US To Lose '$35bn A Year' Over NSA Spying

California's Silicon Valley is set to lose up to $35bn (£21bn) in revenue as companies and citizens use computer services in other nations to avoid snooping by US intelligence agencies, a new study has suggested.

In a report for the Washington DC-based Information Technology & Innovation Foundation think tank, senior analyst Daniel Castro said America's "entire tech industry has been implicated and is now facing a global backlash".

The possible loss, which covers the next three years, is based on the assumption that many companies outside the US will buy services in other countries rather than risk copies of their data being turned over to the US government.

The estimate comes amid claims some US tech firms have given access to spies to scoop up data from servers and 'cloud computing' warehouses.

In June National Security Agency (NSA) whistleblower Edward Snowden began leaking details of the extent of snooping done by US spies into the lives of ordinary people and companies.

Balfour Beatty led a $1.2bn consortium to build the NSA Utah data centre

All non-US citizens are considered legitimate surveillance targets of the NSA, which dwarfs the CIA in budget, manpower and signal intelligence (sigint) capabilities.

While the spies say they are thwarting terrorism, Mr Snowden's leaks have shown surveillance is much more widespread than previously realised, raising the ire of both Americans and foreigners.

But Britain may not be a winner in the data storage war, as many may turn towards continental European and Scandinavian alternatives. Irrespective of location, cloud computing is liable to being breached by illicit means.

Codebreakers at Britain's GCHQ - with surveillance treaty links dating back to 1943 with the US military - have also been implicated in widespread telephone, email and internet surveillance.

The Snowden revelations have claimed that both organisations, aided by their 'Five Eyes' second-tier partners in Canada, Australia and New Zealand, have infiltrated numerous financial institutions, governance organisations and companies.

The United Nations, money transfer firms and even online games have reportedly been targets.

The US has led the world in information technology and more than $1.3trn in shareholder wealth is tied up in Apple, Google, Microsoft, Facebook and Yahoo! alone, and the companies collectively employ more than 243,000 people.

Edward Snowden revealed widespread NSA eavesdropping

On Monday, eight top tech firms in the US sent an open letter to Barack Obama urging reform on American snooping.

The impact on offshore cloud computing could be large. According to the US International Trade Commission, exports of digitally enabled services from the US totalled $356bn (£210bn) in 2011.

Forrester Research analyst James Staten initially estimated the loss at $60bn (£36bn) a year but has since reassessed the loss to other nations as $20bn (£12bn) annually.

US tech firms are also worried about internet users curbing their social media usage and the amount of information they are willing to expose online - which directly impacts their revenue through lower advertising returns.

"We are now entering a new phase of the internet that I call 'data wars'," internet privacy specialist and SpiderOak chief executive Ethan Oberman said.

"It's all about who can amass the most personal data because that data has become so valuable that whoever accumulates the most is going to win."

:: Watch Sky News live on television, on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 82 and Freesat channel 202.

23.13 | 0 komentar | Read More

Zimmerman Girlfriend Wants Gun Case Dropped

George Zimmerman's girlfriend, who had accused him of pointing a gun at her, now wants a prosecutor to drop a domestic violence case against him.

Mr Zimmerman was arrested last month after Samantha Scheibe accused him in a 911 call of pointing a gun "at my frickin' face", smashing a coffee table and pushing her outside their Florida home.

He has now filed an affidavit from Ms Scheibe saying she does not want him charged with aggravated assault, battery and criminal mischief.

Ms Scheibe also wants a judge to lift an order that blocks her from seeing Mr Zimmerman, whom she called "my boyfriend".

"I am not afraid of George in any manner and I want to be with him," Ms Scheibe wrote.

She said detectives had misinterpreted what she said.

During the altercation in November, Mr Zimmerman also called dispatchers, denied pointing a gun at her and blamed her for the broken table.

Samantha Scheibe outside her Florida home

Prosecutors must now decide whether they will pursue the case against Mr Zimmerman, which they can despite the affidavit.

Mr Zimmerman's lawyer, Jayne Weintraub, said: "I'm hoping that the prosecutors will take a good hard look at this and take the target off of George's back and drop the charges."

Mr Zimmerman was acquitted of murder after the shooting of Trayvon Martin, a 17-year-old unarmed black teenager.

The case stirred racial tensions and led to demonstrations across the country.

Since the July ruling, however, the former neighbourhood watch volunteer has had several run-ins with the law.

He and his estranged wife, Shellie, were involved in a domestic dispute in September.

Police said no charges were filed against either of them because of a lack of evidence.

:: Watch Sky News live on television, on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 82 and Freesat channel 202.

23.13 | 0 komentar | Read More

Nelson Mandela Memorial: World Leaders In SA

Nelson Mandela: Obituary Of An Icon

Updated: 6:30am UK, Friday 06 December 2013

Nelson Mandela's long but ultimately successful struggle to liberate South Africa's oppressed black majority made him a figure of hope and inspiration for millions of people around the world.

Feisty young lawyer, determined founder of the ANC's youth movement, militant commander, prisoner, president - his role in the fight for freedom was constantly evolving throughout his life.

Alongside mentor Walter Sisulu and great friend Oliver Tambo, he brought focus to the anti-apartheid campaign where it was needed, but became an enemy of the state in the process.

In 1963, already behind bars and facing the death penalty during a sabotage trial, Mr Mandela gave his famous "speech from the dock".

The words - combative, but measured and full of hope - signalled the emergence of the statesman who would become an icon of the 20th century.

:: Watch Sky News HD for all the latest news and reaction to Nelson Mandela's death

He said: "I have fought against white domination, and I have fought against black domination.

"I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony and with equal opportunities.

"It is an ideal which I hope to live for and to achieve. But if needs be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die."

The apartheid government jailed Mr Mandela and his comrades for life in 1964 but they could not lock away the ideas he embodied and the righteousness of his cause.

To allies of South Africa's racist regime - including some in Britain - Mr Mandela remained for many years a "terrorist".

But for campaigners Mr Mandela's 27-year ordeal behind bars, often in a cramped cell on Robben Island or in solitary confinement, represented all that was wrong with apartheid.

Pressure to free "prisoner 46664" went hand-in-hand with diplomacy and sanctions as the world set its sights on ending the injustice of South Africa's racial rule.

The beaming smile and joyful raised fist as he walked free from Paarl's Victor-Verster Prison with his wife Winnie on February 11, 1990, proved beyond doubt to most South Africans that a dark chapter in the country's history was coming to a close.

As President from 1994, Mr Mandela sought to build his "Rainbow Nation" - feted by world leaders as he crossed the globe outlining his vision of a non-racial democracy.

His campaign to unite the nation - black and white - behind the victorious Springboks rugby team during the 1995 World Cup in South Africa made many believe that vision could really be achieved.

An often troubled and traumatic personal life - including the split from Winnie following her kidnapping and assault trial - was never allowed to eclipse the greater goal of guiding South Africa into a new era.

After retiring in 1999, Mr Mandela - fondly known by his tribal name "Madiba" - settled into the role of "Father of the Nation".

Passing on the presidency to Thabo Mbeki, he was happy taking a step back from the political frontline, but always there to reassure his people  - a symbol of hope until the end.

Nelson Mandela was born in 1918 into the Madiba tribal clan, part of the Thembu people, in a small village in the eastern Cape of South Africa.

Born Rolihlahla Dalibhunga, he was given his English name by a teacher, Miss Mdingane, at his first school. It was customary for all children to be given English names.

His father, a counsellor to the Thembu royal family, died when Mr Mandela was a child, and he was placed in the care of the acting regent of the Thembu people, chief Jongintaba Dalindyebo.

He joined the African National Congress (ANC) in 1944, first as an activist, then president of the ANC Youth League.

Mr Mandela married his first wife, Walter Sisulu's cousin Evelyn Mase, in 1944 and the couple went on to have four children during a 14-year marriage.

In 1952, he and friend Oliver Tambo opened South Africa's first black law firm, using their offices to take on many civil rights cases and mount challenges to the apartheid system.

Mr Mandela was first charged with high treason in 1956 following the adoption of the Freedom Charter in Soweto - a document with demands including multi-racial, democratic government and equal rights for blacks - but was cleared when the prosecution failed to prove he was using violence.

In 1958 he divorced Evelyn and married Winnie Madikizela, who later became prominent in the ANC and the campaign to free her husband.

He was convinced to take up arms against the government following the 1960 Sharpeville Massacre - when police shot dead 69 peaceful demonstrators who were protesting against the segregationist Pass Law, which limited the freedom of the black population.

The government followed the massacre by banning the ANC, cracking down on strikers and protesters and applying apartheid restrictions even more severely as a state of emergency was declared.

As commander-in-chief of the ANC's armed wing from 1961, Mr Mandela secretly left the country to raise money and undergo military training in Morocco, Algeria and Ethiopia.

He returned in July 1962, but was arrested at a road block after briefing the ANC leadership on his trip.

Mr Mandela stood trial for incitement and leaving the country without a passport and this time there was no chance of an acquittal as he was jailed for five years and sent to Robben Island Prison for the first time.

He was behind bars when a group of his comrades were arrested in 1963. They were charged with sabotage in what became known as the Rivonia Trial - named after the farm raided by police.

In June 1964 - following a lengthy trial condemned by the UN Security Council - Mr Mandela and seven other activists were sentenced to life in prison.

He remained imprisoned on the infamous Robben Island for 18 years before being transferred to Pollsmoor jail on the mainland in 1982.

In the space of 12 months between 1968 and 1969, his mother died and his eldest son was killed in a car crash, but he was not allowed to attend their funerals.

In 1980, Oliver Tambo, who was in exile in London, launched an international campaign to win Mr Mandela's release. International resolutions and rock concerts alike were harnessed to highlight the cause.

As the world community upped the pressure against South Africa, with the US approving tough economic sanctions in 1986, secret talks began between Mr Mandela and PW Botha's government.

In 1990, President FW de Klerk lifted the ban on the ANC - paving the way for Mr Mandela's release on February 11.

The ANC and ruling National Party began talks about forming a new non-racial democracy for South Africa.

Relations between Mr Mandela and Mr de Klerk grew tense against a backdrop of violence between ANC supporters and Chief Buthelezi's Inkatha movement.

But the two leaders continued to meet and in December 1993 they were both awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

Five months later, for the first time in South Africa's history, all races voted in democratic elections and Mr Mandela became president - having himself voted in an election for the first time in his life.

As president, Mr Mandela entrusted much day-to-day government business to his deputy Thabo Mbeki.

While his time in office was hailed as a triumph in terms of building the new South Africa, there was criticism for a failure to tackle the Aids epidemic and conditions in the country's slum townships.

Mr Mandela divorced Winnie in 1996 and married 52-year-old Graca Machel two years later, on his 80th birthday.

Mr Mandela stepped down as president after the ANC's landslide victory in the national elections in the summer of 1999, in favour of Mr Mbeki.

After his retirement he continued travelling the world, meeting leaders, attending conferences and raising money for good causes.

With thousands of requests every year, his problem was fitting everything in and not exhausting himself.

In June 2004, aged 85, Mr Mandela announced he would be retiring from public life as he wanted to enjoy more time with his family.

But he did make an exception to speak out about his son Makgatho's death from Aids in 2005 - challenging the taboo that surrounds the disease in Africa.

The 2010 World Cup closing ceremony in Johannesburg was the world's last glimpse of the iconic leader in a public role.

He may have been looking frail, wrapped up against the cold and not speaking, but the famous smile as he basked in South Africa's success underlined how far his country had come.

In recent years he battled bouts of ill health, with South Africans struggling to come to terms with the reality that he could not go on forever.

Mr Mandela had hospital treatment in early 2012 for abdominal pain and then endured another 18-day stay at the end of the year suffering from gallstones and a chest infection.

A picture taken on February 2 at his Johannesburg home - showing him holding great-grandson Zen Manaway on his lap - proved to be the last time Nelson Mandela's millions of admirers saw the world's most famous smile.

23.13 | 0 komentar | Read More

Central African Republic: French Troops Killed

Two French soldiers have been killed in the Central African Republic, officials in Paris have confirmed.

The deaths represent the first French casualties since President Francois Hollande deployed 1,600 troops to restore order there.

A statement from the Elysee Palace said: "With much sadness, the president learned of the deaths in combat of two French soldiers last night in Bangui.

"They lost their lives to save many others.

"The president expresses his profound respect for the sacrifice of these two soldiers and renews his full confidence in the French forces committed - alongside African forces - to restoring security in the Central African Republic, to protecting the people and guaranteeing access to humanitarian aid."

Mr Hollande, who is in South Africa to attend the memorial for Nelson Mandela, was due to visit French troops in the Central African Republic later along with foreign minister Laurent Fabius.

The French troops are part of a UN-mandated effort to restore order in the CAR, a former French colony and one of the world's poorest countries.

The African Union is due to boost the existing peacekeeping mission to 6,000 men.

On Monday, peacekeeping troops began disarming fighters after a wave of sectarian violence in the capital left nearly 400 people dead.

:: Watch Sky News live on television, on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 82 and Freesat channel 202.

23.13 | 0 komentar | Read More

PIP Breast Implant Boss Jean-Claude Mas Jailed

The founder of a company that made substandard breast implants has been jailed for four years.

Jean-Claude Mas of Poly Implant Prothese (PIP) was found guilty of fraud after using industrial-grade silicone in thousands of breast implants sold worldwide.

The 74-year-old, dubbed "the sorcerer's apprentice of implants" by prosecutors, plans to appeal, according to his lawyer.

The scandal first emerged in 2010 after doctors noticed abnormally high rupture rates in PIP implants.

A global health scare erupted in 2011 with some 300,000 women in 65 countries believed to have received the faulty implants.

Jean-Claude Mas arriving in court for the verdict

Mas was also ordered to pay a €75,000 (£45,638) fine and has been permanently banned from working in medical services or running a company.

Four other former PIP executives were also convicted by the court in Marseille and given lesser sentences.

During a month-long trial in April, the defendants admitted using the industrial-grade silicone but Mas, who spent eight months in pre-trial detention, denied the company's implants posed any health risks.

More than 7,500 women have reported ruptures in the implants and in France alone 15,000 have had the PIP implants replaced.

But health officials in various countries have said they are not toxic and do not increase the risk of breast cancer.

More than 7,000 women had declared themselves civil plaintiffs in the case.

Mas, a one-time travelling salesman who got his start in the medical business by selling pharmaceuticals, founded PIP in 1991 to take advantage of the booming market for cosmetic implants.

He built the company into the third-largest global supplier of implants, but came under the spotlight when plastic surgeons began reporting an unusual number of ruptures in his products.

Health authorities later discovered he was saving millions of euros by using industrial-grade gel in 75% of the implants.

PIP's implants were banned and the company eventually liquidated.

PIP had exported more than 80% of its implants, with about half going to Latin America, about a third to other countries in western Europe, about 10% to eastern Europe and the rest to the Middle East and Asia.

In a similar case, a commercial court last month ordered the German company TUeV, which cleared PIP for certification, to pay damages to more than 1,600 women and six distributors.

The implants were filled with industrial-grade silicone and were prone to leaking.

:: Watch Sky News live on television, on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 82 and Freesat channel 202.

23.13 | 0 komentar | Read More

Nevada Family Go Missing In 'Brutal' Cold

Rescue teams are racing against the clock to find a couple and four children who have been missing in the bitter Nevada cold for almost two days.

The rescue teams have worked into the night to locate James Glanton, 34, his girlfriend Christina McIntee, 25, and the four children: a 10-year-old, two four-year-olds and a three-year-old.

Two of them are the couple's children, while one is a niece and one is a nephew, according to the Pershing County sheriff's office.

"It's got to be brutal out there," said Mark Turney, a spokesman for the US Bureau of Land Management.

Lovelock is in a rugged area where the group is believed to be. Pic: KOLO

"Let's hope they are found quick."

Temperatures plunged to minus 16F (minus 26C) on Monday in Lovelock, a rugged area where officials say the group might be, about 100 miles northeast of Reno.

The temperature is expected to drop below zero again today.

Planes and ground teams have combed the area.

While inches of snow have blanketed the area, the black top on the silver 2005 Jeep should help make it easier to spot from the air, authorities said. 

Clear skies expected today could also work in the pilots' favour. 

The family have not been heard from since they went missing on Sunday, according to the sheriff's office.

They went to the Seven Troughs area at about noon, and it was unclear what supplies they might have been carrying.

Several inches of snow have blanketed the area. Pic: KOLO

The Seven Troughs area is named after a series of seven parallel canyons, and is a remote and rocky area.

A cold snap has been gripping much of the US, with temperatures dropping to as low as minus 42F (minus 41C) in Montana.

Ice and snow have covered the mid-Atlantic and Texas before pushing up the East Coast.

The storm has forced the cancellation of thousands of flights, led to fatal incidents on treacherous roads, and caused power outages.

Another round of snow is in the forecast for the mid-Atlantic region today.

Public schools were closed in a number of areas including Washington, Philadelphia and parts of Kentucky and Tennessee.

In Ohio, overnight snowfall in central and southwest parts of the state was making the morning commute slow and messy and delayed the opening of hundreds of schools.

Valley Forge National Park in Pennsylvania

The cold weather also led officials in Washington to postpone a National Transportation Safety Board hearing into the crash-landing of an Asiana jet at San Francisco International Airport in July.

The agency said it hopes to reschedule the hearing into the crash, which left three dead, for later in the week.

:: Watch Sky News live on television, on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 82 and Freesat channel 202.

23.13 | 0 komentar | Read More

'Smoking Thief Sets Cars And Himself On Fire'

CCTV footage shows the moment a man accidentally set several cars on fire after allegedly lighting a cigarette while trying to steal petrol.

The 26-year-old, who was later found by police with burns on his leg, also appeared to be engulfed by flames.

He was charged with arson and illegal interference with a motor vehicle following the incident at a car park in Millicent, Australia, reports The Advertiser.

The scene of the fire

Fire crews were called and managed to stop the blaze from spreading to nearby buildings.

The damage is estimated at £60,884.

Car yard owner Angus McDonald told Channel Ten Eyewitness News: "He was trying to get the fuel out of the car by punching a hole in the tank - that's when the explosion happened.

"There's about $110,000 worth of cars that have been lost and there's a bit of damage to the walls.

"We were very lucky the workshop didn't catch on fire because there's cars just over the other side of the wall."

:: Watch Sky News live on television, on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 82 and Freesat channel 202.

23.13 | 0 komentar | Read More

Christian Brothers Criticised Over Child Abuse

By Vicki Hawthorne, Ireland Correspondent

Child abuse allegations were made against 325 members of one Catholic diocese in Ireland over a 38-year period but just 12 were convicted, an audit has found.

A review found the Christian Brothers' initial response to the need to report abuse to the authorities was not systematic and was inadequate.

It revealed allegations were made against a total of 325 Christian Brothers - only 50 of whom are still alive - with 870 complaints of abuse in the 38-year period, all of which have been reported to the authorities.

It is one of many reports into how Catholic diocese and religious orders in Ireland manage abuse allegations against priests by The National Board for Safeguarding Children in the Catholic Church, which was set up to monitor child protection in the church.

In the Christian Brothers, the inspection board said one brother was returned to ministry after an allegation and only 12 brothers were convicted of offences against children.

It described the level of abuse from members of the order as substantial.

The report stated: "The number of convictions by the courts, compared to the numbers accused of child abuse, is significantly small."

The board has been analysing records of allegations against religious members from 1975 to the present day.

Since internal reviews in 2007 and 2009, the safeguarding board said it is now satisfied that reports are made promptly.

The Christian Brothers have said they accept that a safeguarding deficit existed in the past.

In a statement the religious order said: "We want to learn from the mistakes of the past and to create a safe environment for all children and young adults."

Another report found that in the Armagh Archdiocese, run by Ireland's most senior Catholic cleric Cardinal Sean Brady, the audit warned that it found little information on the receipt and management of allegations before 1995.

The report found Cardinal Brady, on taking up his role as Primate of All-Ireland in 1996, made a "commendable decision to gather and document whatever information was available".

Cardinal Brady has been heavily criticised in the past for swearing two victims of a paedophile priest to secrecy during an internal church inquiry in 1975. 

In a statement he said: "I know that for you, survivors of abuse and your families, days such as today are especially difficult.

"You have suffered terribly and I am truly sorry.

"I pray for you and will work to ensure that you are supported on your journey towards healing and peace."

He added: "While we acknowledge the report's findings that in the past the response was not as prompt, robust and co-ordinated as in the present, we will continue to do all we can to ensure that current high standards of safeguarding practice are maintained."

In preparation for the publication of the board reports, helplines in Ireland for survivors of clerical abuse have extended their opening hours.

:: The Towards Healing group is a free confidential counselling and support service which can be contacted on 1800 303416 from anywhere in Ireland, 0800 0963315 from Northern Ireland and the UK or by email on info@towardshealing.ie

:: :: Watch Sky News live on television, on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 82 and Freesat channel 202.

23.13 | 0 komentar | Read More

Obama And Castro Handshake At Mandela Tribute

Barack Obama has shaken hands with Cuban President Raul Castro at a memorial service for Nelson Mandela.

The handshake between the leaders of the two Cold War enemies came during a ceremony in Johannesburg that is largely focused on Mr Mandela's legacy of reconciliation. 

Mr Castro smiled as the US leader shook his hand on the way to the podium to pay tribute to the late South African president, a global symbol of peace.

It was an extremely rare gesture between the leaders of two nations that have been at loggerheads for more than half a century. US officials often have gone to great lengths to avoid having presidents meet Cuban leaders, even in passing.

It was Mr Obama who offered the handshake in a new sign of his willingness to reach out to US enemies, a US official told the AFP news agency.

Mr Obama and First Lady Michelle upon arrival in South Africa

In Havana, the government website Cubadebate.cu ran a photograph of the moment with the caption: "Obama greets Raul: May this image be the beginning of the end of the US aggressions against Cuba".

The two nations have had only limited ties for half a century, most of it under the iron fist rule of Raul's brother, Fidel Castro. 

The US maintains a five-decade-old embargo against the communist island nation, which Havana says has cost the economy $1.1tn.

Recently, the US and Cuba have taken small steps toward rapprochement.

The countries have reached agreements on cooperation on air and maritime rescue and on migratory issues. In 2011, Mr Obama eased restrictions on visas, remittances and travel.

Sky News Foreign Affairs Editor Tim Marshall noted Mr Obama had to walk past Mr Castro on his way to podium. 

But he added: "The Americans will have pinpointed every single movement, every single second of Obama, from the moment he lands to the moment to he leaves.

"So they will have had the seating plan and so they did not take any steps to prevent it -  and I think that does tell us that there is the possibility of a rapprochement between the two countries."

Mr Obama spoke by telephone to Iranian President Hassan Rouhani (R)

In 2009, Mr Obama made waves when he shook hands with the late Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez, a strident US critic, at the Summit of the Americas.

In September, the US leader spoke by telephone with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, in the first such gesture since the 1979 revolution in the Islamic republic.

The ceremony in memory of Mr Mandela, who died on Thursday at age 95, gathered heads of state from around the world.

Mr Obama also shook hands with Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff, who has clashed with the US over alleged National Security Agency spying.

:: Watch the event live on Sky News from 9am, on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 82 and Freesat channel 202.

23.13 | 0 komentar | Read More

Ukraine Emergency Talks As Protests Continue

Ukraine's Presidnt Viktor Yanukovych has has said there is no alternative to restoring trade relations with Moscow.

Yanukovych made the announcement on television after more than two weeks of street unrest over his U-turn away from the European Union towards Russia, 

Viktor Yanukovych will meet EU mediator Baroness Ashton

The news comes as the European Union's top diplomat, mediator Baroness Ashton will meet Yanukovych for talks aimed at solving the crisis, sparked by Ukraine's decision to reject a pact with the EU in favour of a trade alliance with Russia.

At least 10 protesters were hurt in clashes with baton-wielding police in the early hours of Tuesday as interior troops and riot police forced demonstrators and removed barricades from around the government headquarters in Kiev.

Mr Yanukovych also plans to meet with Ukraine's three former presidents in a search for a resolution to the crisis, which has seen pro-EU demonstrators pitted against security forces for three weeks.

The president is also backing the idea of round-table talks with the opposition.

But the opposition has refused to negotiate until Mr Yanukovych dismisses the government, punishes riot police for crushing a smaller protest last month and releases arrested demonstrators.

"A round table does not fit very well in a square prison cell," said opposition leader Arseniy Yatsenyuk.

The party of jailed opposition leader Yulia Tymoshenko said that armed law enforcement officers had raided its headquarters, taking away documents and servers.

Riot police remove a barricade set up by demonstrators

Baroness Ashton voiced concerns that any attempts to end the stand-off between the two sides could be could be derailed by the raid on opposition party offices.

She urged the authorities "to exercise utmost restraint and refrain from any further use of force, in order to give space for a negotiated solution out of the current political stalemate".

It comes a day after US Vice President Joe Biden conveyed Washington's "deep concern" to Mr Yanukovych.

Mr Biden had called Mr Yanukovych and emphasised the "need to immediately de-escalate the situation and begin dialogue with opposition leaders", a White House statement said.

Protesters stand in front of riot police as they block the road in Kiev

Ukraine's political standoff has been aggravated by its rapidly deteriorating finances.

The economy has been in recession for more than a year, and the government is in desperate need of foreign funding to avoid a default.

As talks stalled with the International Monetary Fund, Mr Yanukovych has sought a bailout loan from Russia.

23.13 | 0 komentar | Read More