Greece Will Leave Austerity 'Humiliation' Behind

New Greek Govt Begins Battle Over Bailout

Written By Unknown on Sabtu, 31 Januari 2015 | 14.59

Greece's newly elected anti-austerity government has said it will not co-operate with its international "troika" of creditors - the European Union, the European Central Bank and the International Monetary Fund.

Greece's finance minister Yanis Varoufakis said that despite warnings his country would shortly run out of money, his government preferred to do without fresh funds and instead renegotiate its entire €240bn (£180bn) bailout package.

Athens has been promised another €7.2bn (£5.4bn) in funds from the troika if it completes reforms required by its lenders by 28 February, when the bailout programme runs out.

"This government was elected on the basis of analytically questioning the very logic of the programme now being applied," Mr Varoufakis said, referring to the reforms and budget cuts demanded by the troika.

"We don't want the €7bn ... We want to sit down and rethink the whole programme."

But the stance has already drawn criticism from EU officials and the bloc's biggest economy, with Germany's Angela Merkel reportedly saying there should be no debt reduction for Greece.

At a strained news conference with Eurogroup chief Jeroen Dijsselbloem, Mr Varoufakis said Athens was willing to negotiate with its lenders but not with the troika, which he described as a "committee built on rotten foundations".

Mr Dijsselbloem insisted Greece should stick to its reform commitments.

He said Greece and the Eurogroup had a "mutual interest in the further recovery of the Greek economy inside the eurozone" and warned against Athens acting unilaterally in its efforts to renegotiate its bailout.

"Taking unilateral steps and ignoring previous arrangements is not the way forward," Mr Dijsselbloem said.

"The problems of the Greek economy have not disappeared or changed overnight with the elections."

Further concern comes from the potential of the anti-austerity political movement spreading to other EU nations.

A large turnout is expected today in the Spanish capital Madrid, in support of the new far left party Podemos.

The troika was formed in 2010 to rescue debt-riddled Greece with the bailout on the condition Athens imposed huge spending cuts and fiscal reforms.

Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras was elected last Sunday on a platform of ending austerity and erasing most of the country's national debt.

He will meet Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi on Tuesday and French President Francois Hollande on Wednesday, a source in his office said, to push for renegotiations of the bailout.

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IS Chemical Weapons Expert Killed, Says US

A chemical weapons expert working with Islamic State (IS) in Iraq has been killed in a coalition airstrike, the US military has said.

Abu Malik was killed near Mosul during an air raid on 24 January, US Central Command announced on Friday.

Malik had worked at a chemical weapons production plant under Saddam Hussein's regime before the dictator was toppled in 2003.

He later forged an affiliation with al Qaeda in Iraq in 2005, before joining IS, according to Central Command.

Malik's training "provided the terrorist group with expertise to pursue a chemical weapons capability", the military said in a statement.

"His death is expected to temporarily degrade and disrupt the terrorist network and diminish ISIL's ability to potentially produce and use chemical weapons against innocent people."

Previously US officials had not publicly referred to Malik as a key IS figure.

There has been no evidence to suggest IS possesses a major chemical weapons arsenal, but there have been claims the jihadist organisation has employed chlorine gas, which is classified as a "choking agent".

A US defence official, speaking anonymously, said Malik had been "involved in operations to produce chemical weapons in 2005, and planned attacks in Mosul with AQI (al Qaeda in Iraq)".

"Based on his training and experience, he was judged to be capable of creating harmful and deadly chemical agents," added the official.

"We know ISIL is attempting to pursue a chemical weapons capability, but we have no definitive confirmation that ISIL currently possess chemical weapons."

The US-led coalition has carried out more than 2,000 air raids against IS in Iraq and Syria since 8 August.

Airstrikes have been pounding the Mosul area in the north over the past week, the military said.

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Deadly Shell Strike As Ukrainians Queue For Aid

At least six people have been killed after shells hit a cultural centre and a trolleybus in the Ukrainian city of Donetsk.

People had been queuing for aid outside the building in the centre of the city when two artillery shells struck, witnesses said.

Sky's Katie Stallard, reporting from the scene in Donetsk, said: "We have seen five bodies at this location.

"We saw the bodies of two middle-aged women and two men on the ground. Another man was killed in a car a very short distance away.

"We are told he was trying to manoeuvre the car away as the shell came in, but he was killed as he sat in the driver's seat."

Pictures from outside the cultural centre showed vehicles punctured by shrapnel and with their windows blown out. The tops of nearby trees had been blown off by the force of the blast.

The victims appeared to be dressed in civilian clothing.

The sixth victim was seen by a Reuters cameraman near the damaged trolleybus elsewhere in the city.

It was not immediately clear if the shells were fired by government troops or pro-Russian separatists.

A battle was also taking place around Debaltseve, a key government-held town of 25,000 people that straddles a railway connecting the two rebel centres of Luhansk and Donetsk.

The separatists claimed to have almost encircled the town, telling Ukrainian troops through Russian state TV: "Surrender and you will live".

The past week has seen some of the heaviest fighting in eastern Ukraine since a ceasefire was agreed five months ago.

US Secretary of State John Kerry will visit Kiev on Thursday for talks with President Petro Poroshenko and other Ukrainian officials, the US State Department said.

President Barack Obama this week voiced deep concern about renewed fighting between Russian-backed separatist and government forces in eastern Ukraine and said the US is considering all options short of military action to isolate Russia.

Conditions in Donetsk have been deteriorating as the violence has ramped up, with hundreds of people taking shelter in an arts centre too afraid to let their children play outside or go to school.

More than 5,000 have died since the pro-Russian separatists declared their own 'People's Republics' in the region last April.

The rebels said peace talks due to take place in the Belarussian capital, Minsk, on Friday, had been called off after Kiev failed to send any representatives.

Meanwhile, NATO has announced it will deploy small units in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Bulgaria and Romania to help co-ordinate military exercises and set up command and control in response to Russia's action in Ukraine.

The forward units are expected to comprise only a few dozen troops, with Norway, Germany and the Netherlands expected to contribute.

Moscow has accused the European Union of adopting a "one-side reading" of the conflict and warned against further sanctions.

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Ukraine: Daily Struggle On Conflict's Front Line

Written By Unknown on Jumat, 30 Januari 2015 | 15.00

By Katie Stallard, Moscow Correspondent, in Donetsk

As the fighting in eastern Ukraine intensifies, humanitarian conditions in the region are deteriorating.

Sky News filmed families in the rebel-controlled capital of Donetsk, as it was revealed the European Union has extended its first set of sanctions against the separatists and Russia, which has been accused of aiding the rebellion.

Some of the families in Donetsk have been living in underground shelters since July, too frightened to let their children play outside or go to school.

Two hundred people, including more than 50 children, are living in the basement of an arts centre in the city's western suburb - afraid to allow the children above ground for more than a few minutes at a time.

One eight-year-old girl said she could not remember when she last played outside.

"If they go out it's only for five minutes maximum," her mother, Vika Makeeva, told us.

"To get fresh air and come back."

They said the school had been shelled and it had no basement shelter so the children had not been since December.

UNICEF has provided them with hygiene kits, and individuals have donated food and toys for the children.

"They started to shell us from the Ukrainian side," Luba, one of the mothers, said.

"I took the child when he was asleep in his blanket, put him on a bike and we went to a shelter in the children's hospital, but it was really damp, with frogs, and then we came here."

Many of the residents have homes, but they are too frightened to return.

We went with one lady to check on her flat - she told us their block was shelled four days ago, and their roof destroyed.

As she led us across the courtyard she heard outgoing rocket fire and hurried behind a concrete wall, listening for the sound of the impact so she could work out which direction it was heading.

She said this was why she was afraid to bring her children outside.

In the city centre we saw long queues of people, the majority of them pensioners, outside an aid distribution point.

It was bitterly cold and there was thick ice on the ground, but they had been waiting patiently since 8am for handouts donated by Ukraine's richest man, Rinat Akhmetov.

The Ukrainian government has cut off pensions and other social payments to those living in rebel-controlled areas like Donetsk.

There is food in the shops, but many have no money to buy it, and so find themselves dependent on donations.

"For six months we have had no pension," one elderly woman told us.

"We have no salaries, no pensions, that's it... so we're queuing for help."

"This is how we live," her husband added.

"Waiting for the humanitarian aid, thanks that they are helping us."

Pavel Gudchok worked for a Ukrainian bank, but they closed the branches in Donetsk last year and now he cannot find a job.

He was visibly shivering as he waited to help his grandmother at the aid point.

"There's no money here, people are hungry here, without homes," the 24-year-old said.

"They need everything now."

The longer this goes on, the more attitudes here are hardening, the stronger the anger with Kiev - and the deeper the divisions in this already bitterly divided country.

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EU Extends Russian Sanctions Over Ukraine Crisis

The European Union has extended its first set of sanctions against Russian and pro-Russian separatist officials by a further six months due to the ongoing crisis in Ukraine.

The sanctions were due to expire in March, but Dutch foreign minister Bert Koenders said an extension sends a "strong signal toward Russia".

The extension was agreed during a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Brussels on Thursday.

During the meeting, foreign ministers also agreed to add new names to its sanctions blacklist.

Officials will hold a summit on 12 February to discuss whether to impose further measures against Russia, which has been accused of intervening militarily in the conflict.

"We have shown that the EU is ready to take further measures and to prepare further measures in the weeks to come if the situation doesn't improve," EU foreign affairs chief Federica Mogherini said.

Since Russia's annexation of Crimea, the EU has steadily increased its sanctions against Moscow.

Strict economic sanctions were imposed in July, which have stung Russia.

Ukrainian government forces destroyed railway tracks in Lukansk on Wednesday, which they believed were being used by separatists to transfer supplies.

On Saturday, 30 people were killed when rockets struck a densely-populated eastern district of Mariupol, leading to calls for further pressure from the EU.

More than 80 people were also injured in the separatist offensive, which saw homes, shops, schools and a busy market hit by long-range missiles.

International monitors confirmed that the rockets were fired from rebel-held territory.

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Inside Ukraine's Rebel-Controlled Capital

By Katie Stallard, Moscow Correspondent, in Donetsk

A set of metal steps leads you down into the darkness of the underground shelter, below a suburban arts centre in the rebel-controlled capital of Donetsk.

The power had gone off earlier that morning, there had been shelling nearby.

They weren't sure when it would come back on.

Children emerged from the makeshift tents, keen to show their toys to the camera - happy and playing with their friends, but pale.

Most have not been outside for more than a few minutes at a time for a month.

One young girl said she couldn't remember when she had last played above ground.

The adults are afraid to allow them further than the courtyard upstairs - they say the street across the park was shelled four days ago.

They say the school was hit too, and it doesn't have a bomb shelter, so it's no longer safe for the children to go.

They haven't been to class since December.

Some of the boys played with plastic guns - fighting imaginary soldiers, but their fear is visceral and real.

Several described explosions and the damage to their homes.

When they were asked who was shelling them, they replied "fascists".

By this they mean the government in Kiev - and that's what these children and their parents believe: that the Ukrainian army is attacking them, that "fascists" have taken power, and that they have only the pro-Russian rebels to protect them.

During the time that we were filming we could hear only what appeared to be outgoing rocket fire, but both sides blame the other for the upsurge in violence in recent days.

Outside what was a busy market in the city centre, we saw long queues for humanitarian aid, donated by Ukraine's richest man, Rinat Akhmetov.

The Ukrainian government has cut off pensions and social payments to those in rebel-controlled areas.

There is still food in the shops, but many particularly the elderly, have no money to buy it, and find themselves dependent on handouts.

All of which stokes the feeling here that the national government has abandoned them, that those in Kiev no longer care about their welfare.

It is not a recipe for a united Ukraine.

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Prisoner Given Last-Minute Stay of Execution

Written By Unknown on Kamis, 29 Januari 2015 | 14.59

By Ian Woods, Sky News Correpondent

A death row prisoner has been granted a stay of execution, the day before he was due to be killed by lethal injection.

Richard Glossip, and two other prisoners in Oklahoma, were given temporary reprieves by the United States Supreme Court amid concerns about a drug used in executions.

Midazolam is a sedative administered prior to a paralytic that prevents a prisoner flailing around, while a third drug stops their heart. But there has been criticism that the anaesthetic is not strong enough.

Last year, there was an outcry when problems administering the lethal cocktail led to a prisoner, Clayton Lockett, writhing in pain for 43 minutes before he died of a heart attack.

Glossip's attorney, Mark Kenricksen, told Sky News: "We should not use these human beings as lab rats for Oklahoma's attempt to find a constitutionally acceptable death penalty protocol, and that's why we're suing."

The Glossip case is highly unusual, because he is the only one of the 49 prisoners on Oklahoma's death row who did not actually kill anyone. He was accused of paying an accomplice to murder the owner of a motel where they worked.

The actual killer, Justin Sneed, was offered a plea deal. He escaped the death penalty in return for testifying against Glossip, and is serving a life sentence with no hope of parole.

Until a few weeks ago, there seemed to be little interest in Glossip's impending execution. Then, one of America's foremost abolitionists got involved.

Sister Helen Prejean is the Catholic nun who wrote about her experiences of working with death row inmates. Her book, Dead Man Walking, became a film - and Susan Sarandon's portrayal of the nun won her an Oscar for Best Actress in 1996.

Earlier this week, Sister Helen breezed into Oklahoma City and told a news conference that the eyes of the world were on the state.

She visited Glossip for the first time just a few hours before news of his reprieve was delivered. The Supreme Court will hear submissions on the issue on 29 April.

But despite the controversy, there is still public support for the death penalty in Oklahoma. And some lawmakers have even suggested an alternative way to kill prisoners - using nitrogen gas.

State Senator Ralph Storey told Sky News: "If it got to the point where we didn't have the technological advancements to have lethal injections, I would support hanging or beheading or whatever it would take to make sure that person, in the end, meets his justice."

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Risk V Reward In Islamic State Hostage Deal

Time is running out and pressure is mounting for the Jordanian and Japanese authorities.

The demand from Islamic State militants is the release of an Iraqi would-be suicide bomber in exchange for the lives of a Japanese journalist and a Jordanian fighter pilot.

Bluntly, the Jordanian authorities will now be weighing up the risks of releasing Sajida al Rishawi into the hands of a terrorist group against the reward for doing so.

:: The risks

1. Releasing a self-confessed terrorist into the hands of a terror group. Sajida al Rishawi confessed to trying to blow up the Radisson SAS hotel in Amman in 2005.

In her televised confession (which she later retracted) she said she hoped to kill as many men, women and children as possible.

Her husband's suicide belt went off. He died along with 36 other victims. Al Rishawi's belt did not go off and she was later arrested.

If she is handed over to IS militants, could she go on to carry out a successful suicide mission?

2. Bowing to terrorists' demands: No government wants to be seen to be bowing to the demands of the Islamic State.

Deals with terrorists embolden them and encourage them to take more people hostage.

The covert payment of ransoms by some governments has only added to Islamic State's wealth, which is already huge thanks to their control of oil assets in Syria and Iraq.

The Jordanian government will be under huge pressure by the Americans and others not to do any deal with Islamic State.

:: The rewards

1. The hostages survive: If Al Rishawi is released and Islamic State militants stick to the deal (there is no guarantee that they will) then clearly the lives of Kenji Goto and Lt Mu'ath al Kaseasbeh will be saved.

Emotionally, this is an overriding objective.

2. Intelligence: Agencies around the world would be extremely keen to "debrief" the two hostages and learn as much as possible about their captors.

It is thought that they were being held by a man dubbed 'Jihadi John', a Briton who was behind the beheading of a number of other hostages, including Britons David Haines and Allan Henning and Americans Steven Sotloff, James Foley and Peter Kassig.

Despite sustained efforts, he has not been located. Intelligence agencies could glean vital information from the two men.

:: Other options

There are other plausible scenarios which could secure the release of the two men.

Through backchannels in Jordan, a deal could perhaps be struck which would see the release of a number of other alleged Islamist militants who are in Jordanian jails, prisoners who are seen as less of a security risk.

If any deal is done though, the Jordanian and Japanese authorities will need a "proof of life", showing that Mr Goto and Lt al Kaseasbeh are still alive.

In Tuesday's demand, both men were seen only in photographs. Some in Jordan believe that Lt al Kaseasbeh is already dead.

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Audio: Hostage Faces Death Within Hours

An audio recording purportedly from a man being held by IS militants says a fellow hostage has just hours to live unless an Iraqi prisoner is released.

The message, which is unverified, is believed to have been read out by Kenji Goto - a Japanese journalist taken by Islamic State militants last year.

In it the voice demands the release of Sajida al Rishawi, who was sentenced to death in Jordan for her involvement in a 2005 terrorist attack that killed 60 people.

The man states that a fellow hostage - Jordanian pilot Lieutenant Muath al Kasaesbeh - would be killed if the prisoner was not ready to be exchanged at the Turkish border with Syria by "sunset".

The brief message did not make it clear what the fate of either hostage would be even if the group's demands were met.

Japan's chief cabinet secretary Yoshihide Suga said: "We are still in the process of verification but with all of the information gathered we think that there is a high probability that the voice was indeed that of Mr Goto."

Although the Jordanian government is willing to hand over the would-be suicide bomber, nations around the world - including the US - believe the deal with IS should not go ahead.

Such an exchange could set a dangerous precedent, encouraging terrorists to take more people hostage.

However, if both hostages were to survive, it could provide crucial intelligence about their captors, as the whereabouts of a man dubbed "Jihadi John" remains unknown.

The family of Lt al Kaseasbeh have met Jordan's King Abdullah, where they were assured that "things were still positive".

Despite this, the country's Foreign Minister has not received any evidence that the pilot is alive and well.

The Japanese government is investigating the latest footage, which was originally uploaded to YouTube.

The mother of Kenji Goto has made a tearful appeal to Japan's Prime Minister to help save her son.

Junko Ishido said she had begged Shinzo Abe to "Please save Kenji" and to work with the Jordanian government to secure his release.

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Greece Lightning: Could Syriza Success Spread?

Written By Unknown on Senin, 26 Januari 2015 | 14.59

By Robert Nisbet, Europe Correspondent

As car horns blared in the capital's streets, few doubted this had been a seismic night in European politics.

Five years of swingeing cuts have shrunk Greece's economic output by a third and delivered a primary budget surplus, but the price has been too high for many of the electorate.

A third of people in Greece live below the poverty line, a quarter are out of work and pensioners have seen their income dwindle.

That generalised anger finally found its expression at the ballot box.

While previously Syriza's core supporters had been students and a loose coalition of Marxists, Maoists, Trotskyites and environmental campaigners, it acted as a lightning rod across society.

Many of the squeezed middle class wanted to punish the political parties they felt had sold Greece's future prosperity to protect the banking system.

Alexis Tsipras now has something of a dilemma though: he wants to keep Greece in the single currency but the European Union, the European Central Bank and the IMF won't want the country to renege on its promises.

There were strings attached to the €240bn which have kept the country afloat and the likes of Germany are unlikely to agree to allow Greece to restructure more of its debt.

But if Mr Tsipras softens on his vow to "finish the troika" in order to prevent a default and a so-called Grexit, he may anger his core support base.

The wider repercussions could be felt outside the country's borders.

There are a host of other anti-austerity parties in Europe waiting to challenge the consensus, most prominently Podemos in Spain where an election must be held this year.

If this election grows into a pan-European movement, the plumbing of the global economy could face some determined opposition.

Syriza's progress might well embolden those willing to take on established political parties, which could have far reaching consequences.

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Alexis Tsipras: A Profile Of Syriza's Leader

Alexis Tsipras could become the youngest prime minister of Greece since 1865 but just who is he and what does he represent?

:: Teen revolutionary

Mr Tsipras joined the Young Communists Society in the 1980s and by 1991 at the age of 17 organised the occupation of his high school in protest at education reforms.

Pupils ate and slept at the school and he told an interviewer at the time: "We want the right to judge for ourselves whether to skip class."

He went on to university to study to become a civil engineer, where he continued his political rise.

:: Youngest ever political leader

In 2008 at the age of 34 he became the leader of the Syriza party, which was formed in 2004 as a coalition of left-wing groups ranging from the Maoists to the Greens.

Hailed for his no fear, firebrand approach and commitment to an anti-austerity agenda, he led the party to take a 27% vote share in the 2012 general election. It made Syriza the second biggest party in the Greek parliament.

:: Tie-hater

He doesn't like ties. Simple as that. Doesn't wear them, won't wear them.

When asked about it recently, he said: "If you haven't seen me wearing a tie until now, I doubt that you will as prime minister."

Ahead of the 2012 election his predilection for motorbikes, rather than the limos favoured by other party leaders, was much-documented. However, it has been noted that he is more likely seen in the family car these days.

:: Che Guevara fanatic

Although he has toned down his approach ahead of this election he still has a passion for the revolutionary Che Guevara.

His youngest son (he has two with his partner Peristera Batziana) has the middle name Ernesto by way of tribute.

:: Austerity opponent

Firmly anti-austerity, he wants to renegotiate the terms of the EU IMF bailout, and wants Europe to agree to erase most of Greece's debt.

However, the head of the IMF, Christine Lagarde, has said the country has "no wiggle room".

Greece has suffered five years of recession, tax hikes and record unemployment (one in four people don't have a job).

:: Good thing or bad thing?

Critics have described Mr Tsipras as "power-hungry", suggesting he would sacrifice Greece for his own political ambitions.

But he is popular with the people. He has promised to raise salaries and pensions, halt layoffs and freeze the privatisation of state assets.

He has sought to boost his international standing meeting Pope Francis and the European Central Bank chief Mario Draghi, as well as writing columns in international newspapers, including the Financial Times.

But he continues to refer to the austerity measures placed on Greece as terms of the EU-IMF £188bn bailout as "fiscal waterboarding".

However, ultimately he says that Greece's future in Europe is not a future of austerity and that has triggered fears of a Grexit.

:: Panathinaikos fan

Born in 1974, the year that marked the end of the junta which persecuted Communists, Mr Tsipras grew up in the shadow of the Apostolos Nikolaidis stadium. He has remained a fan.

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Greece Will Leave Austerity 'Humiliation' Behind

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The leader of the Syriza party has vowed to end the "humiliation and anguish" of Greek citizens after his party took victory in the country's election on an anti-austerity platform.

Alexis Tsipras told thousands of supporters in Athens that Greece will leave behind the "catastrophic austerity" measures imposed by European creditors.

The left-wing party - which was widely tipped to win the poll - looks likely to win 149 seats in the 300-seat parliament.

This indicates the party would be two seats short of an overall majority.

With 92% of the votes counted, Syriza was 8.5 points ahead of the conservative New Democracy party of Prime Minister Antonis Samaras, who has conceded defeat.

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Gallery: Alexis Tsipras Celebrates Victory For His Anti-Austerity Party

A young child supporting anti-austerity party Syriza takes part in celebrations after the first exit polls in Athens

Syriza supporters await the final result of the Greek election at the party tent

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Members of the conservative New Democracy party watch as exit polls shows a significant victory for Syriza

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Celebrations continue for supporters of Syriza leader Alexis Tsipras in Athens

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An anti-austerity voter is overcome with emotion as news of the results breaks

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"Greece leaves behinds catastrophic austerity, it leaves behind fear and authoritarianism, it leaves behind five years of humiliation and anguish," Mr Tsipras said in his victory speech.

The win raises the prospect of a stand-off with European creditors, with Mr Tsipras promising to renegotiate the repayment terms of Greece's debt.

Financial markets have reacted nervously to the result, fearing conflict with other Eurozone governments that could put strain the currency bloc.

The euro fell to a fresh 11-year low against the dollar shortly after the result became clear while stocks were tipped to take a hit - with the FTSE 100, German DAX and the CAC in France all forecast to fall 1% in early trading.

Greece was forced to undertake deep budget cuts and fiscal reforms as a condition for a €240bn bailout in 2010 from the so-called "Troika" - the group of creditors made up of the European Union, the International Monetary Fund and European Central Bank.

Many in Greece feel slashed public spending has hit the most vulnerable hardest, while leaving the tax evasion and corruption of the apparent elites untouched.

Mr Tsipras said he would cooperate with fellow Eurozone leaders for "a fair and mutually beneficial solution", but said the Greek people come first.

"Our priority from the very first day will be to deal with the big wounds left by the crisis," he said.

"Our foremost priority is that our country and our people regain their lost dignity."

He added: "The verdict of our people means the Troika is finished.

"The new Greek government will be ready to cooperate and negotiate for the first time with our peers a just, mutually beneficial and viable solution."

Germany's Bundesbank has warned Greece needs to reform to tackle its economic problems, while the euro fell nearly half a US cent.

Mr Samaras had insisted voters would be making a huge mistake to elect Syriza at a time when painful fiscal reforms may be about to pay off.

After conceding defeat, he told supporters: "My conscience is clear because I told the truth to the Greek people until the very end.

"I received a country that was almost destroyed and I was asked to hold a hot potato and I did that."

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Written By Unknown on Minggu, 25 Januari 2015 | 14.59

The father of the Japanese hostage apparently killed by Islamic State has said he is overwhelmed by grief.

Shoichi Yukawa said he still had hope "deep in my heart that this is not true" and added that if he were reunited with his son he would give him a "big hug".

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe slammed "an outrageous and unforgivable act" after a video reportedly showing an image of captive Kenji Goto holding a picture of a beheaded Haruna Yukawa was posted online.

The clip also purportedly contained the voice of journalist Mr Goto, 47, claiming the 42-year-old private military company operator had been killed.

Mr Abe said the video, which also includes a demand for a prisoner exchange for Mr Goto, appears to be authentic.

The jihadist group Islamic State (IS) had threatened to kill the captives unless a $200m (£133m) ransom was paid to secure their release.

The 72-hour deadline set by the Islamist militants expired on Friday.

However, in the new video they have called for the release of Sajida al Risahwi, an Iraqi woman sentenced to death in Jordan for her part in a Amman bombings in 2005 that killed 60 people.

Mr Abe insisted Tokyo would not bow to terrorism and said his government would spare no effort to secure the release of the remaining captive.

But he reiterated that Japan would not give in to terrorism.

Barack Obama condemned the "brutal murder" and said the United states would stand "shoulder to shoulder" with Japan.

He called Mr Abe to offer his condolences and called for the immediate release of Mr Goto.

In the video, Mr Goto spoke in English, blaming Mr Abe for Mr Yukawa's death, and told his wife and family not to give up on him.

A Japanese news agency reported the video of Mr Goto had also been emailed to the wife of one of the hostages.

The hostages had appeared in videos wearing the same orange jumpsuits as those worn by captives in previous IS videos.

The mother of Mr Goto has pleaded with militants to spare her son's life.

Junko Ishido said he is a friend of Islam who devoted his life to helping children in war zones.

Mr Yukawa was seized by militants in August, after he went to Syria in what he described as a plan to launch a security company.

Mr Goto, a veteran war correspondent, went into Syria in late October seeking to secure Mr Yukawa's release, according to friends and business associates.

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Greece's Snap Election: Voters Go To The Polls

By Tom Rayner, Sky News Reporter, in Athens

Voting is under way in a Greek election likely to send shockwaves through Europe and global markets.

Polling suggests the leftist Syriza party is set to sweep to victory on its anti-austerity platform, setting the stage for a clash with European creditors.

Syriza's 40-year-old leader, Alexis Tspiras, is adamant he will renegotiate the repayment terms of Greece's €318bn debt and restore the country's "dignity" by tackling the soaring unemployment and mass wage cuts that followed the country's international bailout.

Opinion polls give Syriza at least a four point lead over the New Democracy party, led by incumbent Prime Minister Antonis Samaras.

But Syriza's refusal to continue meeting the austerity demands placed on Greece by its creditors has sparked fears the country may be unable to repay its debts, which could force the country's exit from the Eurozone.

Mr Samaras has insisted voters would be making a huge mistake to elect Syriza at a time when painful fiscal reforms may be about to pay-off.

"Syriza will turn all of Europe against Greece... They don't understand Europe, they don't believe in Europe," he said.

The Greek government was forced to undertake deep budget cuts and fiscal reforms as a condition for a €240bn euro bailout in 2010 from the so-called "Troika" - the group of creditors made up of the European Union, the International Monetary Fund and European Central Bank.

Many in Greece feel the slashed public spending has hit the vulnerable hardest, while leaving the tax evasion and corruption of the elites untouched.

Alexis Tsipras has said he wants to introduce measures to shrink the size of the government, slashing advisor positions and some ministries, while also forcing the wealthy to pay their share of taxes.

But he is also committed to working with the ECB to renegotiate the terms of the bailout - the deadline for such a move being July, the month at which Greece will no longer be able to pay its debts without a further injection of funds.

So far the ECB and IMF have said the regime of demands around growth targets and deficit reduction, must remain in place, meaning a stand-off with Syriza may become inevitable should it win the election.

However, Syriza's hand will be determined by the final outcome of the vote, due to Greece's system of proportional representation.

If the party can achieve a simple majority of more than 150 of the 300 parliamentary seats, analysts believe it will be able to take a tougher stance in its negotiations.

But much will be determined by how many smaller parties are able to pass the threshold of 3% of the overall vote necessary to take a parliamentary seat.

On the final day of campaigning, Mr Samaras was keen to point out up to 14% of voters remained undecided, suggesting Syriza may in the end be forced to form a coalition government which could constrain its options.

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Barack Obama Lands In India For Visit

US President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle have arrived in New Delhi for the start of a three-day visit to India.

Mr Obama, who landed in the capital at around 9.40am local time, was given a red carpet welcome and received a hug from Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his arrival.

It is the second time the president has travelled to India while in office.

The two leaders are due to hold detailed talks later today on a range of issues including climate change, defence co-operation, intelligence sharing, and a civil nuclear power agreement.

Analysts say it appears unlikely that their discussions will result in major policy breakthroughs, but the mere fact that they're talking is a sign of progress given recent tensions that have marred relations between the US and India.

Their relationship hit rock bottom in later 2013 when Indian Deputy Consul General Devyani Khobragade was arrested and strip-searched in New York over allegations she lied on visa forms to bring her maid to the US while paying her a pittance.

The diplomatic row saw the Stars and Stripes torched on the streets of New Delhi.

But ties between the two countries have been steadily improving since Mr Modi took office last May.

He and Mr Obama met for the first time late last year in Washington, and officials from both countries say they quickly developed an "easy chemistry".

In an interview ahead of his arrival, Mr Obama hailed the "remarkable" rise of the 64-year-old Mr Modi, the son of a tea-seller who was elected the leader last year of the world's largest democracy.

He told India Today magazine: "When I addressed the Indian Parliament on my last visit (in 2010), I outlined my vision for how we could become global partners meeting global challenges.

"I'd like to think that the stars are aligned to finally realise the vision I outlined."

Mr Obama will be the chief guest at Monday's Republic Day parade in the capital.

He had been due to visit the Taj Mahal in the city of Agra on Tuesday, but he has scrapped that leg of his trip in order to attend the funeral of King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz in Saudi Arabia.

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