Pro-Putin Biker Gang Spark Anger Over Ride

Written By Unknown on Kamis, 16 April 2015 | 14.59

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A Russian biker gang loyal to President Vladimir Putin is planning to ride through Europe to mark the end of the Second World War, triggering anger in Poland.

Plans by the ultra-nationalistic Night Wolves motorcycle club to retrace the westward route taken by Soviet troops to Berlin have been branded a "provocation" by Warsaw.

The rally comes amid heightened tensions between Russia and the West over the crisis in Ukraine, which have fuelled fears of Moscow's wider territorial ambitions.

The two-week, 3,728 mile ride will pass through Belarus, Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Austria and finish in the German capital on 9 May.

The biker gang's website states "To Berlin" - a reference to the Red Army's famous battle cry.

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Gallery: Vladimir Putin: Moscow's Action Man

In deeping with his image as a manage of action, Russia's PM Vladimir Putin makes an archaelogical 'find' on a dive in the Black Sea

Russian PM Vladimir Putin scales a climbing wall during his visit to a pro-Kremlin summer camp

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Mr Putin proved himself a natural climber...

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...but he had less success bending a pan

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Mr Putin (c) refereed an arm wrestling during his visit...

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The planned ride has angered many in Poland, which is a staunch ally of Ukraine's pro-Western government and where bitter memories endure of the Soviet's wartime occupation.

The country's Prime Minister Ewa Kopacz said she considered it a "provocation".

But the bikers insist their trip is not politically motivated.

Rally organiser Andrei Bobrovsky said: "This is a memorial rally.

"The main goal is to pay respects to those killed on WWII battlefields in the struggle against Hitler's Nazis - soldiers and innocent civilians.

"Another goal is to develop and strengthen good neighbourly ties."

During their journey the bikers will visit war memorials, Auschwitz and Dachau death camps and Berlin's Treptower Park famous for its Soviet war memorial.

Mr Bobrovsky said many bikers from other European countries wanted to join the rally, which is due to start on 25 April, including Germans.

But a Polish Facebook page, called "No to the passage of Russian bandits through Poland", calls on the authorities to ban the Russian riders from the EU.

Jarek Podworski, a biker from Lublin in Poland who helped set up the Facebook page, said that it was "unimaginable" for bikers who have supported pro-Moscow separatists in eastern Ukraine to ride through the EU.

"We know very well what they are doing in Ukraine," Mr Podworski said.

"Brandishing Russian flags, they want to trace the footsteps of the Red Army which in reality did not bring freedom to Poland."

"The Russians are testing the limits of their expansion. If they pass, there is a risk that in three years they will come for good."

He called on Poles to disrupt the rally by blocking the roads.

The Polish government said it is monitoring "the problem".

The Night Wolves, who are sometimes seen as Russia's answer to the Hell's Angels in the US, are close allies of Mr Putin.

The Russian leader has been pictured on a number of occasions astride a Harley-Davidson trike at events held by the gang.

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Written By Unknown on Rabu, 15 April 2015 | 14.59

White House To Take Cuba Off Terrorism List

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By Sky News US Team

US President Barack Obama will remove Cuba from a list of state sponsors of terrorism, the White House says, as relations between the two countries continue to thaw.

He notified Congress of the long-awaited decision a week after meeting his Cuban counterpart, Raul Castro, on the sidelines of the Summit of the Americas.

The handshake in Panama was the first such formal interaction between the leaders of the former Cold War adversaries in more than a half a century.

Cuba's removal from the list will take effect within 45 days unless US lawmakers raise a joint resolution against the measure, which is deemed unlikely.

While the move will ease some economic sanctions on the communist-run island, the broader US embargo on Cuba will stay in place as only Congress can end that.

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Gallery: A History Of US-Cuba Relations In Pictures

1 January 1959: Fidel Castro's rebels - under the command of Che Guevara (R) - sweep into Havana. Dictator Fulgencio Batista, who had strong relations with the American mafia and large US corporations, flees Cuba. The US soon recognises the new government

June-October 1960: Castro announces the nationalisation of nearly all US businesses - and American-owned oil refineries, after they refuse to process Soviet oil

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October 1960: Washington, under President Dwight Eisenhower, bans exports to Cuba, other than food and medicine. The US embargo begins

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3 January 1961: The US ends relations with Cuba and closes its embassy in Havana

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16 April 1961: Fidel Castro, pictured here with Che Guevara (R), declares Cuba a socialist state

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Josh Earnest, the White House press secretary, said in a statement: "We will continue to have differences with the Cuban government.

"But our concerns over a wide range of Cuba's policies and actions fall outside the criteria that is relevant to whether to rescind Cuba's designation as a State Sponsor of Terrorism."

In his message to Congress, Mr Obama said the government of Cuba "has provided assurances that it will not support acts of international terrorism in the future".

The decision could pave the way towards restoring diplomatic relations between Washington and Havana, potentially reopening embassies that have been shut for 54 years.

Mr Obama ordered a review of Cuba's status on the terrorism list in December, as he and Mr Castro took steps towards rapprochement.

Havana was added to the list of terrorism sponsors in 1982, when it was aiding Marxist insurgencies in Colombia and elsewhere.

Other countries on the list include Iran, Sudan and Syria.

Ties between Washington and Havana deteriorated in 1959 when Fidel Castro and his revolutionaries seized control, forcing US-backed dictator Fulgencio Batista to flee.

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Written By Unknown on Selasa, 14 April 2015 | 14.59

By Alex Crawford, Sky News Special Correspondent

It is 12 months since the kidnap of more than 200 Nigerian schoolgirls captured the world's attention - they remain unaccounted for and it is increasingly clear Boko Haram is still abducting hundreds more women.

Campaign group BringBackOurGirls says it has evidence some of the group were seen in the town of Gwoza in northeast Nigeria, until recently the main operational base of the militant terror group.

Nothing concrete has been heard of them since.

Even after the Nigerian military entered the town and claimed to have retaken it - a week before the country went to the polls - there has been little news of exactly what was found there.

Nigeria's new president told Sky News last month - in his first interview after it became clear he was going to be the country's next leader- that cracking down on Boko Haram and recovering the schoolgirls was his top priority.

But he warned parents not to be overly optimistic.

"We will do our best," President-elect Muhammadu Buhari told us from his Abuja residence.

A report by human rights group Amnesty International says at least 2,000 women and girls have been abducted by Boko Haram since the start of 2014.

Many of them are forced into sexual slavery - and also trained to fight.

One young woman who was kidnapped then forced into marriage told Amnesty she was repeatedly raped and sexually abused.

She said she had been taught how to use weapons and forced to take part in Boko Haram battles - even one against her own village.

Amnesty has documented what it calls multiple war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by the extremist group, which recently pledged allegiance to Islamic State.

It commissioned new satellite images, including that of the town of Bama, which showed the level of destruction wrought by Boko Haram as it retreated.

Nearly 6,000 structures can be seen damaged or destroyed - about 70% of the town.

There is more hope than at anytime over the last five years that with the election of a new president there will be fresh impetus and the will to take on the militants - and to try to find some answers for the hundreds of parents still hoping their daughters will be returned.

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Deputy Charged Over 'Taser Mix-Up' Killing

By Sky News US Team

A 73-year-old reserve deputy has been charged with manslaughter for shooting dead a man in an alleged mix-up with his Taser.

Robert Bates shot 44-year-old Eric Harris on 2 April while assisting officers in a pursuit of the convicted felon.

Police said Bates thought he was holding a stun gun, not his handgun, when he fired at Harris while officers attempted to restrain him.

Prosecutors in Oklahoma filed second-degree manslaughter charges against the reserve deputy.

The charge involves "culpable negligence", Tulsa County District Attorney Steve Kunzweiler said in a statement.

Oklahoma law defines culpable negligence as "the omission to do something which a reasonably careful person would do, or the lack of the usual ordinary care and caution in the performance of an act usually and ordinarily exercised by a person under similar circumstances and conditions," Mr Kunzweiler said.

An attorney for Bates did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

At the weekend, the Tulsa County Sheriff's Office released footage of the incident that was captured by an officer's body camera.

In it, Harris can be seen attempting to flee police before he is tackled to the pavement.

As officers attempt to hold him down, a gunshot is heard, followed by a man purported to be Bates saying, "Oh, I shot him. I'm sorry."

The sheriff's office said Bates dropped the weapon as he fired because he was not expecting it to recoil.

The body cam footage showed someone picking the handgun up off the ground seconds after the shot was fired.

Harris, who was wanted by police for allegedly trying to sell illegal guns to undercover officers, later died in hospital.

The shooting drew comparisons to other police-involved shootings that have sparked national debate of police tactics.

A former police officer in South Carolina is charged with murder for shooting dead a man as he attempted to flee arrest.

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Robot Reveals Inside Of Wrecked Nuclear Plant

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A specially-designed robot has become stranded after capturing the first grainy images from inside one of the melted reactors at Japan's doomed Fukushima nuclear plant.

It withstood the deadly radioactive environment but then became stuck two-thirds of the way through its mission and had to be abandoned.

Pictures lit by a lamp on the robot showed steam wafting around the chamber and debris that looked like small rocks and metal parts.

The video also showed numerous white spots believed to be caused by gamma rays.

Despite the glitch, officials said the images were a success and showed it was possible to send in more sophisticated robots as they embark on a 40-year mission to make the plant safe.

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Gallery: Robot's Pictures Inside Fukushima

A still image of a video taken by a small cord-controlled robot shows inside the reactor vessel of the No. 1 reactor building at Tokyo Electric Power Co's tsunami-crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant

The robot was used to film inside one of the reactors that melted down at the damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant last week, but the robot itself lost control and become disconnected

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The 60cm Hitachi robot entered the disaster zone through a pipe and then morphed into a crawler device, collecting radiation and temperature data as it crept along. Continue through for more pictures

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The robot also picked up lower than expected radiation readings, according to Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO), possibly paving the way for wireless devices to explore the site.

However, radiation levels inside the plant are still far too dangerous for humans.

The 60cm Hitachi robot entered the disaster zone through a pipe and then morphed into a crawler device, collecting radiation and temperature data as it crept along.

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Gallery: Archive: Timeline Of Events

March 11. Cooling problems at the nuclear plant emerged. The government declared state of emergency

March 12. Plant owners TEPCO said pressure was rising in some of the reactors and could not be controlled

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TEPCO spokesman Teruaki Kobayashi said its journey had been halted possibly after one of its tyres got stuck in a grating.

A different amphibious robot is set to enter the site next year for more tests.

Large volumes of cooling water continue to leak from the damaged reactors, causing contamination and hampering the cleanup process.

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Gallery: Images Of A Nuclear No-Go Zone

A boat lies stranded on the ground after the powerful tsunami two years ago.

One of the Google Street View camera cars drives through the deserted Namie streets.

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A £1.8bn ice wall extending down 1,500 metres is hoping to freeze the earth around the wrecked plant and stop contaminated water leaching into the sea.

The nuclear meltdown in March 2011 was the worst since Chernobyl and happened after a magnitude 9 earthquake hit the area and triggered a deadly tsunami.

Three reactors at the plant went into meltdown and hundreds of thousands had to be evacuated.

So far, more than 1,600 people have died from health complications brought on by the disaster.

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Written By Unknown on Senin, 13 April 2015 | 14.59

Running For President: Clinton's Champion Hopes

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Hillary Clinton has told donors she is to run for US president and seek the Democratic nomination.

A top adviser to the former First Lady and Secretary of State made her 2016 plans official with an email message sent to veterans of her first presidential campaign.

Minutes later, Mrs Clinton announced the details on her campaign website.

She said in a video, uploaded to her new campaign website, that "everyday Americans need a champion. I want to be that champion".

"I'm getting ready to do something too, I'm running for President," she said.

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Gallery: Former First Lady Makes Announcement In Emails And Online

Hillary Clinton used Twitter to post a message about her decision to run for president

Her daughter Chelsea was quick to express her pride

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The news broke in an email from a senior member of her team, John Podesta

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The wannabe president released a video on her new campaign website

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The Hillary For America logo

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"Americans have fought their way back from tough economic times but the deck is still stacked in favour of those at the top.

"Everyday Americans need a champion, and I want to be that champion, so you can do more than just get by, you can get ahead, and stay ahead, because when families are strong, America is strong.

"So I'm hitting the road to earn your vote, because it's your time, and I hope you'll join me on this journey."

Her daughter Chelsea tweeted: "Very proud of you Mom! @HillaryClinton."

Mrs Clinton is aiming to be the first female president.

She enters the Democratic primaries in a strong position to succeed her rival from the 2008 campaign, President Barack Obama.

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Gallery: Hillary Clinton: A Profile In Pictures

Hillary Clinton is launching her bid for the White House - and here is a look back her life in pictures... 1960s: Clinton as a teenager, posing on rock on the shore of a lake

1960s: A sixties teenager

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Following Sunday's announcement, she's expected to travel soon to early voting states, including Iowa and New Hampshire.

Mrs Clinton has signalled that she intends to run on strengthening economic security for the middle class and expanding opportunities for working families.

Republicans are already trying to link Mrs Clinton to President Obama. They say electing her would be no different from giving Mr Obama a third term.

Republican presidential contender Randy Paul said Mrs Clinton was a poor choice.

He said: "Hillary Clinton represents the worst of the Washington machine – the arrogance of power, corruption and cover-up, conflicts of interest and failed leadership with tragic consequences."

Sky's US correspondent Greg Milam, who is in Iowa ahead of an expected speech from Mrs Clinton, said: "She has kept us waiting for it and it didn't come out as expected with an announcement on social media from Hillary Clinton.

"It came in an email from John Podesta, a veteran of the Obama White House and now part of Hillary Clinton's team.

"It's interesting that it was him reaching out to donors, the people who will raise the expected $1bn for her campaign, getting them on side."

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Written By Unknown on Minggu, 12 April 2015 | 14.59

IS Turns Ancient City Of Nimrud Into Dust

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Islamic State militants have continued their spree of destroying ancient cities and treasures across Iraq, this time targeting Nimrud.

The video posted online appears to show the terror group's fighters smashing artefacts in the ancient Assyrian city before blowing up the site.

Militants can be seen ripping large barrels filled with powder in a room where the walls are lined with gypsum slabs, beautifully carved with representations of Assyrian figures.

Nimrud was founded in the 13th century BC and contains one of the most famous archaeological sites in the history of a country often described as the cradle of civilisation.

It was such a special city, in fact, that it was on Unesco's tentative list of world heritage sites.

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Gallery: Images Of The 3,000-Year-Old Assyrian Site

The 3,000-year-old site on the banks of the Tigris river was once the capital of the world's most powerful empire, the Assyrians. European archeologists first excavated the site in the 1840s

Statues, sections of palaces and gold items were unearthed at the site. Some of its best-known monuments include these winged bulls with human faces, known as lamassus

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Many of its artefacts were on display in the Baghdad Museum, but disappeared during the Gulf War in the 1990s. It was presumed they had been looted

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However, after the 2003 Iraq invasion by allied forces, the items were found safe. They had been locked away in a secret vault in the city, submerged in sewage water

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The collection includes hundreds of gold and gem-studded jewellery items

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The explosion sends a huge mushroom into the sky and turns yet another important part of the region's history to dust.

The fighters hack away at statues with sledgehammers and carve them up with angle grinders, claiming that God had "honoured" them by "removing and destroying everything that was held to be equal to him and worshipped without him".

In the jihadists' view, statues, idols and shrines amount to recognising objects of worships other than God and must be destroyed.

A militant speaking at the end of the destruction said: "Whenever we are able in a piece of land to remove the signs of idolatry and spread monotheism, we will do it."

Nimrud is the later Arab name given to a settlement which was originally called Kalhu and was first described in 1820, being plundered by Western explorers and officials over decades.

It was also looted and damaged during the 2003 US invasion.

Most of Nimrud's most valuable artefacts were moved long ago to museums in Mosul, Baghdad, Paris, London and elsewhere but giant "lamassu" statues - winged bulls with human heads - and reliefs were still on site.

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