Ukraine Crisis: Putin Hints At Thaw With West

Russian President Vladimir Putin has held out the prospect of improved relations with the West following a tense Cold War-style stand-off over Ukraine.

But in a sign there would be no weakening of Moscow's stance, Mr Putin said he would award medals to Russian troops who served during the annexation of Crimea.

It was only recently he admitted the country's military had been involved in events on the Black Sea peninsula.

His comments came as the US warned Russia it will face further sanctions if pro-Russia militia in eastern Ukraine do not disarm, and the Kremlin admitted reinforcement troops had been sent to the border.

Mr Putin says he will award medals to Russian troops who served in Crimea

Up to 40,000 soldiers are now based near the frontier with Ukraine, but Moscow insists it is a precautionary measure.

Speaking in an interview broadcast on Russian state television, Mr Putin hinted at a thaw in relations with Western powers, which have accused the Kremlin of stoking unrest in Ukraine.

He also welcomed the appointment of the new Nato head Jens Stoltenberg

Mr Putin said: "I think there is nothing that would hinder a normalisation and normal cooperation."

But he added: "This does not depend on us. Or rather not only on us. This depends on our partners."

His US counterpart Barack Obama has said further economic and diplomatic action could be taken against Moscow if an international agreement to calm tensions in Ukraine is not implemented.

US Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov

Russia, Ukraine, the US and the European Union agreed on Thursday to a series of steps to "de-escalate" the crisis in Ukraine.

But many of the groups that took over government buildings in a bid to declare independence in eastern Ukraine have yet to leave, saying they will only do so if Ukraine's government steps down too.

US Secretary of State John Kerry told Russian foreign secretary Sergei Lavrov late on Friday that the "the next few days would be a pivotal period".

The EU has also indicated it will meet to discuss further sanctions if Russia does not act to make the militias disarm.

But earlier, the Kremlin had indicated Russia was not going to be bossed around, issuing a veiled threat.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Russian television: "Our Western colleagues are trying to push responsibility towards our side. But it must be underlined: it is a collective responsibility."

"We have troops in different regions, and there are troops close to the Ukrainian border.

"Some are based there, others have been sent as reinforcements due to the situation in Ukraine," he added.

The White House said it was watching Moscow to see if it adhered to what had been agreed in Geneva.

Pro-Russians are occupying public buildings in 10 eastern Ukrainian cities and have been told to leave in the next few days or face consequences.

Kiev had previously declared the separatists as terrorists and sent troops to remove them, but had been unable to.

The separatists want a referendum on union with Russia, similar to the one held in Crimea that ultimately led to its annexation by Russia.

Sky's Katie Stallard, in Donetsk, said there was no sign of anyone there acting on the deal reached in Geneva.

She added: "None of those at the talks directly represented those on the ground, particularly those occupying the buildings."

Meanwhile, Europe's Baltic states are in talks to set up their own Russian-language television channel in an attempt to counter the deluge of propaganda aimed at their ethnic Russian populations by Moscow-backed media.

23.17 | 0 komentar | Read More

Justin Bieber Petition: White House Responds

The White House has responded to the call to deport Justin Bieber from the US by saying: "We won't be commenting".

Since January almost 275,000 US citizens have added their names to a petition on the White House website calling on President Barack Obama to revoke the Canadian-born singer's green card.

The number surpasses the 100,000 signatures required for presidential consideration.

But the White House said it would not comment, citing terms in its 'We the People' petition programme that allows it to decline certain petitions.

Instead, it sought to use the attention given to the petition to plug its immigration reform agenda, with a few Bieber references sprinkled in. 

The first part of the White House statement said: "Thanks for your petition and your participation in We the People. Sorry to disappoint, but we won't be commenting on this one ...

"So we'll leave it to others to comment on Mr Bieber's case, but we're glad you care about immigration issues. Because our current system is broken."

The statement added: "Independent economists say immigration reform will grow our economy and shrink our deficits by almost $1 trillion in the next 20 years. For those of you counting at home, that's 12.5 billion concert tickets - or 100 billion copies of Mr Bieber's debut album."

The internet petition brands Bieber 'reckless' and 'a terrible influence'

It ended saying: "You better believe it," an apparent reference to the "Belieber" term used to describe Bieber's legions of adoring, mostly pre-teen fans.

The petition was created by a 'J.A.' in Detroit on January 23, the day Bieber was arrested in Miami Beach for alleged driving under the influence and illegal drag racing.

"We the people of the United States feel that we are being wrongly represented in the world of pop culture," it says.

"We would like to see the dangerous, reckless, destructive and drug-abusing Justin Bieber deported and his green card revoked.

"He is not only threatening the safety of our people but he is also a terrible influence on our nation's youth. We the people would like to remove Justin Bieber from our society."

Bieber, 20, is understood to be living and working in the US under a renewable visa for entertainers, rather than a green card for permanent resident status.

It remains unclear whether Bieber's visa would be affected by his arrest.

Bieber also faces an assault charge in Canada for allegedly striking a limousine driver on the back of the head.

23.17 | 0 komentar | Read More

Mexico City Hit By Magnitude 7.2 Earthquake

A powerful earthquake has been felt in Mexico's capital, shaking buildings and sending people running into the street.

The magnitude 7.2 quake was centred in the western state of Guerrero, north of the beach resort of Acapulco.

Rubble from a wall that collapsed in the quake is removed in Mexico City

Its centre was 165 miles south west of the capital, the US Geological Survey said.

The quake shook Mexico City for at least 30 seconds, with some walls cracking and crumbling, but there were no reports of major damage or casualties.

A man carries a woman who fainted as buildings were shaken in the capital

Journalist James Blears, based near Mexico City, told Sky News: "This earthquake had tremendous power - it lasted 30 seconds, instead of just a few seconds.

"Buildings were swaying and thousands of people have evacuated buildings and are standing in the street." 

The earthquake was centred 165 miles south west of the capital

Mexico City Mayor Miguel Angel Mancera said on Twitter that authorities were checking the sprawling capital for damage.

"For now we are only seeing evacuations," Mr Mancera said.

People fled from tower blocks as the earthquake hit the capital

Luis Felipe Puente, head of the Mexican government's emergency services, said on Twitter there were no immediate reports of damage.

The US Pacific Warning Centre said it did not expect the quake to trigger a destructive tsunami.

Nevertheless, residents of the capital were shaken by the quake, one of the biggest to hit Mexico in several years.

Families take to the streets in Mexico City

"I had to hold on to a tree, like a drunk," said Pedro Hernandez, 68, a doorman working in central Mexico City.

"This is really strong," said Gabriel Alejandro Hernandez Chavez, 45, an apartment building guard in central Mexico City.

"And I'm accustomed to earthquakes."

Mexico City is vulnerable to earthquakes because much of it sits atop the muddy sediments of drained lake beds that quiver as quake waves hit.

The magnitude 8.1 quake in 1985 that killed at least 6,000 people and destroyed many buildings in Mexico City was centred 250 miles (400 kilometers) away on the Pacific Coast.

23.17 | 0 komentar | Read More

Mount Everest's 'Deadliest Avalanche' Kills 12

At least 12 Sherpa guides have been killed after an avalanche swept down the slopes of Mount Everest.

The avalanche hit the area just below Camp 2 at 6,400 metres (21,000ft).

Helicopters and rescuers on foot were sent to the scene on the most popular route to the summit and pulled 12 bodies from the snow and ice. Three others were believed to still be missing.

Two Sherpas who were injured were taken by helicopter to hospitals in the capital, Katmandu.

Ang Tshering, of the Nepal Mountaineering Association, said the area where the avalanche occurred is known as the "popcorn field".

Injured Sherpa Dawa Tashi is in an intensive care unit in Katmandu

The guides had gone out in the early morning to lay ropes for other climbers

Hundreds of climbers and guides have gathered at the base camp ahead of their attempt to scale the 8,850 metre (29,035ft) mountain.

They have been setting up camps ahead of the peak climbing season at the start of May when the weather is more favourable.

Nepal has announced several steps this year to manage the flow of climbers, minimise congestion and speed up rescue operations.

Preparations include sending officials and security personnel to the base camp at 5,300m (17,380ft), where they will stay until the end of the climbing season in May.

Kathmandu-based expert Elizabeth Hawley, considered a leading authority on Himalayan climbing, said the avalanche was the most deadly single accident on the peak.

Mr Dawa was airlifted from the avalanche by rescuers

The previous worst accident occurred in 1996 when eight people were killed over a two-day period. The tragedy was immortalised in the best-selling book Into Thin Air, written by US mountaineering journalist Jon Krakauer.

"This is the absolutely the worst disaster on Everest, no question," Ms Hawley said.

More than 4,000 climbers have scaled the summit since 1953, when it was first conquered by Edmund Hillary and Sherpa Tenzing Norgay.

More than 300 people are believed to have died tackling the peak during that time.

23.17 | 0 komentar | Read More

Missing Plane Search 'Could Take 5 to 7 Days'

By Nick Martin, News Correspondent, in Perth

Australian officials supervising the search for the missing Malaysia Airlines flight have said that an underwater search for the black box recorder based on "pings" possibly from the device could be completed in five to seven days.

It comes as search teams say the submarine currently scanning the ocean floor remains "the best lead" in finding the plane.

The US Navy-operated Bluefin-21 autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) has now covered an area of 82 square miles (133 sq km) and has completed six missions.

But its sonar scanners have detected nothing, Sky News understands.

The Bluefin-21 submersible has already carried out six descents

After nearly six weeks without any sign of the plane, the current underwater search has been narrowed to a circular 6.2-mile (10km) area around the location where one of the pings thought to come from the missing flight's black box was detected earlier this month.

The submersible is likely to take up to a week to cover the refined search area.

The Bluefin-21 has now started its seventh descent to the bottom of the Indian Ocean.

It takes two hours for the unmanned submersible to travel more than 4,500m to the seabed where it spends 16 hours at a time using sonar scanners to map the ocean floor. Data is then downloaded at the surface.

The Chinese ship Hai Xin 01 conducts a search in the southern Indian Ocean

No sign of the plane has been picked up, said search officials based in Perth, Australia.

"Overnight, Bluefin-21 AUV completed mission six in the underwater search area. Data from the sixth mission is currently under analysis. No contacts of interest have been found to date," said an official.

"This is the best lead we have in the search for missing flight MH370."

Hishammuddin Hussein, acting Malaysia Transport Minister, told a news conference on Saturday: "The immediate search area that the Bluefin-21 is scouring should be completed within the next week.

"All efforts will be intensified in the next few days in regards to the search."

The underwater hunt is complicated by the depth of the largely unexplored sea floor. The US Navy's unmanned sub has already gone beyond its recommended limit of 4,500 meters (15,000 feet).

Malaysia flight MH370 took off from Kuala Lumpur on March 8 bound for Beijing. But an hour into the flight it disappeared from radar. There were 239 people on board, mostly Chinese citizens.

Some families of those on board refuse to believe the aircraft crashed into the sea and have instead denounced the search effort as a cover-up.

Up to 11 military aircraft and 12 ships are assisting the search over the long Easter bank holiday weekend. The total search area is 31,000 square miles (50,200 sq km), across three areas.

23.17 | 0 komentar | Read More

Kate And William: Duchess Tries Out Fighter Jet

The Duchess of Cambridge turned down a chivalrous offer from her husband as the Royal couple continue their tour of Australia.

William was left watching as Kate - despite wearing heels - deftly climbed into the cockpit of a Super Hornet during a visit to the Royal Australian Air Force base Amberley, near Brisbane.

The Duke had asked: "Do you fancy jumping in the back?"

But the Duchess, dressed in a white LK Bennett dress with blue poppies on, wanted to have a go at the controls of the multimillion-pound plane herself from the pilot's seat.

Kate accepts some flowers from a little girl in Brisbane

Stephen Chappell, commanding officer of Number 1 Squadron, said there was some "bi-play between the two as to who was sitting in what seat".

During their visit, the Duke and Duchess met with relatives of four Australian servicemen killed in recent conflicts.

Kate was also presented with a boomerang by twins Ellijah and Tobee Dyer, three, for Prince George.

It comes after the Duchess poked fun at her husband's bald patch and started races on Sydney's Manly Beach as the Royal couple watched life-saving demonstrations.

Kate wore wedges to run in despite the sand before they were presented with a surfboard for their son.

The Duke and Duchess are on a nearly three-week tour of New Zealand and Australia.

They will complete their tour on April 25 in Canberra.

23.17 | 0 komentar | Read More

South Korea Ferry Disaster Captain's Apology

The captain of a ferry that capsized off the coast of South Korea leaving more than 200 children dead or missing has apologised to the families of the victims.

In a televised address with his head bowed, Lee Joon-Seok said he had delayed the order to abandon the Sewol because he thought the sea was too cold and that the passengers, mostly children, would "drift away".

South Korea's coastguard found another three bodies on Saturday morning, bringing the confirmed death toll to 32. More than 270 passengers in total are still missing.

A member from the South Korean Navy's SSU dives into the sea off Jindo

Divers trying to find the missing have seen more bodies inside the submerged vessel but have been unable to reach them. 

The discoveries of the bodies came as it emerged the third mate steering the ferry at the time of the accident was navigating the waters for the first time.

Senior prosecutor Yang Jung-jin told reporters that the officer, a 25-year-old woman, was steering the ship as it passed through an area with lots of islands clustered close together and fast currents.

Divers say they have seen bodies through the windows of the sunken ship

Mr Yang said that another mate usually took controls through the area but, because heavy fog caused a departure delay, the third mate was steering.

The 69-year-old captain, described as an industry veteran by the ship's owners and an "expert" by others, was arrested on suspicion of negligence and abandoning people in need.

Investigators are looking into whether Lee's evacuation order came too late to save lives. Two crew members have also been arrested for failing in their duty to assist passengers.

Oh Yong-Seok, a helmsman on the ferry, said when the crew sent a distress call, the ship was already listing more than five degrees.

A family member of a passenger waits for news from rescue teams in Jindo

About half an hour later, Lee finally gave the order for the passengers to abandon ship, according to Mr Oh.

Investigations are also focusing on whether problems with cargo stowage and structural defects of the vessel might have led to the ship capsizing.

Addressing journalists, Lee said: "I am sorry to the people of South Korea for causing a disturbance and I bow my head in apology to the families of the victims.

"I gave instructions regarding the route, then I briefly went to the bedroom and then it happened.

"At the time, the current was very strong, temperature of the ocean water was cold, and I thought that if people left the ferry without (proper) judgement, if they were not wearing a life jacket, and even if they were, they would drift away and face many other difficulties.

"The rescue boats had not arrived yet, nor were there any civilian fishing ships or other boats nearby at that time. There was a mistake on my behalf as well but the steering (gear of the ship) turned further than it was supposed to."

Lee was speaking as divers searching for some 200 missing people say they looked through a window of the ship and saw three bodies inside the sunken vessel but were unable to retrieve them.

No sounds have been heard from the hull which has now disappeared under the water. Rescuers say hopes of finding survivors are fading.

The number of passengers confirmed dead currently stands at 28.

Some 325 passengers were students from Danwon High School near Seoul.

They were on a school trip making a 13-hour journey to the holiday island of Jeju.

23.17 | 0 komentar | Read More

Rob Ford: Crack-Using Mayor Launches Campaign

Supporters of embattled Toronto mayor Rob Ford queued up to get their hands a 'bobble headed' doll of their hero as he launched his bid for re-election.

The politician, who admitted smoking crack cocaine last year, acknowledged he had had "rocky moments" but vowed to fight harder than ever at his inaugural campaign rally.

Ford is seeking re-election on October 27 despite widespread coverage that many believe made him and his city an international embarrassment.

He told those attending the rally: "There's been some rocky moments over the past year. I have experienced how none of us can go through life without making mistakes.

"And when they occur, we learn a lot about ourselves. Humility, the kindness of people and the spirit of second chances."

Ford's bobble-head dolls were launched in November and sold out

The errant mayor shot to fame in November 2013 when Toronto police said they had obtained a copy of a video which appeared to show him inhaling the highly addictive drug.

He refused to resign and, in the weeks after, story after story emerged exposing him for behaviour that many felt was inappropriate for the mayor of such a large city.

He was filmed knocking over a female councillor, ticketed for jaywalking, captured on video slurring his words and accused of paying for an attack on his brother-in-law.

Toronto Mayor Rob Ford supporter Daniel Boone poses for a picture

Despite the exposés, Ford remains popular among a core of voters in his home suburb of Etobicoke.

His promises to slash spending, cut taxes and end what he called "the war on the car" have gained him a loyal following.

Nodding bobble-head lookalikes of the mayor were first put on sale last November, according to the Toronto Star, at 20 Canadian dollars each (£12), with proceeds going to a charity.

His previous batch of 300 of the figures sold out within minutes and immediately began popping up on eBay for as much as 15 times their purchase price.

Toronto Mayor Rob Ford supporters sit on a fire truck

At the rally, a range of other merchandise was on sale, including bumper stickers, badges, t-shirts and foam fingers.

Since he became famous, a number of American and international comedians have mocked the mayor.

But, according to the Star, he had rebuffed all attempts to force him from office and has continued his drive to take on what he describes as "abuse of taxpayers' money".

The Star said the latest opinion poll, taken on Monday, put left-wing candidate Olivia Chow at the head of the field with 34% of support, Ford with 27% and former opposition leader John Tory with 24%.

23.17 | 0 komentar | Read More

Twin Boys Fight Off Carjacker With Toy Snake

A thief who stole a car with three children in the back was forced to pull over when one of the youngsters began whipping him with a rubber snake.

The carjacker jumped into the vehicle outside Lucia Lozada's home in San Antonio, Texas, as the family prepared to go to church.

The children's distraught mother called police but just 10 minutes later, the seven-year-old twin boys and their one-year-old brother were safe after taking matters into their own hands.

Sergeant Javier Salazar of the San Antonio Police Department told ABC News: "One of the boys was punching the man in the face and the other was hitting him with a rubber snake."

The boys were reunited their mum after a girl ran for help. Pic: ABC News

Hermini Segovia, the children's grandmother, said the thief "just wanted the car" and let the boys keep their tablet computer.

"He even shook their hands before dropping them off," she added.

The boys were soon reunited with their parents after a girl who was playing outside a house in the street where their ordeal came to an end spoke to them and got them help.

Sgt Salazar added: "The parents were thanking us for getting their children back so quickly but we're crediting the twins who are as cute and as brave as can be."

A police spokesman said officers were searching for a white male in his 30s who has tattoos on both legs and is often seen in the Colglazier and Pecan Valley neighbourhoods on foot.

23.17 | 0 komentar | Read More

Papua New Guinea Quake Sparks Tsunami Warning

A tsunami warning was triggered after a magnitude 7.5 earthquake struck off Papua New Guinea in the Pacific Ocean.

The powerful quake hit late on Saturday at a depth of 19 miles (31km) and was located 47 miles (75km) southwest of the town of Panguna on Bougainville Island.

There were no immediate reports of injuries or damage.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre issued a warning for Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands but this was later cancelled.

And the centre said there was no threat to neighbouring Australia or across the Pacific Ocean.

At least six strong tremors have hit near Bougainville in the past week, including a magnitude 7.3 on April 11.

But there have been no reports of major damage.

"Certainly it has been very active, more active than usual," said Jonathan Bathgate, a seismologist at Geoscience Australia.

"(The spate of earthquakes) is relieving some pressure on this faultline, but we can't rule out another large earthquake."

Quakes are common in Papua New Guinea which lies on the "Ring of Fire" - an arc of earthquake and volcanic activity that stretches around the Pacific Rim.

23.17 | 0 komentar | Read More