'Chocolate King' Claims Ukraine Election Win

Ukrainian confectionery billionaire Petro Poroshenko has claimed victory in his country's presidential elections after exit polls predicted he has won outright.

It comes after a day during which voters in the west of the country have flocked to the ballot boxes while few in the east have been able to have their say.

Polls closed at 8pm local time (6pm UK time) and early indications were that Mr Poroshenko had won a landslide.

One of the polls said he had managed to get 55.9% of the vote and another said he had 57.3%.

In a distant second was former prime minister Yulia Tymoshenko with 12.9%.

Full results are expected on Monday but Mr Poroshenko seized the opportunity to say he had been given a mandate to lead.

The vote has been billed as the most important since the former Soviet republic won independence from Moscow 23 years ago.

But it is feared that the absence of over 15% of the electorate, due to Russia's annexation of Crimea and separatist action in two eastern regions, may mar any result.

It could leave the Kremlin questioning the victor's legitimacy, despite Mr Putin's new pledge to respect the will of the people.

Mr Poroshenko claimed victory within minutes of the results of the exit polls being announced.

He immediately pledged to follow the path of European integration in line with the wishes of most voters, said Reuters.

Mr Poroshenko alongside ex-boxer and politician Vitali Klitschko

Standing side by side with Vitali Klitschko during a rally for supporters, he said his first steps would be to "end war and bring peace".

He said that Ukraine would never recognise the Crimea referendum and what he called the "occupation of Crimea".

He said he wanted parliamentary elections by the end of the year and when asked about relations with Russia, he said "sovereignty and territorial integrity of my country are paramount".

Only about 20% of the polling stations in the heavily industrialised, Russian-speaking Donetsk region, which has 3.3 million registered voters, were open, authorities said.

None were open in the city of Donetsk, where the streets were empty, and only 426 of 2,430 were open across the region.

Although there was no significant violence, armed pro-Russian militias were seen on the streets in the region with ballot boxes being smashed.

Sky's Katie Stallard, in eastern Ukraine, witnessed separatists burning ballot papers in the town of Makiivka.

She said: "They burned ballot papers with Molotov cocktails in front of our camera on Sunday to make their point - as far as they are concerned this new president is illegitimate.

"They do not recognise his authority, nor do they adhere to his demands."

14.59 | 0 komentar | Read More

What Next For EU's 'Self-Hating Parliament'?

A paralysing financial crisis which saw rich European countries bailing out the poor meant that these elections were always going to be ugly for the mainstream parties.

And so it transpired in Greece (Syriza 27%), Denmark (Danish Peoples Party 23%), UK (UKIP - more than 30%) and most spectacularly in France (Front National 25%).

In these countries, EU-critical voices from the populist right and anti-austerity left have taken the lion's share of seats in their respective national delegations.

There are plenty of other results to worry the centre-right (EPP) and centre-left (S&D) groups which have traditionally passed laws in the parliament, with a little help from the ALDE Liberal group.

Take the success of Italy's anti-politician, anti-journalist, (anti pretty-much-everything) Five Star group. The election of a pirate and a neo-nazi MEP from Germany will also cause shudders.

But, take a deep breath. The centre ground still rules the roost, with two thirds of the MEPs in the parliament, albeit a drop of 10%.

Also many of these EU-critical parties have little in common: Mr Farage gave us a terse 'not interested' when the Netherland's anti-Muslim PVV sounded him out again to join an anti-EU alliance.

Marine Le Pen of France's National Front has led a European earthquake

Greece's Golden Dawn may support the anti-immigration stance of Denmark's People's Party, but they differ wildly on abortion and gay rights.

To wield any real influence the 'antis' will need to form a political group before the constitutive session of the eighth parliament. Each faction needs at least 25 MEPs drawn from seven countries.

That will involve horse trading and compromise, which may play badly with party supporters back home.

However things will certainly be stickier for the ruling mainstream groups: the 'anti' MEPs may join forces to reject the entire batch of commissioners, and hold up laws and trade deals.

But this parliament is more likely to be a speed bump than a roadblock to this EU institution.

Its most significant impact may be back in the member states, if these parties manage to pull mainstream parties - and therefore governments - in a more Eurosceptic direction.

14.59 | 0 komentar | Read More

Far-Right National Front 'Win' In France

By Robert Nisbet, Europe Correspondent

Voters have dramatically altered the make-up of the European Parliament by doubling the number of MEPs from the populist, eurosceptic Right and the anti-austerity Left.

Marine Le Pen's far-Right National Front scored its first victory in European Parliament elections in France.

Without waiting for the final result, French Prime Minister Manuel Valls went on television to call the result "an earthquake" for France and Europe.

The National Front (FN) won around 25% of the vote in France, according to exit polls, easily beating the centre-Right UMP on 20%.

Exit polls say far-right and hard-left parties have gained ground in many countries, including in Greece where the extreme-right Golden Dawn are thought to have won nearly 10% of the vote.

By the half way stage, the centre-right parties were expected to be the biggest group, with 212 out of 751 seats.

The Socialists were expected to gain 185 seats, the Liberals third with 71, the Greens fourth with 55 and the far-left next with 45.

Eurosceptic parties were expected to win about 143 seats.

Marine Le Pen celebrates winning France's Euro election

The winners in Greece, the anti-austerity movement Syriza, are thought to have topped the polls with more than 27% of the vote.

In Germany, the EU's biggest member state with the largest number of seats, the pro-European centre ground held firm, according to the polls.

Ms Le Pen, whose party beat President Francois Hollande's ruling Socialists into third place, told supporters: "The people have spoken loud and clear ... they no longer want to be led by those outside our borders, by EU commissioners and technocrats who are unelected.

"They want to be protected from globalisation and take back the reins of their destiny."

Eurosceptic Conservative MPs in the UK were quick to point out they had predicted the rise of the Right.

Harwich and Essex MP Bernard Jenkin wrote on Twitter: "Some of us who opposed Maastricht 20 years ago predicted it would lead to the rise of the Right in the EU: and here we are."

Douglas Carswell, the Clacton MP, said: "So maybe those of us who sometimes banged on about Europe were on to something?"

Foreign Secretary William Hague said: "I think we should be concerned about some of these developments across the rest of Europe and that is why it is so important that the next European Commission, the European Council, the next European Parliament do get the message that there is rising discontent and tensions of many kinds in Europe."

In Denmark the Right wing Danish People's Party topped the polls, although its leaders have ruled out an alliance with the National Front.

Spain's two main political parties, the ruling conservative Popular Party in power since 2011 and the Socialist Party, lost major ground to smaller parties, mainly on the Left. The Catalan independence party also performed well.

Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi's centre-left Democratic Party (PD) came in ahead of the anti-establishment Five Star Movement (M5S) in his country's exit polls.

In Belgium, the controversial Flemish separatists secured four of  21 EU parliamentary seats available in the country, more than any other party. 

Turnout in Eastern Europe was predicted to be low, with estimates of around 20% expected. 

14.59 | 0 komentar | Read More

Ukraine Militia 'Ready To Take On Separatists'

By Katie Stallard, in Southern Ukraine

On the eve of the presidential election, Sky News met pro-Ukrainian paramilitaries training in the country's southeast, preparing to fight the separatists who have taken control of large swathes of the region.

The men of the Azov Battalion seemed wholly unconvinced Sunday's poll would bring peace, or anything close to resolution.

They told us they have no plans to disband after the vote.

They prefer to put their faith in the Kalashnikov than the ballot box.

One platoon commander told us he wants another revolution. He said that neither Petro Poroshenko nor Yulia Tymoshenko (the current presidential frontrunners) are fit to lead the country and take on the mantle of maidan (the local name for the winter's uprising that started on Independence Square).

Another said he had no choice but to become a soldier now - to fight for his family and for his homeland.

We filmed them at a training camp close to the southern border of Donetsk region, at a location we agreed not to disclose.

Getting there involved meeting a man named Igor at a designated train station then following a car with no number plates through the Ukrainian countryside, which incidentally was waved through a police checkpoint without a second glance.

The men arrived in two buses and a pick-up truck - all in combat gear and balaclavas; carrying a variety of assault rifles and handguns.

Some had what looked like military-issue boots; the others a selection of trainers and walking boots.

Many had small blue and gold Ukrainian ribbons pinned to their uniforms, several had arm patches with the black and red nationalist flag.

They wouldn't say where the weapons had come from, or who is funding them, beyond that "lots of patriots" had donated to the cause.

The Azov Battalion is one of three new paramilitary units - operating outside the Ukrainian army and the national guard, but with the approval of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

To the north is the Donbas Battalion; to the west the Dnipro - the latter funded by governor/oligarch Igor Kolomoysky.

The men of the Azov told us they are all volunteers - the majority of whom are local to the south and east and have worried families at home.

They come from a variety of backgrounds.

A quick sample revealed three businessmen, a graphic designer, a construction engineer, two students and a cook - all spending their Saturday afternoon learning how to over-run a checkpoint and practising live firing drills.

There was a disagreement at one point about how they should be training, but no dispute about what they were preparing for.

All believed they were now fighting for the future of their country - few trust the politicians to deliver.

15.00 | 0 komentar | Read More

Three Killed In Brussels Jewish Museum Shooting

Three people have been killed and another is in a critical condition after a shooting at the Jewish Museum in Brussels.

Belgian Interior Minister Joelle Milquet tweeted to say she believes it was an "anti-Semitic attack".

Two women and a man were killed in the shooting, which came a day before Belgium's general election and European parliament election.

They were all struck by bullets in the face or throat, according to a spokeswoman from the prosecutor's office.

A fourth person injured in the attack is still being treated in hospital.

Sky's Robert Nisbet said a local website quoted witnesses as saying an Audi drove up to the museum and two men got out and began firing indiscriminately at passers-by.

They then got back into the car and drove off, La Libre newspaper said on its website.

Forensic experts at the scene of the killings

The attack happened just before 4pm in the Sablon area.

One man was arrested while trying to drive away from the scene. He remains in custody.

Police say they are looking for a second suspect who escaped on foot.

Belgian Foreign Minister Didier Reynders heard shots and arrived at the scene moments later to find bodies on the ground.

"I am shocked by the murders committed at the Jewish museum, I am thinking of the victims I saw there and their families," he wrote on Twitter.

A Jewish community leader, Joel Rubinfeld, said it clearly "is a terrorist act" and the result of "a climate of hate".

Protection around Jewish sites in the country has been increased and Belgian prime minister Elio Di Rupo said "all Belgians are united" in the wake of the attack.

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the murder "the result of constant incitement against Jews and their state".

15.00 | 0 komentar | Read More

Drive-By Killer Stabbed Three Before Gun Spree

The son of a Hollywood director "repeatedly stabbed" three men to death in his apartment before killing three more during a shooting spree, say police.

British-born Elliot Rodger, son of an assistant director on The Hunger Games film, had three semi-automatic handguns and 400 rounds of ammunition with him when he died.

The 22-year-old also left seven others in hospital as he sped around Isla Vista, a student enclave next to the University of California, Santa Barbara.

Rodger said he was angry at women for rejecting him

County Sheriff Bill Brown told reporters Rodger had tried to get into a college sorority house during the Friday night attack, and that women inside had heard "loud, aggressive knocking" for several minutes.

Unable to gain access, police said he then shot three young women outside the building, killing a 19-year-old and a 22-year-old student.

Police showed images of the handguns used by the 22-year-old

The sixth victim, 20-year-old student Christopher Michael-Martinez, was shot dead outside a delicatessen.

In an emotional statement, his father called on the "insanity" to stop and blamed "irresponsible politicians" for not doing more on gun control.

Rodger's family said the 22-year-old had been receiving psychiatric care.

He had also been diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome and had "multiple therapists", said Alan Shifman, the family's lawyer.

Police believe Rodger shot himself in the head after he crashed his BMW

A day before the attack, the killer posted a video on YouTube, promising to slaughter "spoilt, stuck-up, blonde" women who he said had rebuffed him.

Rodger made a chilling tirade against women and the rest of humanity, threatening a "day of retribution".

"For the last eight years of my life, ever since I hit puberty, I've been forced to endure an existence of loneliness, rejection and unfulfilled desires all because girls have never been attracted to me," he said.

Police are investigating 10 locations and multiple crime scenes

"You throw yourselves at all these obnoxious men," he continued, "instead of me - the supreme gentleman - I will punish all of you for it." He chuckles sinisterly.

He also published a rambling 141-page manifesto on the internet, called My Twisted World, where he detailed his childhood.

Police said Rodger's attacks had taken place at 10 locations as he fled from officers and fired at pedestrians from his black BMW.

A van enters the apartment complex where three men were stabbed to death

He also crashed into two cyclists - one of whom caved in the windshield.

Police exchanged fire with Rodger and believe they hit him in the hip as they opened fire on his car. The rampage ended when he crashed his vehicle after ploughing into the second cyclist.

Sheriff Brown said they found him with a gun wound to the head, which they believe was self-inflicted.

Rodger shot at pedestrians and mowed down two pedestrians

Rodger's guns were all legally purchased and registered to him.

Seven people remain in hospital at Santa Barbara's Cottage Hospital with gun wounds and injuries caused by the suspect's car, said Dr Stephen Kaminski. Two of them are in a serious condition.

Rodger's family called police last month worried about his welfare but officers said they found him "polite and courteous" and no action was deemed necessary.

Peter Rodger was assistant director of The Hunger Games

In a blog post, he wrote he was born in the UK and moved to the US when he was five. His father, Peter, was educated in Maidstone, Kent.

Rodger was reportedly pictured two years ago on the red carpet with his father at a premiere for The Hunger Games, a dystopian futuristic drama in which teenagers fight each other to the death.

14.59 | 0 komentar | Read More

Ukraine Checkpoint Attack: 13 Soldiers Killed

Pro-Russia insurgents have attacked a military checkpoint in eastern Ukraine, reportedly killing at least 13 troops and wounding more than 30.

The attack, near the town of Volnovakha, comes three days before a key presidential vote and is the deadliest so far in weeks of fighting.

A rebel group who claimed responsibility for it said one of their own was also killed.

Local residents said the attackers were hidden inside an armoured bank truck. The unsuspecting Ukrainian soldiers are said to have waved it through and were then shot at point-blank range.

Acting president Oleksandr Turchynov said the rebels fired automatic weapons and rocket-propelled grenades.

Debris was scattered over a wide area

According to the Ukrainian Defence Ministry, the ammunition section of one military vehicle was hit and exploded into a fireball.

The turrets were blown off three armoured infantry vehicles which were also burnt along with several trucks.

AP journalists said they saw the bodies of 11 Ukrainian soldiers in a field near the village of Blahodatne, outside Volnovakha, which lies 20 miles south of Donetsk.

Witnesses including a medical worker said more than 30 Ukrainian troops were wounded in the attack, some of them badly.

All the wounded were being treated at nearby medical facilities.

Acting Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk blamed Russia for backing the rebels in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, which have declared independence from the government in Kiev. He called for an urgent session of the UN Security Council.

Pro-Russia militants at a Victory Day rally in Donetsk

The attack has cast a shadow over Ukraine's presidential vote on Sunday, which separatists in the east have pledged to derail.

Authorities in Kiev see the vote as a chance to defuse tensions and stabilise the country, although they admit it will be impossible to hold the poll in some eastern areas.

In the town of Horlivka, a masked rebel commander claimed responsibility for the raid and showed off a hoard of seized Ukrainian weapons including automatic and sniper rifles and rocket grenade launchers.

"We destroyed a checkpoint of the fascist Ukrainian army deployed on the land the Donetsk Republic," said the commander, who wore a balaclava and identified himself by his nom de guerre, "Bes," which is Russian for "demon."

He said one of his men also was killed in the attack.

14.59 | 0 komentar | Read More

Tennessee Backs Return To Electric Chair

Utah May Bring Back Firing Squad Executions

Updated: 3:01pm UK, Saturday 17 May 2014

A Utah politician wants to bring back firing squads as a method of execution after controversy over a botched lethal injection in Oklahoma.

Republican Representative Paul Ray believes death by gun is a more humane and cheaper form of execution, and wants it to be an option for criminals sentenced to death in his state.

He plans to introduce his proposal during Utah's next legislative session in January.

Lawmakers in Wyoming and Missouri tried to pass similar legislation this year, but both efforts failed.

Mr Ray believes firing squads may seem more acceptable now, especially after drug shortages complicated lethal injections.

The default method of execution in the US also came under heightened scrutiny last month when prisoner Clayton Lockett's vein collapsed and he died of a heart attack more than 40 minutes later.

"It sounds like the Wild West, but it's probably the most humane way to kill somebody," Mr Ray said.

"The prisoner dies instantly. It sounds draconian. It sounds really bad, but the minute the bullet hits your heart, you're dead. There's no suffering."

However, critics say things can go wrong with any method of execution.

They cite a case from Utah's territorial days in 1897, when a firing squad missed Wallace Wilkerson's heart and it took him 27 minutes to die.

Utah outlawed firing squads in 2004, citing the excessive media attention it gave inmates.

But those sentenced to death before that date still have the option of choosing it.

The last execution by rifle in the state was 2010, when five police officers used .30-caliber Winchester rifles to kill Ronnie Lee Gardner, who murdered a lawyer in 1985 while trying to escape from a courthouse.

Ray's proposal would give all inmates the option to be shot.

Opponents say firing squads are not necessarily a foolproof answer.

It is possible an inmate could move or police could miss, causing the inmate a slow and painful death, said Richard Dieter, executive director of the Death Penalty Information Center, which opposes capital punishment.

14.59 | 0 komentar | Read More

Thai Army Takes Power In Military Coup

Timeline Of Thai Political Crisis

Updated: 3:24pm UK, Thursday 22 May 2014

Thailand has a long history of political unrest with the army staging at least 11 coups since the end of the absolute monarchy in 1932.

The latest crisis has its roots in the 2006 military overthrow of prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who was embroiled in a telecoms corruption scandal.

September 2006: Thailand's armed forces oust Thaksin in a bloodless coup and impose martial law.

December 2007: The People Power Party made up of Thaksin's allies, wins elections and forms a coalition government.

May 2008: Royalist anti-Thaksin Yellow Shirts relaunch street protests that led to the 2006 coup.

September 2008: State of emergency declared after clashes between pro and anti-government groups leave one person dead and dozens wounded.

Constitutional Court strips Thaksin-allied prime minister Samak Sundaravej of his powers, ruling he illegally accepted payments for hosting TV cooking shows. Thaksin's brother-in-law Somchai Wongsawat takes his place.

October 2008: Clashes between police and demonstrators leave two people dead and nearly 500 wounded.

Court sentences Thaksin in his absence to two years in jail for corruption after he flees the country.

November-December, 2008: Thousands of Yellow Shirts blockade Bangkok's airports. State of emergency imposed for nearly two weeks.

December 2008: Constitutional Court dissolves Somchai's party, forcing him from office. British-born Abhisit Vejjajiva of the Democrats becomes premier in a parliamentary vote with army backing.

January-March 2009: Red Shirts loyal to Thaksin stage mass protests in the capital against Abhisit's government.

April 2009: Red Shirts storm an Asian summit in the beach resort of Pattaya, forcing the evacuation of regional leaders. Riots and a 12-day state of emergency in Bangkok ensue, leaving two people dead.

March 2010: Tens of thousands of Red Shirts begin rolling demonstrations calling for Abhisit's government to step down, saying it is elitist and undemocratic.

April-May 2010: Street clashes between Red Shirt protesters and armed troops leave more than 90 people dead, mostly civilians, in the country's worst civil unrest in decades.

July 3 2011: Thaksin's allies sweep to power in elections on a wave of support from their Red Shirt followers.

August 2011: Parliament elects Thaksin's youngest sister Yingluck Shinawatra as Thailand's first female prime minister.

November 2012: Police fire tear gas at demonstrators as clashes erupt at the first major street protests against Ms Yingluck's government.

October 2013: Protests break out against an amnesty bill which critics say is aimed at allowing Thaksin - who went into self-imposed exile to avoid jail for a corruption conviction - to return home and escape prison.

November 2013: Opposition protesters occupy the finance and foreign ministries demanding Ms Yingluck resign.

December 2013: Police use water cannon and tear gas on protesters who storm the government and police headquarters. Opposition politicians resign en masse from parliament.

Ms Yingluck calls early elections as demonstrators return to the streets. Opposition announces a poll boycott.

February 2, 2014: Opposition demonstrators prevent 10,000 polling stations from opening for the election.

March 21, 2014: Constitutional Court declares February elections invalid.

April 30, 2014: Government announces new elections for July 20.

May 7, 2014: Constitutional Court removes Ms Yingluck and several cabinet ministers from office. New caretaker premier Niwattumrong Boonsongpaisan appointed by remainder of cabinet.

May 15, 2014: The Election Commission says a general election scheduled for July 20 is "no longer possible" as polls cannot be held without the support of the protesters.

May 20, 2014: Army declares martial law, stressing the move "is not a coup".

May 22, 2014:  The country's armed forces announce a military coup.

14.59 | 0 komentar | Read More

China Market Explosion Kills Dozens In Urumqi

By Mark Stone, China Correspondent, in Beijing

An explosion at a market in the Chinese city of Urumqi has killed 31 people and left more than 90 injured.

According to witnesses quoted in state media, two 4x4 vehicles drove into a crowd of people in the centre of the city, which is the regional capital of the far northwestern Xinjiang Province.

Explosives were thrown from the vehicles, and one of the vehicles exploded, said Xinhua news agency.

The attack was described by China's Ministry of Public Security as "a serious violent terrorist incident of a particularly vile nature".

Urumqi is the capital of Xinjiang Province

Pictures posted on China's version of Twitter, Weibo, show victims lying in a street strewn with debris.

One picture shows officials carrying a man with a badly-blooded head.

The pictures were taken by witnesses moments after the explosion and show flames rising from the market which, shortly before 8am, would have been busy.

Pictures show victims lying in a street full of debris. Pic: Weibo

On Weibo, one user with the alias "Clarence-DD" described what he saw: "(It) was only 300 metres from my home, so close. I don't know if it will happen to me next time. I only hope all are safe."

Another witness, alias "Paikeluotuoci," posted: "It was before 8 this morning, (there were) several explosions took place near the Wenhuagong morning market, I was there, less than 100 metres away, I can see big smoke and people running around."

A user with the alias Suisuibusui wrote: "Two vehicles broke through police barrier, and drove into the morning market together, detonated explosives. 5 or 6 big sounds could be heard. One can smell the explosives from the north gate of the park."

Smoke is seen rising from the market. Pic: Weibo

In a statement, Chinese President Xi Jinping said his government will "swiftly solve the case, harshly punish the terrorists, promptly recover the dead and treat the injured, offer condolences to the families of the injured, and strictly prevent any ripple effects to materialise from this."

The head of the Ministry of Public Security, Guo Shengqun, is on his way to Urumqi from Shanghai where he had been attending a major summit of Asian nations.

Meng Jianzhu, an official from China's Politburo, the top government body, said all will be done to help those caught up in the attack.

The market was busy at the time of the blast. Pic: Weibo

Xinjiang Province is the traditional home to China's Uighur Muslim population.

Over the past decade or so, an influx of the country's majority Han Chinese population has caused the Uighur community to complain of an erosion of their culture, their religion and their freedoms.

With a growing and worrying frequency, this resentment has manifested itself in violent attacks against government institutions and the Han Chinese population.

Attackers killed 29 people in Kunming train station in March

Three weeks ago, on the final day of a visit to the region by President Xi Jinping, a knife-wielding group attacked passengers at a train station in Urumqi.

One person was killed and 79 injured. The two attackers were killed by Chinese security personnel.

In March, a group of attackers stabbed to death 29 people on the concourse of Kunming train station in central China. A total of 143 people were injured.

The incident, described within China as the country's 9/11, signalled to the Chinese government that Uighur extremist groups were capable of operating well outside Xinjiang province.

A vehicle crashed into a crowd in Tiananmen Square last October

In December, a vehicle drove into railings in front of the iconic Tiananmen gate at the northern end of the hugely symbolic square in Beijing.

The Chinese government said the three occupants were all Uighur Muslims. They all died along with two tourists.

15.00 | 0 komentar | Read More