Rolf Harris Stripped Of Honours In Australia

Emwazi's Old Schoolmate: 'He Was Like Any Of Us'

Written By Unknown on Sabtu, 28 Februari 2015 | 18.46

A classmate of Mohammed Emwazi - the Londoner unmasked as "Jihadi John" - has told Sky News that "nothing in his high school could have left him radicalised".

The fellow pupil of the Quintin Kynaston academy, who was two years older than Emwazi and does not wish to be named, believes the IS militant's education beyond high school may be responsible for his transformation into a cold-blooded killer.

"It wasn't like university where you'd have speakers coming over from certain societies to give talks," he said. "I suppose there was potential for him to be groomed, that is a possibility. But at the time, at secondary school, he was like any of us."

Emwazi went on to study at the University of Westminster between 2006 and 2009 - finishing his computer programming degree in the same year he was reportedly questioned by an MI5 officer in Amsterdam, accused of attempting to travel to Somalia to join a terror group.

According to the classmate, there was nothing to suggest Emwazi was religious during his teenage years. He was quiet, rarely made eye contact, and always wore a baseball cap - but was known to get into the occasional fight.

"He wasn't someone who was loud, talkative and provocative," the ex-pupil added. "There were more violent people than him."

There has been widespread shock at Emwazi's old high school following his apparent involvement in a series of Islamic State videos which show the gruesome beheadings of Western aid workers and journalists.

The classmate, who has watched some of the videos, continued: "Something has gone wrong somewhere - whether in the UK, or when he went abroad.

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Gallery: Jihadi John's University Academic Record

Mohammed Emwazi, aka Jihadi John, studied a computing course at university. Sky News has exclusively obtained his student record

His file shows mostly middling academic grades for his course modules. He graduated with a lower second (2.2) degree

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Mexico Captures 'Most Wanted' Drug Lord

One of Mexico's most wanted fugitives - Knights Templar drug cartel leader Servando Gomez - has been captured, police have said.

The 49-year-old gang boss and former primary school teacher was detained by federal officers as he left a house in Morelia, Michoacan, following months of intelligence work, officials said.

Gomez was taken to Mexico City and frogmarched in front of TV cameras, as two masked federal police officers held him down by the neck and led him into a helicopter.

The kingpin had eluded authorities last year despite a massive manhunt in the mountains of Michoacan with help from a "rural defence" force comprised of former vigilantes, who had taken up arms against the Knights Templar.

With his arrest, the authorities have now taken down all the top leaders of the cult-like cartel, dealing a huge blow to a group that once dominated the agricultural and mining state through murder, kidnappings and extortion.

Interior Minister Miguel Angel Osorio Chong said: "Today we have achieved the most important objective in the fight against organised crime: The detention of the most wanted criminal in all of Mexico."

The capture is a much-needed victory for President Enrique Pena Nieto amid public anger over his handling of violence in the neighbouring state of Guerrero, where 43 students were allegedly killed by a gang in league with local police.

President Nieto said the arrest "strengthens the rule of law and we continue marching toward a peaceful Mexico".

But Alejandro Hope, a former Mexican intelligence official, said Gomez's capture was symbolic and would "not majorly change the criminal scene".

He said Michoacan is struggling with the emergence of new armed groups and infighting among vigilantes.

Gomez became the Knights Templar's de facto boss after the group's founder, Nazario Moreno, was killed by marines in March 2014. Moreno had been wrongly declared dead by officials in 2010.

Unlike the more shadowy gangsters of Mexico's underworld, Gomez was a publicity seeker who appeared in online videos and television interviews.

He nurtured a Robin Hood image in his mountain hometown of Arteaga, where Gomez threw parties and gave out cash.

Some of his videos ensnared local politicians caught casually chatting with him around a table, including a former interim governor who was later arrested.

Authorities had a $2m reward for his capture, seeking him for alleged kidnappings, extortion, murder and drug trafficking.

At the height of its power, the cartel imported drug precursors from Asia to manufacture crystal meth before exporting the potent drug to the US.

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Cameron 'Sickened' By Boris Nemtsov Killing

David Cameron has condemned the killing of Russia's former deputy prime minister Boris Nemstov as despicable and callous.

The Prime Minister added the Russian people had been deprived of a champion of their rights and that Mr Nemtsov was greatly admired in Britain, not least by Margaret Thatcher.

"I am shocked and sickened by the callous murder of Boris Nemtsov as he walked in the heart Moscow last night," he said.

"This despicable act must be fully, rapidly and transparently investigated, and those responsible brought to justice."

The 55-year-old, who was a fierce critic of Vladimir Putin, died after being shot four times by an unidentified attacker in a passing car in Moscow during the early hours of Saturday morning.

According to colleagues, he was working on a report which apparently included concrete evidence that Russia was directly involved in the separatist movement which erupted in Ukraine last year.

At the time of the attack, Mr Nemtsov was walking along a bridge with a Ukrainian woman, who was uninjured in the shooting. She is now being questioned by police.

Police spokeswoman Elena Alexayeva said: "Citizen Nemtsov was walking with his female acquaintance, who had come from Ukraine, along the Bolshoy Kammeny Bridge towards Bolotnaya Square.

"All of a sudden, a car pulled over and several shots were fired from inside the car. As a result, four bullets hit the back (of Nemtsov) and caused Mr Nemtsov injuries incompatible with life."

The politician had received death threats on social media, but no steps were taken by the police to offer him protection, according to his lawyer, Vadim Prokhorov.

Russia's investigative committee are pursuing several lines of enquiry include Islamist extremist attack and links to the Ukraine crisis.

A senior opposition politician, Mr Nemtsov was an outspoken detractor of Vladimir Putin's administration - and had planned to attend an "anti-crisis march" through the capital on Sunday.

The economist had said in an interview with Russian media: "Every time I called (my mother), she laments: 'When are you going to stop scolding Putin? He will kill you!'"

Mr Putin has condemned the death, which he said looked like a "contract killing" - adding that he will personally oversee the investigation into the shooting.

Meanwhile, the White House has demanded that the investigation is "prompt, impartial and transparent".

President Obama, who met Mr Nemtsov in 2009, described him as a "tireless advocate" for the rights of Russian citizens, and cited his work in fighting corruption.

Garry Kasparov, chairman of the Human Rights Foundation, tweeted: "Devastated to hear of the brutal murder of my long-time opposition colleague Boris Nemtsov. Shot four times, once for each child he leaves."

Widely regarded as the greatest chess player of all time, the political activist added: "Politkovskaya was gunned down. MH17 was shot out of the sky. Now Boris is dead. As always, Kremlin will blame opposition, or CIA, whatever."

According to the Financial Times, Mr Nemtsov had wanted to tackle the stagnant wages and soaring inflation that has blighted Russia's economy in recent times - with the rouble collapsing and Western nations imposing sanctions over the government's involvement in the Ukraine crisis.

"They believe that the embargo on imported foods is America's fault, and they were surprised when I told them no, that was not Obama, it was Putin. This is what we need to make people aware of: the crisis, that's Putin," Mr Nemtsov said.

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Naming Of 'Jihadi John' Splits Victims' Families

Written By Unknown on Jumat, 27 Februari 2015 | 18.46

The family of Steven Sotloff, the US journalist beheaded in an Islamic State video, have said they have "full faith" that his alleged killer "Jihadi John" will be brought to justice - a day after he was identified as a Londoner called Mohammed Emwazi.

Speaking to Sky News, the family's spokesman Barak Barfi said: "They hope that he will be caught by American intelligence officials, brought to trial in the United States, and convicted for the crime of beheading their son.

"There's going to be no closure until these people are brought to justice. This is just one step in a long path. The Taliban were toppled in Afghanistan, al Qaeda was eradicated in Afghanistan, and we believe that one day, Islamic State's end will come.

"When that comes, people like Jihadi John will have nowhere to run."

Since the 27-year-old was unmasked as the frontman of IS, reaction from the families of the Western hostages killed in cold blood has been mixed.

The mother of James Foley, the first US journalist murdered by the militant group, has said she forgives "Jihadi John" - and described Emwazi's apparent involvement with the terror organisation as "an ongoing tragedy".

Diane Foley told The Times: "It saddens me, his continued hatred. He felt wronged, now we hate him - now that just prolongs the hatred. We need to end it."

Loved ones of David Haines, the British aid worker believed to have died at the hands of Emwazi, are also divided on what would bring closure to victims' families.

Whereas his wife, Dragana, told the BBC that Emwazi's death was "the last thing I would want for someone like him", Mr Haines' daughter, Bethany, told ITV News that she would only feel closure "once there's a bullet between his eyes".

Scrutiny is mounting over claims that Emwazi, a graduate from the University of Westminster, was already known to MI5 before he joined the ranks of IS in 2013.

But Mr Barfi, speaking to Sky News on behalf of the Sotloffs, rejected claims that British intelligence services had "dropped the ball".

He added: "The British have long been vigilant and have stopped a number of plans. This is not a replay of the Kouachi brothers, who were responsible for the Charlie Hebdo attacks.

"This is a completely different situation, and British intelligence has done as much as it could have, given the constraints of the democratic environment it works in."

Sir Menzies Campbell has said the Intelligence and Security Committee will likely seek answers about what information had been held on Emwazi - but this process will not take place until after the General Election.

According to Asim Qureshi, a director of the CAGE campaign group, Emwazi had been continually harassed by security agencies before he joined IS - and described the now-infamous militant as "extremely kind and gentle" and "the most beautiful young man".

Both Scotland Yard and Downing Street have refused to confirm reports of Emwazi's identity.

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UK's Second Ebola Vaccine Ready For Testing

By Adele Robinson, Midlands Correspondent

The UK's second Ebola vaccine is being fast-tracked to start testing in Africa in the coming weeks.

The trial, at the Oxford Vaccine Group, consists of two different vaccines given weeks apart.

The first injection "primes" the immune system with the second "boosting", or enhancing, the immune response.

Human trials started in Oxford in January and are expected to begin in Ghana, Tanzania and Kenya soon.

Large-scale testing, on tens of thousands of people in Africa, is planned for later this year.

It is one of only two Ebola vaccines to undergo clinical trials in the UK, and one of four "leading candidate Ebola vaccines" around the world, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO).

The first UK vaccine, also developed at Oxford University last year, is currently undergoing testing in Africa.

Professor Matthew Snape, from the Oxford Vaccine Group, says the fact that several companies are developing vaccines is useful for the future.

"The more vaccines that are in development the more that are likely to get through development.

"If there were to be another large Ebola outbreak or a mass immunisation campaign planned for Ebola the more manufacturers you have the better.

"They may be making different vaccines and there may be different vaccines used in different situations."

The double-dose vaccine has been developed by Johnson & Johnson with EU funding at the Oxford Vaccine Group.

Dr Neil Walker, a statistician at Churchill Hospital, volunteered to take part in human testing.

"There is a very small element of risk involved but I put my trust in the science," he said.

"It would be nice to know at the end of the study that I've contributed in a very small way to getting this vaccine out into the real world."

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Greek Clashes: Protesters In Syriza Backlash

Protesters have clashed with riot police in Greece in the first display of anti-government sentiment since the leftist Syriza party took power a month ago.

Around 450 people took to the streets of Athens to demonstrate against the newly elected left-right coalition government of Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, which agreed a deal with EU partners last week to extend an EU aid programme to Athens.

The four-month bailout extension, which was formally ratified by the German Parliament on Friday, has triggered dissent within Mr Tsipras' own party and accusations by some on the hard left that the government is going back on pre-election promises.

After the march, around 50 activists in hooded tops hurled petrol bombs and stones at police in the city's Exarchia district.

A small number of shop windows and bus stops were also smashed or damaged during the violence.

The leftist government was elected on 25 January on a promise to write off a chunk of the country's debt and end tough austerity measures which are blamed for pushing one in four Greeks out of work.

The bailout extension was overwhelmingly supported in the German Parliament after a large majority of lawmakers in Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservative bloc signalled their backing.

It was passed by 542 votes to 32 - the deal seen as a continuation of the tough restrictions placed on Greece despite the Syriza government's declaration that it amounted to a "victory" for its anti-austerity agenda.

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Dead Fish Swamp Rio Olympic Sailing Venue

Written By Unknown on Kamis, 26 Februari 2015 | 18.46

Thousands of dead fish have been found floating in the sailing venue for next year's Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.

The carcasses of twaite shad - small silver fish belonging to the herring family - have filled huge swathes of water in Guanabara Bay, and were even found washing up on the coastline outside Rio's international airport.

They were discovered by inspectors testing pollution in the bay, which has consistently high levels of garbage and untreated sewage in the water.

The city's environmental agency says it has launched an investigation, with results expected in a week's time. Officials say it is likely the fish fell victim to the intense drought.

The promise to clean up the notoriously filthy Guanabara Bay was part of Rio's Olympic bid.

This week, the International Olympic Committee said the city was making "solid progress" in its preparations for the 2016 Games, following a visit on Monday.

But last month, the Government admitted it would miss its target of reducing water pollution by 80% by the start of the Olympics next August.

State governor Luiz Fernando Pezao admitted that cleaning up the area has not been easy. "Every time we have a negotiation, the bidding process [for the project] slows and postpones things," he said.

For years, sewage has flowed into the bay from the surrounding urban sprawl. Fifteen cities share its shoreline. That means more than eight million residents, producing over 18,000 litres of sewage per second.

Mass fish deaths are common in waterways across Rio. The local O Globo newspaper reported this week that 60 tonnes of dead fish were collected in November alone.

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Surgeon Plans First Human Head Transplant

The first human head transplant could take place in just two years, according to a radical proposal by an Italian surgeon.

Sergio Canavero, from the Turin Advanced Neuromodulation Group, wants the surgery to be used to help extend the lives of people who have suffered degeneration of the muscles and nerves or those who have advanced cancer.

The surgeon plans to announce the project at the American Academy of Neurological and Orthopaedic Surgeons (AANOS) conference in Annapolis, Maryland, in June, the New Scientist reported.

Mr Canavero published a paper on the technique he would use in the Surgical Neurology International journal this month.

The recipient's head and the donor body would be cooled at the start of the procedure to extend the time that cells can survive without oxygen.

Tissue around the neck would be dissected and major blood vessels would be joined using tiny tubes.

The spinal cords would then be cut and the recipient's head moved on to the donor body. The ends of the spinal cord would be fused together using a chemical called polyethylene glycol, which encourages fat within cell membranes to mesh.

After this, the person would be put into a coma for around four weeks to prevent them moving while they heal.

Mr Canavero said he would expect the patient to be able to move and feel their face when they awoke, they would speak with the same voice and they should be able to walk within a year.

He first proposed the idea of the surgery in 2013.

He told the New Scientist: "If society doesn't want it, I won't do it. But if people don't want it, in the US or Europe, that doesn't mean it won't be done somewhere else.

"I'm trying to go about this the right way, but before going to the moon, you want to make sure people will follow you."

The first successful head transplant - involving moving the head of one monkey on to another - was carried out in 1970 at the Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, US.

The monkey lived for nine days, but its immune system rejected the head.

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Reports Identify IS Militant 'Jihadi John'

The Islamic State militant known as "Jihadi John" has been identified as a Londoner called Mohammed Emwazi, it has been reported.

According to the Washington Post, Emwazi comes from a well-to-do family and graduated from college with a degree in computer programming.

He is believed to have travelled to Syria around 2012 and to have joined the Islamic State later.

A man claiming to be a close friend of Emwazi told the newspaper: "I have no doubt that Mohammed is Jihadi John. He was like a brother to me... I am sure it is him."

A representative of a British human rights group who had been in contact with Emwazi before he left for Syria also said he believed he was "Jihadi John".

More follows...

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Venezuela Unrest: Teen's Killing Fuels Tensions

Written By Unknown on Rabu, 25 Februari 2015 | 18.46

The killing of a 14-year-old by police at an anti-government protest in Venezuela has been condemned by a state watchdog as a "vile assassination".

The shooting, during clashes in the western city of San Cristobal, is set to further fuel tensions amid an economic crisis and a crackdown on the political opposition.

A photo and video of the student, named as Kluiver Roa, lying in a pool of blood as a man frantically tried to save him while people screamed in horror, was rapidly circulated on social media.

Prosecutors say a police officer, Javier Mora, 23, is to be charged after he confessed to shooting the teenager with a shotgun which fires rubber bullets.

The city was at the centre of deadly mass protests last year and is now braced for further unrest.

Government opponents have called for a demonstration in the capital Caracas.

An opposition leader, Maria Corina Machado, said: "There are no words to transmit my pain and indignation.

"They've killed a 14-year-old child. A kid protesting with his classmates."

And in a strongly worded statement, state ombudsman Tarek Saab - charged with defending human rights - branded the teen's death a "vile assassination".

Socialist President Nicolas Maduro said in a national television address that masked protesters had attacked police, but he also condemned the killing.

"I want to offer my condolences to the parents of this young man who was murdered in an act of violence," he said.

Last month, the government issued a policy change to allow security forces to open fire and use deadly force to control protests.

At the time, human rights groups had criticised the new regulation as dangerously vague.

The clashes come as law makers from Venezuela's ruling socialist party moved to strip an opposition congressman of his seat.

Julio Borges is on a list of high-profile opposition leaders recently accused of plotting to overthrow the government.

He could be prosecuted if he loses his seat, as he would be stripped of his legislative immunity.

Last week, the opposition mayor of Caracas was arrested.

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Foreign IS Recruits Using Fake Syrian Passports

By Tom Rayner, Middle East Reporter, Turkey-Syria border

Foreign fighters seeking to join Islamic State are using black-market Syrian passports to enter through Turkish border checkpoints, according to smugglers operating in the area.

It comes as UK police say they now believe three London schoolgirls, who arrived in Turkey over a week ago, have crossed into Syria.

Since last summer, Turkish authorities have banned anyone but Syrian citizens from using official crossings, but Sky News has found that fake documents can be easily purchased from smugglers within hours.

The passports can be made to carry any name or photograph the buyer wishes to use.

The ready availability of such documents, which cost around £500 per passport, underlines the extreme difficulties faced by the Turkish authorities in identifying the true nationality of those entering Syria.

The border crossing at Akcakale, in south eastern Turkey leads to the Syrian town of Tel Abiad, which is under the control of Islamic State.

The area has become a key strategic smuggling route for Islamic State, given its position just 60 miles north of the group's main stronghold in the town of Raqqa.

Two smugglers who make their living bringing people in and out of Syria told Sky News the use of black-market passports was seen as an alternative to cross-border smuggling.

"It helps if they want to go - they have a whole new identity, which can get them across to the other side," one of the men said.

The price for more traditional people-smuggling has recently gone up, due to growing danger posed by coalition airstrikes and the presence of other Syrian rebel groups on the outskirts of the area.

"Before it was 5,000 Syrian pounds (£17), now it's 10,000 (£34] or 15,000 (£51)," he said.

"Before it was possible to cross in one day, now they have to wait two or three days in Turkey, sometimes we stay three days with the people."

But they have also noticed a change in recent months, with more Syrians attempting to leave - claiming they are "afraid" of Islamic State.

Among them are some former IS fighters, who risk being killed if caught trying to defect.

Sky News spoke to a 27-year-old former fighter, who claims he escaped the group before Christmas after being appalled at the beheading of a 14 year-old boy in Raqqah, who was accused of cursing God.

"The brutality was against Muslims," he said.

"I don't disagree they should take harsh measures against non-believers, but now they are behaving with brutality towards fellow Muslims."

He said there was growing division and resentment inside Islamic State between Syrians like himself and the foreign fighters.

"The foreign fighters are given everything - cars, help with marriage, lots of money, but Syrian fighters get very little."

Asked if he had a message for young Muslims in Britain, thinking of following in the footsteps of the three London schoolgirls by heading to Syria, he said: "Go to your homes and stay in your homes. If you want to support the Syrian people, do it with prayer."

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Polanski In Court Over US Extradition Request

Film director Roman Polanski has testified at a court in Poland over a US request for his extradition for a child sex crime conviction.

Polanski, wearing a dark suit, arrived for the hearing in Krakow with his two lawyers.

The media were barred from the court.

Presiding judge Dariusz Mazur said a ruling would not be made at the hearing as the court still had to consider additional documents submitted by Polanski's lawyers.

The judge said the papers related to unsuccessful extradition proceedings against Polanski in Switzerland in 2010.

Another court hearing is reported to have been scheduled for April.

Under Polish law, if the court rules in favour of the extradition request, it will be passed on to the country's justice minister who will make the final decision on whether to allow Polanski to be taken to the US.

The Oscar-winning filmmaker pleaded guilty in 1977 to having unlawful sex with 13-year-old Samantha Geimer during a photoshoot in Los Angeles fuelled by champagne and drugs.

He served 42 days in jail as part of a 90-day plea bargain.

However, he fled the US the following year, believing the judge hearing his case could overrule the deal and put him in prison for years.

In 2009, Polanski was arrested in the Swiss city of Zurich on the US warrant and placed under house arrest.

He was freed in 2010 after Swiss authorities decided not to extradite him.

Now 81, he is viewed by many Poles as one of their greatest living cultural figures.

Internationally renowned for such films as Chinatown and The Pianist, Polanski has been in the country to make a film about the Dreyfus affair, a political scandal that shook France more than a century ago.

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UK Hits Back At Turkey Over Missing Girls

Written By Unknown on Selasa, 24 Februari 2015 | 18.46

UK police have denied a claim from Turkey that it took three days to tell authorities there about three missing schoolgirls.

Scotland Yard issued a statement after criticism from Turkey's Deputy Prime Minister Bulent Arinc.

They claim Turkish authorities were told within 24 hours of east London teenagers Shamima Begum, Kadiza Sultana and Amira Abase going missing last Tuesday.

"Once we established that the girls had travelled to Turkey, police made contact with the foreign liaison officer at the Turkish Embassy in London on Wednesday, 18 February," the statement said.

"Since then we have been working closely with the Turkish authorities who are providing great assistance and support to our investigation."

Mr Arinc had said he hoped the girls would be found, but added that if they were not, Britain would be to blame.

He said: "It is a condemnable act for Britain to let three girls... come to Istanbul and then let us know three days later... They haven't taken the necessary measures.

"The search is ongoing. It would be great if we can find them. But if we can't, it is not us who will be responsible, but the British."

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Gallery: Three Schoolgirls From East London Go Missing

These pictures were taken from Kadiza Sultana (l) and Shamima Begum's (r) Twitter accounts

Kadiza and Shamima are feared to be on their way to Syria with a third girl, 15-year-old Amira Abase

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Islamic State Kidnaps 90 Christians In Syria

Islamic State militants have kidnapped dozens of people from Christian villages in Syria, a human rights watchdog has said.

The militants stormed at least two villages inhabited by ancient Assyrian Christians, taking some 90 civilians captive, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

Nuri Kino, the head of the activist group A Demand For Action, quoted villagers who fled the attacks as saying between 70 and 100 people are being held.

A number of children are understood to be among those taken captive.

The raids took place outside the town of Tel Hmar in Hasaka province, a region divided between IS and Kurdish control.

They follow heavy fighting in the area close to the Turkish and Iraqi border.

Syria's SANA state news agency said IS overran seven villages on Monday, forcing hundreds to flee.

Kurdish troops have proved to be effective in the fight against IS, which seized large swathes of Syria and Iraq last year.

They have been backed by US-led airstrikes, which in the last few days have targeted militants in Hasaka.

The abductions come just over a week after IS published a video purporting to show the beheadings of 21 Egyptian Christians in Libya.

It was the latest of several videos released by IS showing the execution of hostages, including foreign aid workers and journalists.

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Qatar World Cup: FIFA Recommends Winter Dates

A FIFA task force has recommended playing the 2022 World Cup in Qatar in November and December.

The task force has also suggested the event be shortened from the current 32 days to accommodate it being moved to the winter to avoid the summer heat.

Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al-Khalifa, the head of the task force, said: "We are very pleased that, after careful consideration... we have identified what we believe to be the best solution for the 2018-2024 international match calendar and football in general.

"It was a challenging task and I want to thank all members of the football community for their productive input and constructiveness in helping to find a solution that we believe can work for everyone."

European football leagues and clubs had called for the tournament to be staged in May and June to reduce the impact on their playing schedules, but that was ruled out due to the heat.

They are now expected to push for a reduced preparation period and a cut in the number of international dates during the season.

English Premier League chief executive Richard Scudamore, who was a member of the task force, said he was "very disappointed" with the decision.

"Yeah, very disappointed, that's the word, I think, on behalf of the all the European leagues and particularly the European clubs who provide most of the players for this World Cup," he said.

He added he felt "let down" by European football's governing body, UEFA, which has already accepted a switch to winter.

Britain's FIFA vice president Jim Boyce welcomed the proposed move as "common sense", although he said he would oppose the final being played on 23 December, which is reportedly one of the options.

"I think that is too close to Christmas - that's the only reservation I would have and I would like it a week earlier," he said.

Traditionally the World Cup is played in June and July, but summer temperatures in Qatar rise above 40C. In November-December, the temperatures would be around 25C.

FIFA said in a statement the task force had recommended "end-November/end-December as the most viable period for the 2022 World Cup".

January and February had been ruled out because the dates would have clashed with the Winter Olympics, and April was the month of Ramadan.

The statement said the task force was exploring the option of staging the Confederations Cup in another Asian confederation country during the traditional June and July window in 2021.

It was also considering using another FIFA competition such as the Club World Cup as the operational test event for Qatar in November and December 2021.

FIFA's executive committee will make a final decision on the 2022 World Cup dates at a meeting in Zurich on 19 March and 20 March.

Awarding the World Cup to Qatar provoked a storm of controversy about the Gulf state's suitability to host the tournament.

There have also been claims the bidding process was corrupt - claims rejected by FIFA following a lengthy investigation by its ethics committee.

The next competition in 2018 will be held in Russia.

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Rolf Harris Stripped Of Honours In Australia

Written By Unknown on Senin, 23 Februari 2015 | 18.46

Rolf Harris Stripped Of Honours In Australia

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Disgraced veteran entertainer Rolf Harris has been stripped of his honours in his native Australia.

Harris was jailed for more than five years last year after being convicted of a string of indecent assaults, including one on an eight-year-old.

Another of his young victims was the best friend of his daughter Bindi,

The shamed 84-year-old artist and musician has now lost his Officer and Member of the Order of Australia honours.

A statement from the secretary of the order of Australia said: "It is notified for general information that the Governor-General has terminated the appointments of Officer and Member of the Order of Australia in the General Division, made to: Mr Rolf Harris".

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Gallery: Rolf Harris' Career In Pictures

Rolf Harris was born on March 30, 1930, and grew up in Perth, Western Australia. As a boy, he became interested in art and his talent was recognised at primary school.

Harris had his first solo art exhibition in Perth at the age of 16. He spent two years at university but left to begin a course at teacher training college.

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He was a talented swimmer when he was a teenager but while he was at teacher training college, he contracted a virus that paralysed him for several months.

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In 1952, aged 21, he left Australia to study art in London. He started at art school in 1953 but left after two years to work with the artist Hayward Veal.

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During the 1950s, he worked for the BBC on children's programmes. In 1958, he married Alwen Hughes and worked on a TV show in Perth for a year.

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There have also been calls for Harris to lose his CBE in Britain.

Honours given by Buckingham Palace can be revoked when the person is judged to have brought the system into disrepute.

The Honours and Appointments Secretariat can recommend to the forfeiture committee to remove an honour if a person has been found guilty of a crime.

The decision to strip an individual of an honour must be approved by the Queen.

During sentencing last year, Mr Justice Sweeney told Harris: "Your reputation lies in ruins. You have been stripped of your honours and you have no one to blame but yourself.

"You took advantage of the trust placed in you because of your celebrity status to commit the offences."

Harris' BAFTA fellowship was removed following his conviction, while he was also stripped of an honorary degree from the University of East London.

During his seven-week trial, prosecutor Sasha Wass described Harris as a ''sinister pervert''.

She claimed he had a ''dark side'' and was a ''Jekyll and Hyde character''.

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Written By Unknown on Minggu, 22 Februari 2015 | 18.46

Ukrainian forces have begun the process of withdrawing heavy weapons from the frontline in agreement with separatist rebels, a military spokesman has confirmed.

However, convoys of armoured vehicles have been tracked entering Ukraine from Russia, and attacks from pro-Russia rebels have been continuing near the village of Shyrokyne, close to Mariupol.

The announcement came hours after Ukrainian government troops and rebel prisoners were exchanged across the frontline at a village in the country's war-torn east.

Some 139 Ukrainian soldiers and 52 rebels were swapped, according to a separatist official.

The exchange took place in no-man's land near the village of Zholobok, about 12 miles from Luhansk.

The Ukrainians, some on crutches, were made to walk about two miles to a rendezvous point ahead of the exchange.

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko wrote on his Twitter page that he had been informed about the exchanges.

It came after Britain and the US discussed further sanctions against Russia in the wake of the breakdown of a ceasefire in Ukraine.

US Secretary of State John Kerry said Moscow was being "extraordinarily craven" in its support for Ukrainian separatists in fighting that has raged in recent days.

Pro-Moscow rebels said most of the Ukrainian soldiers released were captured during fighting for the town of Debaltseve.

Some of the soldiers exchanged appeared to be injured and both sides accused the other of mistreating prisoners.

The peace agreement signed last week in Minsk looked forward to an exchange of all prisoners as well as a cessation of hostilities.

Under the agreement, fighting was supposed to have stopped last Sunday with the pulling back of heavy weapons taking place on Tuesday.

On Saturday, Ukraine's military and the separatists accused each other of continuing to mount attacks a week after the ceasefire was called.

Ukrainian security spokesman Colonel Andriy Lysenko said one serviceman had been killed and 40 wounded in attacks over the past day.

He added that rebels were continuing to move equipment toward the port city of Mariupol.

Ukraine is concerned that rebels will try to seize the city with a view to establishing a land corridor between mainland Russia and Crimea.

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Tsipras Declares Greek Victory In Debt Talks

Alexis Tsipras has said Greece "won a battle, not the war" by cutting a financial deal with Europe after days of tense negotiations.

The Greek prime minister said his country was now leaving its period of austerity and had dispensed with the "troika" of European Union, International Monetary Fund and European Central Bank inspectors who are hated by many Greeks.

In a televised statement, he told Greeks: "Yesterday we took a decisive step, leaving austerity, the bailouts and the troika behind.

"We won a battle, not the war.

"The difficulties, the real difficulties...are ahead of us."

Without a deal in Brussels, Greece faced panic when banks opened on Tuesday after the long weekend but the country has now secured a four-month extension to its EU funding.

This means it avoids bankruptcy and an exit from the euro but it has to come up with promises of economic reforms by Monday and some, such as the Irish finance minister Michael Noonan, say the deal is only a temporary reprieve.

Mr Noonan, himself from a country which endured years of austerity under its own bailout programme, says the eurozone had given nothing to the Greeks, despite the tough talk from Mr Tsipras.

He said: "Their political problem is that this a reversal of their election position.

"They're now compromising and compromising quite significantly.

"The biggest threat to Greece was that their banking system would go belly up next Wednesday."

Mr Noonan said Greece now faces another bailout on top of the two totalling €240bn that it has had since 2010, adding: "Once you get them into the safe space for the next four months, there'll be another set of discussions which will effectively involve the negotiation of a third programme for Greece."

Mr Tsipras and his Syriza party won power in Greece on the back of promises to end the country's EU and IMF bailout programme and cooperation with the "troika" that monitored their compliance with the bailout deal's conditions.

While winning support at home from Greeks who see his actions as getting tough instead of begging to Brussels and taking orders from Berlin, Mr Tsipras is still under pressure to move fast.

About a billion euros flooded out of Greek bank accounts on Friday, due to savers' fears that the talks would fail and Athens might put measures in place to stop withdrawals in preparation to bring in its own currency.

This came after about €20bn withdrawn by Greeks since December, when the prospect of a Syriza electoral victory became clear.

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Sydney Siege: 18 Warning Calls Before Attack

A national security hotline received 18 calls about the self-styled cleric Man Haron Monis just days before he took 18 people hostage at a cafe in Sydney, a report into the siege has revealed.

The calls between December 9 and December 12 last year all concerned offensive material on his Facebook page.

Three days later he was shot dead by police, ending the 17-hour siege which left two hostages dead.

It was later revealed the Iranian-born attacker, who had long been known to security services, was out on bail at the time of the attack for a string of charges.

Releasing the government's report - the first since the siege - Prime Minister Tony Abbott admitted "the system" had let the public down.

"Plainly, this monster should not have been in our community," Mr Abbott told reporters in Sydney.

"He shouldn't have been allowed into the country. He shouldn't have been out on bail. He shouldn't have been with a gun. And he shouldn't have become radicalised."

The report said all 18 calls were investigated by intelligence and police authorities, but none indicated a specific intention to carry out an attack, meaning the risk assessment for Monis was not changed.

"On the basis of the information available at the time, he fell well outside the threshold to be included in the 400 highest priority counter-terrorism investigations," the review said.

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Gallery: Dec: Funerals Held For Sydney Siege Victims

A photo tribute for Katrina Dawson and Tori Johnson is seen amongst flowers at a wreath laying ceremony after they were killed in a siege in the Lindt Cafe in Sydney on 16 December

Funeral services were held for the pair on 23 December. Mr Johnson's father Ken Johnson arrives for the service at St Stephen's Uniting Church

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