Russian Fighter Jets 'Enter Ukrainian Airspace'

It Is No Longer A Game For Separatist Militia

Updated: 12:32am UK, Saturday 26 April 2014

By Sam Kiley, Foreign Affairs Editor in Slavyansk

Their rifles were cocked. The safety catches off. Triggers were fingered. The car lurched to a stop.

Shrill nervous orders were barked in Russian. Men in an assortment of camouflage uniforms lay spread eagled on the roadside glaring down their sights.

A quick search followed. Then a man with a new AK74, probably nicked from the local police station, squinted, his face covered with a balaclava, perhaps attempting a faceless smile.

"Sorry for any inconvenience," he said and waved the car through.

The mixed messages of their behaviour, both aggression and politeness, both bravado and fear, point to a wider conundrum - do they really understand what they're getting in to?

One of their comrades had been shot dead that morning about a mile away on the road out of Slavyansk by an Ukrainian army patrol - probably probing the outer defences of these pro-Russian separatist militants.

Four more, the government said, had been killed in other clashes around the town.

They stand accused of kidnapping the city's elected mayor.

They have taken over city hall and are sandbagging it against an attack and yet they often appear to be no more than young or old boys playing at soldiers.

Occasionally one comes across a trained soldier. Fit and quiet they slink in the background of the occupied buildings.

They may be Russian agents, or former Ukrainian police from the disbanded Berkut who were responsible for sniper attacks on revolutionaries in Kiev.

But the ordinary militants, who are led by local politicians and allegedly funded either by Moscow or allied oligarchs, are clearly being used.

They are the teaspoons the Kremlin is using to keep the east of Ukraine swirling with dark rumours of anti-Russian ethnic cleansing.

Allegations of persecution of pro-Russian groups are entirely false.

But while the militants swagger about the streets, take over government buildings and harass their political opponents, they face a crack down from Kiev.

The nervous men at the road block feared an Ukrainian government attack on the bases in Slavyansk.

They were also facing the reality that what may have felt like a nationalistic camping trip with the added spice of gun play, may no longer be a game.

They may fold under a professional attack by Ukrainian troops.

But if they do not, there will be blood.

And if it flows from Putin's local pawns then so may Russian troops pour in from the east.

He may win, but they will not be around to see his victory.

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Paedophile Teacher 'One Of The Worst Predators'

Child Predator: Husband And 'Popular Teacher'

Updated: 11:44am UK, Thursday 24 April 2014

The serial child predator at the centre of an FBI investigation had a wife and two adult children and was a popular teacher among his students, officials have said.

William James Vahey travelled the world for four decades before his suicide in a Minnesota motel last March.

While teaching, he also served as coach on various school sports teams.

The FBI said he was a "popular and highly respected teacher".

"He had access to children because of his position of trust," said FBI special agent Patrick Fransen.

"He created a system that gave him the opportunity and the means to molest children."

The FBI says he may have carried out child molestation on an unprecedented scale, often drugging his victims.

Vahey told investigators he suffered molestation as a child and went on to prey on boys.

The New York native graduated from California State University, Long Beach, with a Bachelor of Arts in political science, according to a resume cited by the FBI.

He received a master's degree in curriculum development from Goddard College in Plainfield, Vermont.

At the time of his death, he was 64, approximately 6ft (182cm) tall, and weighed about 190 pounds (86kg).

He was teaching ninth-grade world history and geography at the American Nicaraguan School in Managua.

Vahey maintained two residences, one in London, where he had taught at an elite school, and another on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, the FBI said.

In 1969, Vahey was arrested in California on six counts of child molestation.

He pled guilty to one count of child molestation and was sentenced to 90 days in jail, followed by five years' probation.

The conviction required Vahey to register with California's sex offender registry for the rest of his life.

However, Vahey eluded that requirement.

Officials said he had not renewed his registration as a sex offender since 1970. He went on to pursue his teaching career in Nicaragua, the UK, Venezuela, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, Greece, Iran, Spain, and Lebanon.

His victims are believed to be multinational as many of those schools were attended by the children of American diplomats or military personnel stationed overseas.

Vahey coached boys on middle school, varsity boys' basketball, softball, flag football, and soccer, among other things.

He also served as activities director, student council adviser, cooking club adviser and forensics adviser. 

He often accompanied students on cultural studies or sports trips, the FBI said.

Vahey killed himself two days after agents in Houston sought a warrant to search a computer thumb drive belonging to him.

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Israel: Hamas Unity Deal 'Kills Peace Process'

Is Kerry's Mid-East Peace Initiative Finished?

Updated: 3:11am UK, Friday 25 April 2014

By Tom Rayner, Middle East Reporter, Jerusalem

The goal was perhaps unattainable from the outset.

A dream more than a plan.

John Kerry's frenetic diplomatic drive aimed to get Israeli and Palestinian leaders to thrash out the foundations of a final peace deal within nine months.

The deadline was supposed to be next Monday.

Hope of that lies in tatters.

What is worse for Secretary Kerry, is that this wasn't a sudden death.

The negotiations have not experienced a sudden spasm days before a deal - they've been rotting for months.

For weeks, both sides have been waiting to see who could point the finger and say: "There, you see! They didn't want peace in the first place. It's their fault."

Yesterday's announcement of a reconciliation deal between the Fatah party of Palestinian President Abbas and Hamas, gave Benjamin Netanyahu the opportunity to jab the accusatory finger.

The Israeli leader said he will never negotiate with Hamas - the governing power in Gaza, deemed by much of the international community to be a "terrorist organisation".

Abbas had chosen Hamas over peace, Mr Netanyahu said. Talks suspended.

The retort from the Palestinians is that Mr Netanyahu killed the talks long before.

He refused to release a tranche of prisoners and continued to grant permissions for construction of settlements in East Jerusalem and the West Bank - this, they say, was the moment it all collapsed.

So where does this leave John Kerry?

Deflated, but according to diplomatic sources in Jerusalem, reluctant to walk away.

The reason for this lies in the "constructive ambiguity" of the statements being made by Israel.

The language is tough, but it is not final.

Israel has seen attempts at reconciliation between Fatah and Hamas come and go before.

They know this reconciliation deal could disintegrate as quickly as it emerged.

For now the door remains ajar.

The suspension, therefore, is being seen as a five week hiatus, to see if the proposed "unity government" of Fatah and Hamas ministers can actually be put together.

The hope, particularly for those in the Israeli cabinet supportive of talks, is that the lack of detail in the reconciliation deal will render it unachievable.

For Mr Kerry there is another dimension - that the reconciliation deal may have achieved more than the Palestinians are letting on.

No detail has yet emerged of what reconciliation will mean for the internal security relationship between Israel and the Palestinian Authority.

No detail has emerged on whether Hamas prisoners will be freed from Fatah's jails, or on what terms.

No detail has emerged on whether a unity government including Hamas, would stick to the Quartet Principles – the recognition of Israel and renunciation of violence,  which are key to recognition of the Palestinian Authority by the international community.

The answer to whether talks can resume lies in the answers to those questions - the last in particular.

It may be unlikely that Hamas has been coaxed tentatively in from the cold, but until that is clear, Kerry's unattainable dream might have further to run.

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US Accuses Russia Of Ukraine 'Deception'

US Secretary of State John Kerry has accused Russia of "deception" and "destabilisation" in Ukraine and hinted at imposing more sanctions.

Speaking at the State Department in Washington, Mr Kerry warned Moscow time was running out for it to change course.

"Russian President Vladimir Putin and Russia face a choice," he said in unusually blunt language.

"If Russia chooses the path of de-escalation ... all of us will welcome it. But if Russia does not, the world will make sure that the costs for Russia will only grow."

Mr Kerry added this would be a "grave" and "expensive mistake".

A woman bandages the head of an injured pro-Russian activist in Mariupol

He also said the Kremlin has not honoured an agreement aimed at defusing the crisis, echoing earlier comments by President Barack Obama.

The Geneva accord between Russia, Ukraine, the US and EU compelled armed groups to put down their weapons and vacate official buildings.

The US says Moscow is stoking unrest and separatist sentiment in the east of Ukraine after its annexation of Crimea.

Russia accuses Washington of encouraging a pro-Western government to adopt anti-Russian policies.

Pro-Russian separatists fill sand bags at a checkpoint in Slavyansk

The crisis in Ukraine is becoming increasingly more violent as separatists take control of public buildings and roads. The government has launched a campaign to remove them.

On Thursday, Ukraine's interior ministry said up to five "terrorists" had been killed during an operation to clear checkpoints in the eastern town of Slavyansk.

Russia announced military exercises involving ground and air forces near its border with Ukraine in response to the operation.

Mr Putin has said there will be "consequences" if Kiev has used its army against the activists.

UN chief Ban Ki-moon has warned the crisis is threatening to "spin out of control" and urged all sides to "refrain from violence".

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FBI Probes Abuse Teacher's London School Link

British detectives are helping an international investigation into a suspected child predator whose 90 known victims may include boys at an elite London school.

William James Vahey, 64, killed himself in a Minnesota motel room on March 21 - two days after FBI agents filed for a warrant to search a computer thumb drive containing child abuse images featuring at least 90 children aged from 12-14.

The victims appeared to be drugged and unconscious in the images dating back to 2008 - although FBI agents believe Vahey may have abused children on an unprecedented scale during a teaching career spanning more than 40 years and at least 10 countries.

In 2008 the history and geography teacher was working in Venezuela before moving to London, where he taught pupils aged 11-16 at the £25,000-a-year Southbank International School from 2009-2013.

The thumb drive was handed to the US Embassy by one of Vahey's co-workers at the American Nicaraguan School in Managua after it was discovered by one of his domestic staff, who first raised the alarm.

In a statement on its website the FBI said: "When confronted about the images by a school administrator, Vahey confessed that he was molested as a child and had preyed on boys his entire life, giving them sleeping pills prior to the molestation."

The FBI is appealing for public help to identify potential victims, who appear to have been abused during overnight field trips led by the US citizen.

Vahey taught at Southbank International School in London for four years

Parents have been showing "considerable concern" after receiving confirmation that Vahey took part in several field trips while working in London, the Southbank International School reportedly confirmed.

The school's chair of governors and former chief inspector of schools Chris Woodhead told the Guardian criminal records bureau checks had been carried out and the school was "deeply, deeply shocked" by the FBI's announcement.

The newspaper said the school is planning to either hold a meeting or write to parents within 24 hours about the crisis, while families are also to be offered psychological counselling.

The FBI said Vahey was jailed for child molestation in California in 1969, but the conviction does not appear to have shown up when checked by schools.

FBI Special Agent Patrick Fransen said some of the alleged victims may not know they were abused.

He said: "He created a system that gave him the opportunity and the means to molest children.

"The manner in which he committed these acts - while the boys were unconscious - may have inhibited them from knowing what happened, making it impossible for them to come forward at the time."

He added: "I've never seen another case where an individual may have molested this many children over such a long period of time."

A Met Police spokesman said: "Officers from the Sexual Offences, Exploitation and Child Abuse Investigation Team are assessing and evaluating intelligence passed to the MPS by US authorities, and actively seeking any evidence whilst working with partner agencies to ensure that potential victims are supported."

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Facebook Profits Triple As Apple Sales Jump

A surge in advertising sales helped Facebook triple its profits in the first three months of 2014, the social networking site has revealed.

The company posted a Q1 profit of $642m (£383m) on the back of a 72% surge in revenues.

The amount of money it makes from advertising is up 82% on the same period last year, with mobile ads accounting for about 60% of all sales.

Facebook chief executive Mark Zuckerberg said: "Facebook's business is strong and growing and this quarter was a great start to 2014."

In an apparent nod to the company's $19bn (£11.4bn) acquisition of WhatsApp, he added: "We've made some long term bets on the future while staying focused on executing and improving our core products and business.

"We're in a great position to continue making progress."

Facebook released its figures at almost the same time as Apple, which reported first-quarter sales of $45.6bn (£27.2bn) - up about 5% year-on-year - and a $10.2bn (£6.1bn) profit.

The company's CEO, Tim Cook, promised "new products and services that only Apple could bring to the market".

Much of Facebook's growth is linked to soaring mobile use among its 802 million daily active users.

Around eight in every 10 users log in to the site using a mobile device - up more than 40% year-on-year.

Apple said it sold 44 million iPhones between January and March - a rise of 17% on the first three months of 2013.

It shifted 16 million iPads and four million Macs in the same period but iPod sales continued to slump, down more than 50% on the start of last year.

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Ferry Disaster: Boy Was First To Raise Alarm

The first person to raise the alarm about the sinking South Korean ferry was a child who called a fire station three minutes after the boat made its final turn.

The boy's call was forwarded to the coastguard two minutes later and was followed by another 20 messages from children on board.

A fire official said the caller's voice sounded shaky and it took a while to identify the ship as the Sewol as the boy was panicking.

"Save us! We're on a ship and I think it's sinking," Yonhap news agency quoted him as saying.

The boy who made the call is among the missing. 

Nearly 200 people are still missing

The fire station official asked him to switch the phone to the captain, and the boy replied: "Do you mean teacher?"

The pronunciation of the words for "captain" and "teacher" is similar in Korean.

Officials say the confirmed death toll has reached 121, with nearly 200 people still missing.

Of the 476 passengers and crew on board, 339 were children and teachers on a school outing to the resort island of Jeju.

Meanwhile, one of the crew members arrested over the disaster said they had tried to launch the lifeboats, but could not due to the tilt of the ship.

Lee seen in a promotional video in 2010

Media reports have also claimed crew members tried to contact officers on the bridge around half an hour after the ferry began listing to ask if they should give the order to abandon ship - but there was no reply.

Public broadcaster KBS quoted one as saying: "At the time, we could not confirm what the situation was on the bridge.

"We kept trying to find out but ... since there was no instruction coming from the bridge, the crew on the third floor followed the instructions on the manual and kept making 'stay where you are' announcements - at least three times."

South Korean President Park Geun-Hye has said the captain and some crew members of the sunken ferry committed "unforgivable, murderous acts" in the disaster.

Lee was arrested on Saturday along with a helmsman and the ship's relatively inexperienced third officer, who was in charge of the bridge when disaster struck.

He has been charged with negligence and failing to secure the safety of the passengers.

Senior prosecutor Ahn Sang-don has said four more crew members - two first mates, one second mate and a chief engineer - have been detained on allegations of failing to protect passengers and abandoning ship.

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Ukraine To Restart 'Anti-Terrorism Operation'

Ukraine's acting president has called for new anti-terrorist measures to protect citizens of his country after "brutally tortured" bodies were found near Slavyansk.

Oleksandr Turchynov said the body of Volodymyr Rybak, a member of Turchynov's Batkivshchyna party, was one of two found showing signs of torture.

Mr Rybak was deputy head of Horlivka city council. Ukrainian news website vesti.ua said a body thought to be his was found beside a river about 60km from the city.

The dead man was hard to identify, the website said, as it had been in water for several days. Mr Rybak went missing on April 17.

In a statement, Mr Turchynov said: "I call on the security agencies to relaunch and carry out effective anti-terrorist measures, with the aim of protecting Ukrainian citizens living in eastern Ukraine from terrorists."

Mr Biden also met with interim president Oleksander Turchynov

A number of political leaders and journalists are reported to have been detained by pro-Russia militia who running many cities in eastern Ukraine.

The detentions prompted the OSCE, who are in Ukraine as monitors, to express deep concern.

The separatists are demanding the right to hold a referendum on the future of eastern Ukraine, similar to that which prompted the breakaway of Crimea in March.

Vice President Joe Biden arrived in Kiev on Tuesday to reiterate US support for a unified Ukraine during a meeting with MPs.

As he did so, the US said it will be sending about 600 troops to Poland and the three Baltic states to take part in exercises.

A pro-Russian separatist guards the security service building in Slovyansk

Mr Biden announced new support for Kiev's government on energy and economic reforms and warned Russia against further provocative action.

Under an agreement signed by the US, the European Union, Russia and Ukraine in Geneva last week, the separatists were supposed to disarm and relinquish control of the towns.

The US has threatened further sanctions against Russia if the separatists - who are Russian speaking and are allegedly backed by Moscow - do not meet the agreement's conditions.

Mr Biden said: "There are some who are trying to pull Ukraine apart. Ukraine is and must remain one country - one united Ukraine.

"No nation has the right to simply grab land from another nation. More provocative behaviour by Russia will lead to more costs and greater isolation."

Not long after he made his speech, a Ukrainian military surveillance plane flying over Slavyansk, in eastern Ukraine, was hit by small arms fire, forcing it to make an emergency landing.

Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseny Yatseniuk said Russian special forces were operating in eastern Ukraine and urged Russia to withdraw troops in Crimea to "turn this shameful page".

But Russia rebuffed the claims, with foreign minister Sergei Lavrov calling for the US to put pressure on Kiev to abide by their part of the Geneva accord.

On Easter Sunday, at least three people were killed at a checkpoint manned by armed separatists, with Russia blaming Ukrainian nationalist group Right Sector.

British Prime Minister David Cameron will discuss the Ukraine crisis and EU reform during a meeting with European Council President Herman Van Rompuy later on Tuesday.

The Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) has deployed around 100 mediators in Ukraine to monitor the situation in the east of the country.

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Russia Accuses Kiev Of Violating Geneva Deal

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has accused Ukraine of breaking an agreement aimed at defusing tensions in the country.

He said: "Steps are being taken - above all by those who seized power in Kiev - not only that do not fulfil, but that crudely violate the Geneva agreement."

It came as pro-Russian separatists claimed they came under attack in the eastern city of Slavyansk.

A shootout in Slavyansk threatens fragile moves to de-escalate the crisis

Mr Lavrov said the deadly firefight, which reportedly left at least three dead and others wounded, showed Kiev did not want to control "extremists".

He said: "The authorities are doing nothing, not even lifting a finger, to address the causes behind this deep internal crisis in Ukraine."

The self-declared mayor of Slavyansk has appealed to Russia's President Vladimir Putin to help residents by sending in troops.

US Vice President Joe Biden has arrived in Kiev for an official visit

This will fuel fears in the West, which accuses Moscow of stoking unrest, that the violence will be used as an excuse for Russia to seize more Ukrainian territory, in a repeat of the annexation of Crimea.

Russia also has tens of thousands of troops based along Ukraine's eastern border.

And concerns will only be heightened after Mr Putin signed a law making it easier for Russian speakers across the former Soviet Union to get citizenship.

An armoured personnel carrier flying a Russian flag in Slavyansk

US Vice President Joe Biden has arrived in Kiev for an official visit, where he is set to criticise Moscow.

The shootout, the cause of which is fiercely disputed, threatens to derail already shaky efforts to de-escalate the continuing crisis.

The deal reached between Russia, Ukraine, the US and European Union, demanded an immediate end to violence.

The Geneva accord called for illegal armed groups to disband, and for protesters to leave occupied government buildings.

Vladimir Putin has made it easier for Russian speakers to get citizenship

But pro-Russian separatists, who have seized offices across eastern Ukraine, have shown no signs of moving on.

Western powers have warned Moscow of further sanctions if it fails to bring its influence to bear on pro-Russian activists.

Mr Lavrov pointed out the authorities in Kiev had failed to remove protesters camped out in the capital.

He said: "Buildings in Kiev that were violently seized at the beginning of the Ukrainian events have not been vacated. Streets have not been cleared.

"This is absolutely unacceptable."

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Ferry Disaster: Boy Was First To Raise Alarm

The first person to raise the alarm about the sinking South Korean ferry was a child who called a fire station three minutes after the boat made its final turn.

The boy's call was forwarded to the coastguard two minutes later and was followed by another 20 messages from children on board.

A fire official said the caller's voice sounded shaky and it took a while to identify the ship as the Sewol as the boy was panicking.

Official figures have raised the death toll to 84, however local media reports claim 104 bodies have now been recovered.

Of the 476 passengers and crew on board, 339 were children and teachers on a school outing to the resort island of Jeju.

Media reports have also claimed crew members tried to contact officers on the bridge around half an hour after the ferry began listing to ask if they should give the order to abandon ship - but there was no reply.

Public broadcaster KBS quoted one as saying: "At the time, we could not confirm what the situation was on the bridge.

"We kept trying to find out but ... since there was no instruction coming from the bridge, the crew on the third floor followed the instructions on the manual and kept making 'stay where you are' announcements. At least three times."

South Korean President Park Geun-Hye has said the captain and some crew members of the sunken ferry committed "unforgivable, murderous acts" in the disaster.

Lee was arrested on Saturday along with a helmsman and the ship's relatively inexperienced third officer, who was in charge of the bridge when disaster struck.

He has been charged with negligence and failing to secure the safety of the passengers.

Senior prosecutor Ahn Sang-don has said four more crew members - two first mates, one second mate and a chief engineer - have been detained on allegations of failing to protect passengers and abandoning ship.

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Ukraine PM: 'Putin Has Soviet Union Dream'

Ukraine's Prime Minister Arseny Yatseniuk has said he is concerned as to how far Russian President Vladimir Putin will go in what he called attempts to restore the Soviet Union.

In an interview with US network NBC, Mr Yatseniuk said: "President Putin has a dream to restore the Soviet Union. And every day, he goes further and further. And God knows where is the final destination.

"And I believe that you do remember his famous Munich speech saying that the biggest disaster of the former century is the collapse of the Soviet Union.

"I consider that the biggest disaster of this century would be the restoring of the Soviet Union under the auspices of President Putin."

Russia, which annexed Ukraine's Crimea last month, denies directing pro-Russian activists in eastern Ukraine or planning to invade.

Pro-Russian gunmen guard a barricade in Slavyansk in eastern Ukraine

The Ukrainian prime minister also said that those behind an anti-Semitic leaflet in the eastern city of Donetsk earlier in the week will be held responsible.

On Monday night as Jews left a synagogue, masked men handed out fliers purported to be from pro-Russian separatists, ordering all Jews to register with them or face deportation.

Meanwhile, a mediator from the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe ( OSCE) is today due to start negotiating the surrender of pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine.

Pro-Russians occupying public buildings in Donetsk and other Russian-speaking border towns refuse to recognise the international agreement made in Geneva on Thursday.

Pro-Russian activists have refused to leave occupied buildings

As part of the deal, Russia, Ukraine and Kiev's US and EU allies agreed that the OSCE should oversee the disarmament of militants and the evacuation of occupied buildings and streets.

Orthodox Easter is being celebrated in Ukraine and Russia, but religious leaders are locked in a war of words.

In pro-West Kiev, the head of Ukraine's Orthodox Church, Patriarch Filaret, accused Russia of being an "enemy" whose "attack" on Ukraine was doomed to failure because it was evil and contrary to God's will.

In Moscow, Patriarch Kirill of the Russian Church delivered a prayer for Ukraine in which he called on God in turn to put "an end to the designs of those who want to destroy Holy Russia".

He said that while Ukraine was "politically" separate, "spiritually and historically" it was at one with Russia, and he prayed that it would benefit from authorities that are "legitimately elected".

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South Korean Ferry Families Clash With Police

Distraught relatives of hundreds of missing passengers on board the sunken South Korean ferry have clashed with police as the official death toll rises.

Up to 100 relatives gathered near a bridge linking the southwestern port city of Jindo to the mainland and tried to march across to take their protest to the capital, Seoul.

But police formed two lines to prevent the pushing and shoving relatives reaching the bridge.

"The government is the killer," some of the relatives shouted, as they pushed against the police barricade.

Family members wait for news from rescue teams in Jindo

"We want an answer from the person in charge about why orders are not going through and nothing is being done," Lee Woon-Geun, father of missing passenger Lee Jung-in, 17, said.

"They are clearly lying and kicking the responsibility to others."

Divers have recovered more bodies inside the South Korean sunken ferry, pushing the confirmed death toll to 50, officials say.

The discovery came after divers gained access to the inside of the ferry for the first time after three days of failed attempts due to strong currents and poor visibility.

"At 11.48pm the joint rescue team broke a glass window and succeeded in getting inside the vessel," the South Korean government said in a statement.

Divers have entered the ship for the first time

Officials said the bodies were found inside the ferry but did not provide further details.

Hundreds of government, military and civilian divers have been involved in the search.

It is thought 252 people, most of them children on a school trip, are still missing. There are 174 known survivors.

The 69-year-old captain of the ferry, Lee Joon-Seok, has been arrested on suspicion of negligence and abandoning people in need.

Two other crew members have also been taken into custody, including a 25-year-old third mate who a prosecutor said was steering in challenging waters unfamiliar to her when the accident occurred on Wednesday.

Ferry Captain Lee Joon-Seok has apologised to families of the victims

Early reports suggest that the ferry, on a 300-mile (400km) voyage from the mainland port of Incheon to the Korean resort island of Jeju, may have turned sharply and then listed before capsizing.

Investigators are looking at how the cargo was stowed, the safety record of the ship operator and the actions of the crew.

Witnesses say Lee and other crew members left the sinking ship before many of the passengers and that orders to evacuate were either not given, or not heard.

Lee said he feared that passengers would be swept away by the ferocious currents in the area if they leapt into the sea, but has not explained why he left the vessel.

A man identified as Cpt Lee is seen being rescued from the sinking ferry

In a TV address Lee, who has more than 40 years of experience at sea, 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."

Hundreds of relatives gathered in a gymnasium in Jindo have spent days and nights awaiting news of their relatives on the ship.

Out of all the people on the ferry, 339 were either pupils or teachers from Danwon High School near Seoul.

The vice principal of the school who was on the ferry and survived was found hanged on Friday.

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