More Fighting In Ukraine After Peace Deal

Written By Unknown on Sabtu, 14 Februari 2015 | 12.14

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At least 11 service personnel have been killed and dozens wounded in the last 24 hours in eastern Ukraine, officials have reported.

It comes despite the ceasefire agreement reached on Thursday, which is due to come into force this weekend.

The US also has claimed that Russia is continuing to deploy heavy weapons in eastern Ukraine - with State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki warning "this is clearly not in the spirit of this week's agreement".

A statement by the Ukrainian military said: "In the Donbass, this night was not a calm one. The enemy shelled positions of the 'anti-terrorist operation' forces with the same intensity as before."

It said fighting had been particularly intense around Debaltseve, a key railway junction linking the rebel strongholds of Donetsk and Luhansk.

Pro-Russia separatists had used rockets and artillery to attack government forces holding the town, the statement added.

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Gallery: Ukraine Crisis Continues

Ukrainian soldiers ride on armoured personnel carriers near Debaltseve, eastern Ukraine

Germany, France, Russia and Ukraine agreed a deal on Thursday that offers a "glimmer of hope" for an end to fighting in eastern Ukraine after marathon overnight talks

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But since the agreement, at least eight services personnel are reported to have been killed

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Ukraine's President Petro Poroshenko (L) addresses journalists as he takes part in peace talks on resolving the Ukrainian crisis in Minsk

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Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko (L) shakes hands with European Council President Donald Tusk (R) during a European Union leaders summit in Brussels

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Rebel authorities said three civilians had been killed and five wounded in shelling by government troops on Luhansk.

Another two civilians were killed and six injured on Friday morning when a shell fired by separatists hit a busy cafe in the nearby town of Shchastya, the Kiev-controlled regional administration said.

A child was also killed after rocket fire struck a kindergarten in Artemivsk - but it is unclear who was responsible for the attack.

Russia has been warned sanctions will be stepped up if the truce to end the 10-month Ukraine conflict is not fully implemented.

The ceasefire, which comes into effect on Sunday, was agreed after 16 hours of talks between Russia, Ukraine, France and Germany in the Belarusian capital Minsk.

A previous truce was violated almost immediately by both sides and there are doubts the latest one will hold.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel said the deal provided "a glimmer of hope - no more, no less".

Russia has already been hit with financial and diplomatic sanctions for allegedly supplying the separatists with heavy weapons and fighters - which it denies.

Mrs Merkel warned: "We hold open the possibility, if these new agreements are not implemented, that we must take further measures."

European Council President Donald Tusk said previously-agreed sanctions against 19 Russian and Ukrainian individuals and nine entities would still come into force next week.

"Our trust in the goodwill of (Russian) President Putin is limited, this is why we have to maintain our decision on sanctions," he said.

The terms of the ceasefire include a withdrawal of heavy weapons, Ukraine taking control of its Russian border, the granting of special status to rebel regions and addressing the humanitarian crisis created by the fighting.

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Gallery: Ukraine Crisis: Fighting Increases (February 11)

Local residents look at the remains of a rocket shell on a street in the town of Kramatorsk, eastern Ukraine

Seven civilians have been killed and 26 wounded in rocket strikes on the town of Kramatorsk

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Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko admitted to having doubts, saying: "It was very difficult negotiation and we expect a not easy implementation process."

The Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe has said it plans to send 350 of its observers to eastern Ukraine to ensure the terms of the truce are monitored.

More than 5,400 people have died since the conflict began last April.

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Written By Unknown on Jumat, 13 Februari 2015 | 12.14

A ceasefire in eastern Ukraine has been agreed after all-night talks in Belarus involving the leaders of Russia, Ukraine, France and Germany.

It will come into effect on Sunday 15 February and will be followed by the withdrawal of heavy weapons, Russian President Vladimir Putin said.

"We have managed to agree on the main things," he told reporters after the talks, which began on Wednesday evening and lasted 16 hours.

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said: "The main thing which has been achieved is that from Saturday into Sunday there should be declared without any conditions at all, a general ceasefire."

The truce was signed in Minsk by the so-called "contact group" comprising pro-Russian separatist leaders, Russian and Ukrainian envoys and European mediators.

A previous truce signed last September collapsed soon after.

The key points of the latest agreement are:

:: A general ceasefire to start on Sunday

:: Heavy weapons to be pulled back from a division line determined by both sides

:: Ukraine to take control of the border with Russia

:: The provision of special status for the rebel regions

:: Measures for addressing the humanitarian crisis affecting thousands of civilians caught up in the fighting

Mr Putin said there was still disagreement over Debaltseve, a key transport hub and the centre of fierce fighting.

He understood rebels had surrounded up to 8,000 Ukrainian troops and expected them to lay down arms ahead of the ceasefire, but Mr Poroshenko disputed this.

The ceasefire deal was welcomed by French President Francois Hollande and German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who led the discussions.

Mrs Merkel said it offered a "glimmer of hope" that the conflict, which has claimed over 5,300 lives since April, would come to an end.

However, she added that "concrete steps must of course be taken and there will still be big hurdles ahead".

Her concerns were echoed by Mr Hollande who said the next few hours would be "decisive".

More asset freezes and travel bans will come into force on Monday, despite the agreement.

They had been on hold until the talks were concluded, but now 14 Ukrainians and five Russians are set to be added to the list of people subject to sanctions.

The White House has also hailed the deal as a "potentially significant step" but insisted Russia had to withdraw all its resources from the conflict zone.

David Cameron, who attended the EU summit with the leaders in Brussels on Thursday afternoon, said: "If this is a genuine ceasefire, then of course that would be welcome. But what matters most of all is actually actions on the ground rather than just words on a piece of paper.

"I think we should be very clear that Vladimir Putin needs to know that unless his behaviour changes, the sanctions we have in place won't be altered."

An exchange in Brussels between Mr Cameron and Mr Poroshenko, that was caught on camera after the deal, suggested there were doubts a ceasefire could be achieved.

Mr Poroshenko was overheard telling Mr Cameron: "I can't imagine Putin can act like this."

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Gallery: Ukraine Crisis: Fighting Increases (February 11)

Local residents look at the remains of a rocket shell on a street in the town of Kramatorsk, eastern Ukraine

Seven civilians have been killed and 26 wounded in rocket strikes on the town of Kramatorsk

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12.14 | 0 komentar | Read More

British Sons Plead For Guantanamo Dad's Release

By Ian Woods, Senior Correspondent

The British family of a prisoner in Guantanamo Bay have pleaded with the US government to send him home to them in London.

In their first ever interview, the teenage sons of Shaker Aamer told Sky News of how their hopes of a reunion have been raised and then dashed.

Mr Aamer has been detained without trial inside the maximum security prison for 13 years - even though he was cleared for release in 2008.

The British government has lobbied on his behalf, and his case has attracted cross-party support, but there has been no explanation as to why he has not yet been freed.

Although he was born in Saudi, his wife and four children are British citizens. They barely remember their father; indeed his youngest son, Faris, was born on the same day as Mr Aamer arrived at Guantanamo on Valentine's Day 2002.

Faris celebrates his 13th birthday on Saturday and told Sky News "It's upsetting and quite shocking that I've never met him in my entire life."

His 15-year-old brother Micheal spoke of how their hopes have been dashed.

"We felt very happy," he said.

"We thought there might be a chance for him to come home, but it just kept getting delayed.

"We just felt more sad because nothing happened. We've seen other people with their parents ... seen how they enjoy themselves, how they're so close to them.

"It's like there is a part of our heart that is missing because we've been yearning for him to come home for many years and nothing's happened yet."

Mr Aamer took his young family and pregnant wife to Afghanistan in 2001. He says he was working for a humanitarian charity.

But a few weeks later the 9/11 attacks put the country at the centre of the US' so-called 'War on Terror'.

His family escaped to Pakistan but Mr Aamer says he gave himself up to the Northern Alliance and was then handed over to US forces.

After detention at Bagram Airbase he was moved to Guantanamo.

The Pentagon compiled a lengthy list of allegations claiming he had ties to Al Qaeda.

His lawyer insists the allegations are false and are the result of torture or false confessions to earn rewards.

His supporters also stress that if the Americans actually believed them, they would not have cleared him for release.

Guantanamo spokesman Lt Col Myles Caggins told Sky News: "In 2009 Shaker Aamer's detention status was reviewed. As a result he was placed in a category we call 'eligible for transfer'.

"At some point in the future we will find a new home for him to be repatriated or resettled to."

But Micheal was unimpressed when he saw the video.

"I feel very sad because the man said they were going to try to find him a home," he said.

"But his home is here in London with his family."

There have been various theories about the delay.

Some say the US may prefer to see him sent to Saudi Arabia, where he is less likely to speak publicly about allegations of torture. There is also the issue of compensation.

According to Lt Col Caggins: "We make these moves after a rigorous inter-agency process between our security officials, law enforcement and intelligence officials to ensure that transfer will be to a place that can maintain security assurances and human rights protections for those former Guantanamo detainees."

Mr Aamer's lawyer, Clive Stafford Smith, scoffs at that.

"The most obvious person in the entire world to release is Shaker Aamer because he would be coming to the country with the best record of released prisoners, Britain," he said.

"And he would be coming to a place where we know his human rights are going to be respected, and he's been cleared for eight years, and he's got a wife and four children. What on earth is the argument against it?"

At least in recent years the family have been able to speak to their father. The International Red Cross has organised Skype video calls. Micheal remembers the first.

"We were all very excited," he said.

"We were very energetic. We couldn't wait to see him. And then when the call finally happened, we couldn't believe it was actually him.

"His voice. We hadn't heard it for such a long time.

"It was very surprising to hear his voice again. It was a shock. Skype has been very good at lifting our hopes up again because we've been able to speak to him, see how he's doing, and he's a very funny person.

"He always makes jokes. He lightens the mood a lot of the time. We talk about what's going on in our lives, how our education is."

Mr Aamer's wife and daughter preferred to stay in the background and not be interviewed. Because both boys are under sixteen, we agreed not to show their faces.

12.14 | 0 komentar | Read More

Long Way To Go Before There's A Ukraine Deal

Written By Unknown on Kamis, 12 Februari 2015 | 12.14

It may seem strange but a precursor to a ceasefire is often a spike in the actual fighting on the battlefield and that is exactly what is happening in eastern Ukraine.

Both the government and rebel forces are engaged in what are effectively land grabs as the expectation of some type of deal being reached in Minsk draws nearer.

There may of course be no deal or not one that lasts too long, so it sort of makes sense for the protagonists to go at each other "hammer and tongs" as the countdown begins.

If you are sheltering in a Soviet-era block of flats while grad rockets land in your neighbourhood it might not feel like it makes any sense at all.

There has been a ceasefire deal of course. It was agreed in September last year and brought around a period of some stability rather than an actual end to the fighting. Both sides took the opportunity to strengthen their positions though and as the year began the hostilities grew more intense and finally flared into the current state of war once again.

The key question is whether the leaders of Ukraine, France, Germany and, of course, Russia can come up with a renewed plan acceptable to everyone.

In essence, the formula for the peace deal would be an immediate ceasefire; after that its starts getting more tricky.

A wide demilitarised zone on both sides of the front line and monitored by international observers is being proposed with a similar observer corp on the proper Ukrainian/Russian border.

Heavy weapons would be withdrawn by both sides and prisoners exchanged in the ensuing peace.

Ukraine would maintain its territorial integrity but the Kiev government would give greater autonomy to the local governments of Donetsk and Luhansk.

All of the above agreements would be acceptable to all sides as well as the countries watching in. The problem is that the details aren't just sticking points - they could be game changers.

To begin with, exactly where is the demilitarised zone and the "border" with western Ukraine? Since the September treaty, the rebels have taken more ground and want to keep it. Ukraine wants it back.

What constitutes heavy weapons and will some of the rebels' suspiciously new bits of kit return across the border to Russia from whence it came?

What about those rebels who everyone acknowledges are Russian? Sent by the Kremlin or not, Ukraine says they have to go home.

What will be the status of the newly empowered rebel-held regions? Ukraine wants to remain the government of the whole country. The rebels and Russia, to all intents and purposes, want these areas to be autonomous although remaining within Ukraine to act as a veto for any future attempts by Kiev to strengthen its ties to Europe.

What happens to Crimea is probably way too toxic for these talks and will probably be set aside and put in the "just don't go there" bin for now.

So if all these issues have been addressed and everyone sticks to their side of the bargain a permanent peace is imminent.

However, I wouldn't bet on it.

Both sides have said they will strengthen their positions and prepare for a greater escalation in the war if no deal is reached. Regardless, one must expect them to strengthen their positions and prepare for war anyway; it just might be further back than the current front lines.

What the local population can hope for is a ceasefire and a return to a sort of peace. Most agree that they want the fighting to stop and it all to go away. While many support the Kiev side, many also distrust Kiev, won't forgive attacks by government troops on their towns and are fearful of revenge by the substantial right-wing militias that make up Ukraine's "Civil Defence" forces.

A year on, Ukraine remains bitterly divided and riven with complex ideological, social and geographical problems.

A Minsk deal won't solve these problems but it might halt the killing; for a while.

12.14 | 0 komentar | Read More

World Leaders To Sign Document On Ukraine

The leaders of Ukraine, Russia, Germany and France are expected to sign a document following all-night talks in Minsk, according to a diplomatic source.

The development comes after lengthy crisis discussions aimed at ending 10 months of bloodshed in eastern Ukraine.

The source would not provide details about the nature of the document, according to the Reuters news agency.

Ukrainian presidential aide Valeriy Chaly earlier said a "battle of nerves" was under way as the discussions dragged towards dawn.

"We've got another 5-6 hours of work. At least," he said in a Facebook post after talks had already been going on for seven hours.

"But we should not leave here without an agreement on an unconditional ceasefire."

Sky's Stuart Ramsay, who is at the talks, said: "We've seen a lot of running around with what look like communiques, so something appears to be getting done."

French President Francois Hollande and German Chancellor Angela Merkel are in Minsk, the capital of Belarus, meeting with Russia's Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian leader Petro Poroshenko.

Mr Poroshenko has said the talks are crucial in deciding whether the situation will de-escalate or spiral "out of control".

The negotiations opened with a brief handshake between Mr Poroshenko and Mr Putin, who were meeting for the first time since October.

A source close to one of the delegations told the AFP news agency: "Everybody is yawning but they are still arguing."

Another source with knowledge of the discussions told AFP the leaders hoped to sign a joint statement calling for the fulfilment of an earlier failed peace plan signed by Kiev and the rebels last year.

There was a spike in violence in eastern Ukraine as the talks began.

Nineteen Ukrainian soldiers were killed and 78 wounded in rebel attacks near the railway town of Debaltseve, a military spokesman said.

In Donetsk, five people were reportedly killed and nine wounded in mortar attacks.

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Gallery: Ukraine Crisis: Fighting Increases

Local residents look at the remains of a rocket shell on a street in the town of Kramatorsk, eastern Ukraine

Seven civilians have been killed and 26 wounded in rocket strikes on the town of Kramatorsk

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'Belgium Terror Recruiters' Await Their Fate

Written By Unknown on Rabu, 11 Februari 2015 | 12.14

By Robert Nisbet, Europe Correspondent

Verdicts are expected later in the trial of 46 members of an extremist Islamist group accused of brainwashing young men in Belgium to fight in Syria.

Prosecutors claim the now-disbanded Sharia4Belgium network targeted impressionable men in Antwerp and Vilvoorde, north of Brussels, before starting a process of radicalisation and then delivering them to the conflict zone to fight the regime of President Bashar al Assad.

The alleged ringleader is 32-year-old Fouad Belkacem, a Moroccan-born car engineer, who is already serving a two-year sentence for inciting hatred against non-Muslims.

The avowed aim of his group of radicals was to establish Sharia law in Belgium, an intention he expressed in a series of YouTube videos.

In one, shown to the court, he said he wanted to destroy the Atomium tourist attraction in Brussels.

Public prosecutor Ann Fransen said he equated fighting so-called "holy war" with praying and fasting and told reporters: "Belkacem's words can only be interpreted as a call to violence and jihad."

Of the 46 accused, only eight have made an appearance in Antwerp's tightly-secured courtroom, as the remainder are believed to be still in Syria.

One of the young men Belkacem is alleged to have radicalised is 19-year-old Jejoen Bontinck, who is also on trial, charged with belonging to Sharia4Belgium, which carries a four-year jail term.

The teenager claims he travelled to Syria to help victims of the conflict, but his father, Dimitri, who brought him home, says he knew his son was being indoctrinated.

"Of course we asked for help, from youth organisations (and) the police," he told Sky News last year.

"But they answered: 'We live in a democracy, we have free speech, we have freedom of religion.' It was very sad, very painful."

It is estimated by the EU's INTCEN intelligence centre that more than 3,000 European citizens are fighting so-called jihad, and more than 10% of those come from Belgium, a higher percentage than any other country.

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Gallery: Belgian Police Target Returning Jihadists

Forensic officers work in the rain on Rue de la Colline in Verviers, eastern Belgium

Belgian police shot dead two suspects in a huge operation against jihadists who had returned from Syria and planned an imminent attack

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Machete Seized As Australia Plot 'Foiled'

Australian police say they have prevented an "imminent" terror attack linked to Islamic State (IS) after arresting two men in a Sydney suburb.

Police say a machete, a hunting knife and homemade IS flag were seized in Fairfield, as well as a video of a man talking about an attack.

New South Wales Deputy Police Commissioner Catherine Burn said the planned attack was "consistent with the messaging coming out of IS".

State premier Mike Baird said a potentially "catastrophic" incident had been avoided.

He said: "It was beyond disturbing, what was planned. Certainly, something catastrophic was avoided... and for that we should be very thankful."

When asked whether a beheading was planned, Ms Burns said police were unsure of the attack's nature, but added it was imminent and likely to have involved a knife.

"We believe that the men were potentially going to harm somebody, maybe even kill somebody, and potentially using one of the items that we identified and recovered yesterday, potentially a knife," she said.

The men, aged 24 and 25, would have carried out the attack on Tuesday if they had not been arrested that day, Ms Burns added.

"We built up information, we received further information which indicated an attack was imminent, and we acted."

Omar al Kutobi and Mohammad Kiad have been charged with undertaking acts in preparation or planning for a terrorist act, which carries a maximum punishment of life in prison.

They were refused bail during a brief court hearing on Wednesday. Neither man appeared in the courtroom.

Ms Burn said the men were not previously on their radar and she did not know whether the alleged target was the police, military or the general public.

She did confirm that one of those arrested features in the video that was seized.

Prime Minister Tony Abbott told Parliament the footage depicted one of the suspects kneeling in front of the IS flag with the knife and machete while making a statement in Arabic.

Police are trying to determine if the men were in contact with anyone associated with IS.

In December, a gunman claiming to represent IS took 18 people hostage in a 16-hour siege at a Sydney cafe.

The hostage situation ended in a hail of gunfire when police rushed the cafe.

The gunman, Man Haron Monis, and hostages Tori Johnson and Katrina Dawson died in the siege.

A number of raids have been carried out in Sydney and Melbourne since Australia raised its terror threat level to high for the first time in September, citing the likelihood of attacks by Australians radicalised in Iraq or Syria.

Australia, which backs US action against IS in Syria and Iraq, believes at least 70 citizens are fighting in the region, backed by 100 "facilitators" at home.

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Obama: Russia Cannot Act Behind 'Barrel Of Gun'

Written By Unknown on Selasa, 10 Februari 2015 | 12.14

Obama: Russia Cannot Act Behind 'Barrel Of Gun'

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President Obama has said that Russia cannot redraw the borders in Ukraine behind the "barrel of a gun".

Speaking at a news conference with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, he said diplomacy was still the main strategy for ending the fighting, which has left at least 5,300 people dead.

The President has been under political pressure at home to arm Ukrainian forces against pro-Russian rebels, who have seized control of large areas in the east of the country.

Mrs Merkel is against a military solution but the President said he was still looking at the option.

He told reporters: "The possibility of lethal defensive weapons is one of those options that is being examined, but I have not made a decision about that yet."

President Obama said Russia would be further isolated if it continued to send troops and support and arm rebels who have taken over large areas of Ukraine.

"We are in absolute agreement that the 21st century cannot have us stand idle and simply allow the borders of Europe redrawn with the barrel of a gun," said the President.

Russia denies sending troops and arming the rebels.

President Obama said the separatists had completely violated September's Minsk agreement to ease the fighting and Russia had instead plowed in more tanks and artillery.

Economic and political sanctions will stay in place while Russia continues its involvement in Ukraine, the two leaders said.

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Gallery: Ukraine Fighting: Latest Pictures

Ukrainian servicemen unload Grad rockets from a truck before launching them towards pro-Russian separatist forces outside Debaltseve, eastern Ukraine

At least nine Ukrainian soldiers have been killed and 26 wounded in fighting with Russian-backed separatists in Ukraine's eastern regions in the past 24 hours

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Ukraine's military say fighting has been particularly intense around the town of Debaltseve, a major rail and road junction northeast of the city of Donetsk

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Regional police chief Vyacheslav Abroskin said seven civilians had been killed by shelling in Debaltseve and another frontline town of Avdiivka

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Mrs Merkel said it was crucial for the West to stand up to Russian aggression.

"If we give up this principle of territorial integrity of countries, then we will not be able to maintain the peaceful order of Europe," said the German Chancellor.

The leaders of Ukraine, Germany, France and Russia are preparing for a summit in Minsk on Wednesday, aiming to end the conflict.

Mr Putin also hosted Mrs Merkel and the French leader Francois Hollande for talks in the Kremlin on Friday.

The Wall Street Journal reported Mrs Merkel had given Mr Putin until Wednesday to agree to a peace plan.

But the Kremlin reportedly hit out at that suggestion, saying "nobody has ever talked to the president in the tone of an ultimatum".

New visa bans and asset freezes on Ukrainian separatists and Russians are understood to be on hold until 16 February to give peace talks a chance.

Pro-Russian rebels annexed the Crimea region of southern Ukraine last year and have also taken control of areas in the east of the country, in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions.

Ukrainian forces have been fighting to take back territory, with violence escalating markedly in the last few weeks.

Running water, power and food are all in scarce supply as villages near the frontline suffer the effects of rocket fire and shelling.

Up to 10 people also died last week when shells hit a hospital and other buildings in the rebel-held city of Donetsk.

Nearly a million people have fled their homes, according to the United Nations, while another 600,000 have taken refuge in neighbouring countries.

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Written By Unknown on Minggu, 08 Februari 2015 | 12.15

German Chancellor Angela Merkel has said a bid to resolve the Ukrainian conflict is "uncertain but worth trying," as the French President warned it was "one of the last chances" for peace.

Speaking at a security conference in Munich, Ms Merkel also said Russia "needs to do its bit" to resolve the crisis.

She accused Moscow of showing "territorial disrespect" for its neighbour, and said international law had been violated.

Her comments come after she and French President Francois Hollande met Russian leader Vladimir Putin in Moscow, in what was widely seen as a last-ditch attempt to thrash out a deal to end fighting which has claimed the lives of more than 5,300 people.

Mr Hollande said the agreement could include a demilitarised zone and greater autonomy for the separatist eastern region.

Ms Merkel said of the peace efforts: "It is uncertain whether it will lead to success, but from my point of view and that of the French President it is definitely worth trying."

Mr Hollande told reporters: "I think this is one of the last chances, that's why we took this initiative."

Asked at the talks whether he thought the peace proposal could work, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko replied: "Yes."

However he rejected any changes to territorial lines set out in a peace deal agreed in Minsk last September.

The rebels have made big gains since then, raising doubts whether they will respect the pact in its existing form.

Mr Putin said Russia does not want war, but he was scathing of Western sanctions over Ukraine.

He told trade union members in Moscow: "There's no war, thank God. But there is definitely an attempt to curb our development."

He added: "But we don't plan to fight a war with anyone, we plan to cooperate with everyone."

But US Vice President Joe Biden called on Mr Putin to demonstrate this by his actions.

The West has accused Russia of sending troops and weapons across the border although Moscow has consistently denied backing the rebels.

"Given Russia's recent history we need to judge its deeds not its words," Mr Biden told the conference. "Don't tell us, show us, President Putin," he added.

Addressing the conference, Mr Poroshenko brandished several passports taken from Russian soldiers in what he claimed was proof of Moscow's "presence" in his country.

"This is the best evidence for the aggression and for the presence of Russian troops," he said.

Amid a debate in Washington over whether to send weapons to help Kiev fight pro-Russian rebels, the German Chancellor argued this would not help end the crisis.

But NATO's top military commander has said this should not be ruled out.

US Air Force General Philip Breedlove told reporters at the Munich conference: "I don't think we should preclude out of hand the possibility of the military option."

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Gallery: Civilians Flee Besieged Ukrainian Town

A member of the Ukrainian armed forces assists local residents onto a bus to flee fighting in Debaltseve, eastern Ukraine

Two dozen buses escorted civilians out of the town after separatist rebels and government forces agreed a brief truce to allow civilians to be evacuated. Click through for more images ...

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12.15 | 0 komentar | Read More

Prince Charles: Youth Extremism 'Alarming'

The Prince of Wales has weighed in on rising fears over the radicalisation of young people in the UK, describing it as "alarming".

In a radio interview Prince Charles said the extent to which young people are becoming radicalised is one of the "greatest worries."

He said it was particularly concerning "in a country like ours where you know the values we hold dear".

"You think that the people who have come here, born here, go to school here, would abide by those values and outlooks," the Prince told BBC Radio 2's The Sunday Hour.

His comments came as he kicked off a six-day tour of the Middle East.

The Prince of Wales landed in Jordan late on Saturday, where he is due to hold talks with Jordan's King Abdullah II.

Jordan has carried out three consecutive days of airstrikes on Islamic State targets after the terrorist group released a video showing 26-year-old Jordanian pilot Moaz al Kasabeh being burned to death.

Prince Charles said preventing the radicalisation of Muslim youth was a "great challenge" and something that could not be swept "under the carpet".

He expressed particular concern over the threat posed by young Muslims coming into contact with extremists online, describing it as "frightening".

"I can see I suppose to a certain extent, some aspect of this radicalisation is a search for adventure and excitement at a particular age," he said, adding that he had tried to create alternative paths for young people through his work with The Princes Trust charity.

The Prince's tour will also see him travel to Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.

12.15 | 0 komentar | Read More

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