Ukraine: Russia Warns Of 'Dangerous' Dilemma

Yanukovych Survived One Revolution But Not Two

Updated: 11:00pm UK, Monday 24 February 2014

Former President Viktor Yanukovych built a reputation as a political street fighter throughout his career.

While he may have survived one revolution, the second has dealt him the final blow.

Mr Yanukovych's dramatic ousting is in many ways a fitting end to a career littered with controversy.

Long plagued by allegations of corruption and a love of luxury, the former president was said to have mastered the art of political survival.

Mr Yanukovych was first deposed after winning a presidential vote in 2004, only to be re-elected six years later. 

His rise to power was equally meteoric.

Hailing from Ukraine's industrial Donetsk region, Mr Yanukovych has previously said his childhood was mired by poverty.

Orphaned at the age of two and raised by his grandmother, he has recalled running around the streets barefooted. 

He fell in with a local street gang in the late 1960s and was convicted of robbery in 1967 and assault in 1970. He served prison sentences for both crimes, although his criminal record has since been inexplicably cleared.

The former leader cut his teeth in politics in his native Donetsk in the 1990s. He served as governor of Donetsk Oblast from 1997 until 2002, when he was appointed prime minister.

His first run at the presidency was in 2004.

He "won" the election, only to be promptly deposed following mass protests, which bore startling similarities to those which would follow 10 years later.

Allegations of fraud and voter intimidation in the second-round ballot promoted the occupation of Kiev's Independence Square, or Maidan, where protesters have returned recent months.

The movement, known as the Orange Revolution, forced the Ukrainian Supreme Court to order a re-run of the vote. 

Mr Yanukovych lost to his Western-backed opponent Viktor Yushchenko, but managed to retain leadership of his Party of the Regions.

He was not out of favour for long, and was again appointed prime minister in 2006.

Four years later, his campaign for Ukraine's top job proved more successful and he defeated Orange Revolution leader and long-time opponent Yulia Tymoshenko by 3.48% of the vote.

Shortly afterwards Ms Tymoshenko was imprisoned for abuse of power; a move which many suggest was orchestrated by Mr Yanukovych.

The Tymoshenko case and successive allegations of corruption earned him considerable criticism from opponents and western leaders during his time in office. 

But it was his decision to pull out of a long-awaited free trade deal with the European Union which sparked the mass protests which led to his downfall. 

The former president is now in hiding, with an arrest warrant out against him.

He stands accused of "mass murder" over the death of dozens of protesters.

Nevertheless, in a move typical of his political career, Mr Yanukovych is yet to formally admit defeat, denouncing the revolution against him as a political "coup".

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Bitcoin Turmoil After Mt Gox Exchange 'Theft'

The Bitcoin exchange industry has moved to reassure holders of the virtual currency amid reports 6% of Bitcoins in circulation, worth roughly $375m (£225m), have been stolen.

The once-mighty Mt Gox exchange reportedly lost them in a cyber attack, with an apparent internal document suggesting more than 740,000 Bitcoins are missing.

The Mt Gox website is currently offline with trading suspended and withdrawals have been frozen.

The Tokyo-based exchange has not commented on the claims but its chief, Mark Karpeles, quit the board of the Bitcoin Foundation - an advocate for the virtual currency - on the eve of the shutdown.

He has not been seen in public since and his whereabouts remain unknown but in an email to the news agency Reuters he purportedly said: "We should have an official announcement ready soon-ish.

"We are currently at a turning point for the business. I can't tell much more for now as this also involves other parties."

Some 740,000 Bitcoins are reportedly missing from the exchange

The firm's Tokyo office is said by witnesses to be largely bare while a handful of angry investors are camped outside demanding news of their money and questioning whether the business remains solvent.

One of them, Bitcoin trader Kolin Burgess, said he had picketed the building since February 14 after flying in from London, hoping to get back $320,000 he had tied up in Bitcoins with Mt Gox.

"I may have lost all of my money. It hasn't shaken my trust in Bitcoin, but it has shaken my trust in Bitcoin exchanges."

The fate of his holding is unclear as Bitcoins are traded in an unregulated, decentralised marketplace.

But news of Mt Gox's apparent collapse prompted six other Bitcoin exchanges to release a joint statement distancing themselves from Mt Gox - insisting it should not be considered a reflection of the value of Bitcoin or the digital currency industry.

It said: "This tragic violation of the trust of users of Mt Gox was the result of one company's actions.

"As with any new industry, there are certain bad actors that need to be weeded out, and that is what we are seeing today.

"Mt Gox has confirmed its issues in private discussions with other members of the Bitcoin community.

"There are hundreds of trustworthy and responsible companies involved in Bitcoin.

"These companies will continue to build the future of money by making Bitcoin more secure and easy to use for consumers and merchants."

The signatories - Coinbase, Kraken, Bitstamp, BTC China, Blockchain and Circle - released their statement two days after the reported cyber attack on Mt Gox.

Bitcoin's value - which has fluctuated wildly in recent times - fell 20% amid the shutdown at Mt Gox and is about two thirds below its peak of $1,100 at just above $410.

At its height, analsyts say Mt. Gox accounted for 80% of Bitcoin trading but its dominance started to slip a year ago as rumours circulated about the strength of its security protocols.

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Oscar Pistorius Trial To Be Shown On Television

The trial of Oscar Pistorius over the Valentine's Day killing of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp will be partially televised, but his testimony will not be shown.

The double amputee, known as the Blade Runner, is accused of killing Ms Steenkamp in a shooting at his home in Pretoria, South Africa, last February.

In his ruling on Tuesday, Judge Dunstan Mlambo said cameras would be able to "obtain a video and audio recording of the permitted portions" - the opening arguments, prosecution witnesses, closing arguments, the verdict and sentencing.

However, cameras will not be able to film the 26-year-old Olympic champion, defence witnesses or anyone else who objects to being on camera.

A live audio broadcast of the trial, which begins on Monday and is set to hear from more than 100 witnesses, will be permitted throughout.

Sky's Special Correspondent Alex Crawford said the decision was being hailed as "groundbreaking" by the South African media.

The judge is "making sure everyone, whoever you are, rich or poor, famous or completely anonymous, can listen and watch this trial and see justice is done", she said.

Pistorius denies committing murder and says he shot the model and reality TV star by mistake, thinking she was an intruder.

The 29-year-old was found lying on the bathroom floor after being shot four times.

Pistorius standing in the dock at an earlier hearing

On the first anniversary of her death, the athlete said he was "consumed with sorrow" over what had happened.

The mandatory sentence for someone convicted of premeditated murder in South Africa is life with a minimum of 25 years in prison.

The case will be heard at Pretoria's High Court.

The South African legal system does not have trials by a jury, so a judge will preside over proceedings and ultimately pronounce Pistorius innocent or guilty.

Ms Steenkamp was shot dead at Pistorius' home in February 2013

Pistorius also faces charges of illegal possession of ammunition and two additional gun-related charges.

He has remained free on bail and has been able to compete before the court case, but Pistorius has turned down invitations to take part in major international athletics events.

:: Sky News will have live coverage of the trial from Monday, with a special highlights programme at 9.30pm.

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Crackdown On Alcohol-Fuelled Violence In Oz

By Jonathan Samuels, Australia Correspondent

Some of the world's toughest alcohol laws are being introduced in Sydney, Australia, after a spate of deaths of young men caused by drunken violence.

The high-profile killing of 18-year-old Thomas Kelly in 2012, in a random one-punch attack, caused much soul searching among the Australian public and focused politicians on how best to deal with alcohol-fuelled brutality.

His parents were outraged when his attacker received four years in jail for their son's manslaughter.

Thomas Kelly, 18, died from alcohol-fuelled violence in 2012

Now a controversial and unprecedented new law has been created in the state of New South Wales which sees a fatal one-punch offence carry a minimum eight-year jail sentence if committed under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

And now pubs and clubs in Sydney's nightlife district, many of which are open 24 hours, will see 1.30am lockouts and 3am last drinks.

Michael McEwen, 23, was hit in a one-punch attack (which some local media and politicians have now dubbed a "coward punch") in Sydney at the end of last year. He was close to death and in a coma for days.

Pubs in Sydney's nightlife district will see 1.30am lockouts

His father Robert told Sky News: "I actually started going over the eulogy, asking 'what am I going to say about him?' at the funeral, all those sorts of things were going through my mind."

Talking about the new licensing laws, he said: "It's going to take a long time but I think we only have one choice and that is to change the culture, to change our society."

Michael survived and is now making progress, having to learn to walk again after brain surgery.

The new laws will also see no drinks served after 3am

Also being considered are mandatory minimum and longer maximum sentences for serious alcohol-fuelled assaults, and new powers allowing police to administer drug and alcohol testing to suspected offenders.

"The new measures are tough, and I make no apologies for that," NSW Premier Barry O'Farrell told reporters when the new laws were first announced.

"The fact is, it's not acceptable for people to go out, get intoxicated, start a fight, throw a punch - whether it's a coward's punch or another punch - and think they'll get away with it."

Michael McEwen, 23, suffered serious injuries when he was attacked

Many legal professionals however are highly critical of the move, saying mandatory sentencing removes all mitigation and extenuating circumstances.

Not only that, Phillip Boulten, President of the New South Wales Bar Association, said: "Most of the studies carried out by academics throughout the world show that mandatory sentencing doesn't play much of a role in reducing the rate of crime."

The effects of the new legislation will be watched closely by other countries, including the UK, which are also grappling with how best to deal with alcohol fuelled violence.

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One Million Babies Die Within 24 Hours Of Birth

One million babies die on the first day of their lives every year, a children's charity has warned.

Save the Children said premature birth and complications during childbirth - including prolonged labour, pre-eclampsia and infection - are leading to a large number of babies who die within a day of birth.

Over half these deaths could be prevented with greater access to expert health care workers and the charity said it is "criminal" so many could be averted.

A new report by the charity, Ending Newborn Deaths, also states that 1.2 million babies are stillborn each year.

Under a blueprint for change - called the Five Point Newborn Promise - focus would be put on training and equipping enough skilled health workers to make sure no baby is born without proper help and removing fees for all pregnancy and birth services.

Lack of access to expert health care is behind the startling figure

Every year 40 million women give birth without trained help and in some countries just one in 10 women receive assistance during labour.

Justin Forsyth, chief executive of Save the Children, said: "The first day of a child's life is the most dangerous and too many mothers give birth alone on the floor of their home or in the bush without any life-saving help.

"We hear horror stories of mothers walking for hours during labour to find trained help, all too often ending in tragedy.

"It's criminal that many of these deaths could be averted simply if there was someone on hand to make sure the birth took place safely and who knew what to do in a crisis."

Neal Long, chief executive of stillbirth and neonatal death charity Sands, said: "In the UK mothers-to-be have structured antenatal care and practically all births are attended by trained medical staff.

"We practise evidence-based healthcare. Yet in spite of this, babies continue to die every day.

"Some deaths happen because of avoidable mistakes. Some happen because we don't yet know the best ways of identifying a baby in trouble. Better care for all mothers, in the UK and globally, will help to save babies' lives."

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Brazil: Fan Beaten To Death In World Cup City

A football fan has been beaten to death in the World Cup host city of Sao Paulo, Brazilian club Santos have said.

The 34-year-old supporter was attacked by 15 fans armed with metal bars at a bus stop following a league game between Santos and Sao Paulo.

Another fan, aged just 15, was in a serious condition after being attacked at a metro station, according to local media.

The dead man, named by Globo television as Marcio Barreto de Toledo, had been with two other Santos fans when the attack took place. They managed to escape.

He was married and had a five-month-old baby.

Mr de Toledo died in hospital early on Monday morning. No arrests have been made in connection with his killing.

Sao Paolo will host the opening match of the World Cup

Brazil will host the World Cup starting on June 12 and Sao Paulo will host the opening match of the tournament. The city saw more protests about the country's hosting of the event on Monday.

The country has been beset by repeated incidents of violence at matches in recent months.

Fans of Corinthians burst into the club's training centre last month and tried to strangle Peruvian striker Paolo Guerrero and threatened to break the legs of former striker Alexandre Pato, who subsequently left the club.

In December, supporters of Vasco de Gama and Atletico Paranaense clashed, with one fan having to be airlifted to hospital from the side of the pitch.

Last week, authorities and Fifa revealed 170,000 security personnel, including 20,000 private professionals, will be deployed at the 12 World Cup venues in Brazil during the tournament.

President Dilma Rousseff said troops would also be mobilised "if necessary" to ensure fans' security.

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US Pair Brave Ukraine To Adopt Four Children

Money Talks In Battle For Control Of Ukraine

Updated: 11:21am UK, Monday 24 February 2014

By Tim Marshall, Diplomatic Editor

Money talks and the EU, the US, and Russia are all shouting.

Having overthrown the government of Viktor Yanukovych, the new powers in Kiev are not about to receive the $15bn bailout Moscow had offered to keep Ukraine leaning eastwards.

President Putin might also decide that the 30% discount he gave Ukraine for Russian gas last year might have been a little generous.

The new Ukrainian Speaker of Parliament may have made him think it was way too generous with a statement about "returning to the path of European integration".

With Ukraine's economy on the brink of default and its foreign reserves draining away, the EU has re-entered the game.

The deal probably being put on the table is for up to $20bn in return for Kiev signing the trade deal it rejected late last year.

Hence the arrival of the EU foreign policy chief Baroness Ashton.

The Americans made sure they are noticed by sending along Ambassador Geoffrey Pyatt to meet the new government, have his photo taken, and issue a statement that the US will be pressing the IMF to make emergency loans.

Ukraine's debt is $73bn and it needs to pay $12bn of that this year.

The Russians are not out of the game. They would have taken Friday's EU-brokered deal which left Yanukovych in power for the rest of the year, but now they must fall back on Plan B.

Assuming Plan B does not involve military manoeuvres (still unclear) then they can now still offer some funds in order to keep influence on Kiev, and shore up the pro-Russian support in  parts of eastern and southern Ukraine.

The senior figure in the new government is the newly released from jail Yulia Tymoshenko.

She may have been imprisoned by the Yanukovych government, but it was on charges of improperly overseeing the original Russia/Ukraine gas deal when she was Prime Minister.

She has cordial relations with President Putin whereas Yanukovych is reportedly held in disdain by the Russian strongman.

The Ukrainian economy is weak. Corruption and misrule, involving members of successive governments has meant that while its neighbours to the west, who escaped the Soviet Union 20 years ago, have become more prosperous, it has lagged behind.

Per capita economic output is about $7,300, next door in Poland it is $22,000.

Ukraine has an educated population of 46 million people and the potential to become a far more prosperous country.

Those who believe its future is linked to closer ties with the EU believe they are on the right track, those who look to the Russian and Kazakhstan markets disagree. 

Down in the Russian-speaking Crimea a few town halls area are already flying Russian flags, although this is localized and not an official decision at regional level.

All talk of economic development would be meaningless if wide-scale violence breaks out and the country is dismembered.

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Citizen Kane Castle Owner Shot In The Head

The owner of a Long Island mansion used in celebrity weddings and movies, including the classic Citizen Kane, has been shot in the head at his estate.

Gary Melius, 69, survived the attack by a masked assailant in the car park of Oheka Castle, and was reportedly in a stable condition in hospital.

Orson Welles' Citizen Kane was filmed at the mansion

Mr Melius is the politically-connected owner of the 127-room building designed to resemble a French chateau.

Built for financier Otto Hermann Kahn in 1919, it is one of America's largest private homes.

Mr Melius bought the dilapidated property in 1984 and soon began restoring it. He sold it a few years later, then regained ownership in 2003.

After the shooting on Monday, the gunman fled and Mr Melius was able to stumble back home where his family took him to hospital.

Police said the attack did not appear to be random, but neither the shooter nor a motive has been identified.

Investigators were examining CCTV footage.

Mr Melius, who lives on the estate, is a political patron who has donated to both the Democrats and the Republicans.

Among celebrities and politicians to get married at Oheka Castle was Anthony Weiner, the former Congressman who was engulfed in a sexting scandal.

Kevin Jonas of the Jonas Brothers also had his wedding at the estate.

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Venezuela Protests Escalate As Barricades Set Up

Protesters have put up barricades and burned tyres in cities across Venezuela as weeks of protests that have left at least 14 dead rumble on.

Some of the worst demonstrations since the unrest against President Nicolas Maduro began three weeks ago saw riot police use tear gas to break up crowds in San Cristobal, near the Colombian border.

The latest reported death involved a student who fell from a rooftop terrace onto the street below as police were breaking up a crowd. 

"Maduro we are going for you" reads the graffiti behind these protesters

Tear gas was also used to disperse around 50 protesters in the capital, Caracas, after they blocked streets in the district of Chacao.

Those taking to the streets are angry about shortages of basic goods and high inflation.

Mr Maduro, who succeeded Hugo Chavez following his death from cancer, has said what is happening in the oil-rich country is a US-inspired coup attempt to "justify foreign intervention".

Speaking at a rally of motorcycle-riding supporters on Monday, Mr Maduro said the blockades had prevented sick people from getting to the hospital.

Bikers at a rally in support of President Nicolas Maduro in Caracas

He also told reporters that a "mercenary from the Middle East" had been arrested in Aragua state for allegedly plotting to set off car bombs.

State governor Tareck El Aissami wrote on Twitter that the suspect, identified in US media reports as Florida businessman Jayssam Mokded Mokded, was held in Maracay with an armed car and carrying US and Colombian communications equipment.

Forty-five people remain under arrest following the protests and in a rare public split among Mr Maduro's ranks, a party governor called for the release of all imprisoned protesters.

Bikers and students blocking a street were involved in clashes

Jose Gregorio Vielma Mora, the governor of the western state of Tachira, said the government's use of the military was a "grave error" and an "unacceptable excess".

Meanwhile, a meeting of local and state officials went ahead without the main opposition figure, Henrique Capriles.

The opposition candidate in the last two presidential elections said: "I am not going to make Nicolas Maduro look good ... That is what they want, that I go there as if the country was absolutely normal."

Mr Maduro has called for a "national peace conference" to be held on Wednesday, featuring "all social, political, union and religious groups".

The National Assembly will be asked to form a Truth Commission to investigate the protests, he added.

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Nigeria: Boko Haram 'Killed Sleeping Students'

At least 43 Nigerian secondary school students have been killed by suspected Boko Haram Islamists as they slept in student housing.

In the attack on the Federal Government College in the town of Buni Yadi in Yobe state, explosives were thrown into accommodation and rooms sprayed with gunfire.

A worker at the Sani Abacha Specialist Hospital in the state capital, Damaturu, said the gunmen targeted male students and female students were "spared".

Nigeria's President Goodluck Jonathan has faced criticism over Boko Haram

A number of students were reportedly hacked to death.

Relatives of those studying at the college surrounded the morgue desperate for information about those killed, which forced the military to take control of the building to restore calm.

The slaughter bore the hallmarks of an attack last September in which 40 people were killed. In that attack, Boko Haram gunmen stormed a series of dormitories and sprayed gunfire on sleeping students at an agriculture training college.

Boko Haram has been blamed for a number of school attacks, particularly in Yobe, where scores of students have died.

The name of the group means "Western education is forbidden".

Declared a terrorist organisation by Nigeria and the US, the group is fighting to create an Islamic state in Nigeria's mainly Muslim north.

Yobe is one of three northeastern states placed under emergency rule last May when the military launched a massive operation to crush the four-and-a-half year Boko Haram uprising.

Despite the increased military presence since then, more than 1,000 people have been killed.

A poster advertising the search for Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau

Boko Haram's purported leader said last week he would continue the campaign of violence on anyone who supports democracy or so-called Western values.

In a video, Abubakar Shekau also threatened to expand the insurgency outside of its northeastern stronghold with attacks in the oil-producing Niger Delta region in the south.

President Goodluck Jonathan, who has faced criticism of his handling of Boko Haram, defended his government's record in tackling the militants on Monday.

He said "no effort will be spared" to protect civilians and their property, and renewed calls to Boko Haram to lay down their arms and take part in talks.

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