold the election, with some experts saying that a six-week delay may not make any difference in the safety of voters.

Meanwhile, Boko Haram staged an assault on a Niger border town on Saturday night, the second time the West African nation has come under attack by the Nigeria-based extremists since Friday.


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Prince Charles: UK Youth Extremism 'Alarming'

The Prince of Wales has voiced concern over the "alarming" radicalisation of young people in the UK.

In a radio interview Prince Charles said the extent to which young people are becoming radicalised is one of the "greatest worries".

He said it was particularly concerning "in a country like ours where you know the values we hold dear".

"You think that the people who have come here, born here, go to school here, would abide by those values and outlooks," the Prince told BBC Radio 2's The Sunday Hour.

His comments came as he kicked off a six-day tour of the Middle East. 

The Prince of Wales landed in Jordan late on Saturday, where he is due to hold talks with King Abdullah II.

Jordan has carried out three consecutive days of airstrikes on Islamic State targets after the terrorist group released a video showing 26-year-old Jordanian pilot Moaz al Kasabeh being burned to death.

Prince Charles said preventing the radicalisation of Muslim youth was a "great challenge" and something that could not be swept "under the carpet".

He expressed particular concern over the threat posed by young Muslims coming into contact with extremists online, describing it as "frightening".

"I can see I suppose to a certain extent, some aspect of this radicalisation is a search for adventure and excitement at a particular age," he said, adding that he had tried to create alternative paths for young people through his work with The Princes Trust charity.

The Prince's tour will also see him travel to Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.

His first official stop in Jordan was a Syrian refugee camp to see how thousands displaced from their homeland are rebuilding their lives.

The Prince was joined by International Development Secretary Justine Greening.


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Ukraine: Putin 'Like A Mid-20th Century Tyrant'

Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond has accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of acting like a "mid-20th century tyrant" over Ukraine as he said the UK's bar on supplying weapons to Kiev would be "kept under review".

His comments to Sky's Murnaghan programme came as US Secretary of State John Kerry insisted there was no split with Europe over handling the crisis.

President Barack Obama is considering sending arms to the Ukraine government, which has been rejected by Germany's Angela Merkel, who argued it would not help the situation.

Mr Hammond told Murnaghan: "Britain's position is that at the moment we do no think that supplying arms is the right thing to do but obviously if the situation on the ground changes we'll keep that position under review."

And he insisted Western sanctions were having an impact.

Mr Hammond said: "When coupled with the catastrophic effect on the Russian economy of the decline in the oil price they are putting pressure on the Kremlin.

"Putin is toughing this out but we all know in the end the economic facts cannot be ignored.

"If your economy is cratering you cannot support the kind of foreign adventures Putin is undertaking.

"He will have to trim his behaviour to reflect the decline in the Russian economy."

The Foreign Secretary branded Moscow's annexation of Crimea illegal and said it must be reversed.

He said: "This man has sent troops across an international border and occupied another country's territory in the 21st century acting like some mid-20th century tyrant. Civilised nations do not behave like that."

"We do not see any reason to tolerate this kind of outrageous and outdated behaviour from the Kremlin."

Mr Putin is to discuss a peace plan for eastern Ukraine in a phone call with the French, German and Ukrainian leaders later.

Mrs Merkel and Mr Hollande are leading diplomatic efforts to halt the bloody conflict, which has claimed the lives of more than 5,000 people since April.

At the Munich Security Conference on Saturday, Mrs Merkel said the bid to end the fighting was "uncertain but worth trying", while Mr Hollande also warned it was "one of the last chances for peace".

The diplomatic push comes against an escalation in violence between the separatists and Ukrainian forces in the east of the country.

In the latest fighting, the Ukrainian military said the pro-Russian separatists had increased 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.

Mrs Merkel's opposition to arming Ukraine has led to a sharp rebuke from hawks in Washington, who have accused Berlin of turning its back on an ally.

Republican US Senator John McCain said: "The Ukrainians are being slaughtered and we're sending them blankets and meals. Blankets don't do well against Russian tanks."

However, Mr Kerry denied any rift with Europe.

"We are united in our diplomacy," he said.


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