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Eight Dead After Czech Restaurant Shooting

Written By Unknown on Selasa, 24 Februari 2015 | 23.12

At least eight people have been killed after a gunman opened fire in a restaurant in the eastern Czech town of Uhersky Brod, officials say.

According to the town's mayor, Patrick Kuncar, the shooter is among the dead. 

The suspect, aged around 60, was acting alone and is believed to have been mentally unstable, he said.

A waitress from the restaurant has been hospitalised, he added, amid reports several people were injured.

The motive for the attack remains unclear, although interior minister Milan Chovanec has ruled out terrorism.

"According to available information, it was not a terrorist attack," he said in a tweet.

Mr Chovanec is currently en route to the town by helicopter and is expected to hold a news conference once he arrives.

Police in Uhersky Brod, roughly 300km (180 miles) southeast of Prague, have declined to comment on the number of victims.

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Sinkhole Swallows Up Unsuspecting Pedestrians

Two people escaped with minor injuries after being swallowed by a sink hole that opened as they walked along a pavement in South Korea.

CCTV captured the moment the pedestrians vanished down the hole, which was reportedly 10-feet deep.

The pair had to be rescued by firemen and were taken to hospital.

The sinkhole appeared next to a construction site where a 39-storey apparent block is being built.

Seoul Metropolitan City and the Korean Geotechnical Society (KGS) are investigating how it happened.

KGS official Cho Seong-ha said: "Looking at the actual sinkhole site, the key point is that water is coming out of the retaining wall.

"However, it is still not known whether this was the immediate cause of the ground sinking.

"We are planning to analyse the possibility through investigation. We are also planning to figure out other causes for the sinking by looking at various construction records and by investigating the site."


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Greek Bailout On As Economic Reforms Approved

Greece is on course to secure its four-month bailout extension, with its economic reform plan being cautiously accepted by creditors.

The list of measures was submitted just ahead of a midnight deadline last night to Eurogroup president Jeroen Dijsselbloem and representatives of the European Commission, the European Central Bank (ECB) and International Monetary Fund (IMF).

The plans include a crackdown on smuggling, tax evasion and corruption.

Proposals to tackle what is described as the country's "humanitarian crisis" were also put forward alongside commitments they would not hurt its budget.

The document contained a list of promises but offered little in terms of financial figures, prompting IMF chief Christine Lagarde to criticise it as "not very specific" though she said the Greek plan was sufficient to receive the aid programme.

She said: "In quite a few areas including perhaps the most important ones, the letter is not conveying clear assurances
that the government intends to undertake the reforms envisaged."

Among other areas of concern, she cited pensions and value-added tax policy as well as labour market reforms.

The Slovakian finance minister tweeted: "Eurozone deal with #Greece reached on Fri holds.

"Greeks have lots of heavy-lifting to do until end-April. We all want to see numbers now."

A Eurogroup statement said: "We call on the Greek authorities to further develop and broaden the list of reform measures, based on the current arrangement, in close coordination with the institutions in order to allow for a speedy and successful conclusion of the review."

With the bailout extension being approved in principle by finance ministers, the ECB and IMF the only remaining hurdle is a rubber-stamping exercise in the national parliaments of the 19-nation single currency area.

It is understood the Greek anti-austerity government, led by Alexis Tsipras, took its time to compile the list of commitments as it was anxious to be seen to be delivering its promises to the Greek people on tackling poverty following six years of recession, while also securing support from creditors.

Reports suggested members of his Syriza party felt the balance had been tipped too far towards the demands of the lenders.

On Friday, Mr Tsipras declared victory in the country's battle to secure new financial support though critics suggested the deal amounted to a new bailout in all but name.

Germany's finance minister Wolfgang Schaeuble, who was the most vocal critic of Greece's efforts to seek a new loan without strict bailout conditions attached, has paved the way for a possible German parliamentary vote this week.

The move, reported by the Handelsblatt newspaper and expected on Friday, is dependent on the reform proposals from Greece being accepted by the ECB, European Commission and IMF.


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War With Ukraine 'Unlikely', Says Putin

Vladimir Putin has said war between Russia and Ukraine is "unlikely".

The Russian president was being interviewed on state television when he was asked if he expected a war between the two countries.

In a reply that was published on the Kremlin's website, he said: "I think that such an apocalyptic scenario is unlikely and I hope this will never happen."

Mr Putin also said he did not see the need for another meeting with France, Germany and Ukraine on peace in the region and that he hoped the accords agreed to in Minsk would be respected.

He added that the four countries trust each other "on the whole".

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  1. Gallery: Ukraine Crisis: Latest Pictures

    Fighters with the separatist self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic ride in the back of a truck towing a mobile artillery cannon as they leave the frontline, and head towards Donetsk

A pro-Russian separatist forces' truck in Debaltseve. Despite the ceasefire the government in Kiev said armoured columns had crossed the border from Russia to reinforce the separatists

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UK Hits Back At Turkey Over Missing Girls

UK police have denied a claim from Turkey that it took three days to tell authorities there about three missing schoolgirls.

Scotland Yard issued a statement after criticism from Turkey's Deputy Prime Minister Bulent Arinc.

They claim Turkish authorities were told within 24 hours of east London teenagers Shamima Begum, Kadiza Sultana and Amira Abase going missing last Tuesday.

"Once we established that the girls had travelled to Turkey, police made contact with the foreign liaison officer at the Turkish Embassy in London on Wednesday, 18 February," the statement said.

"Since then we have been working closely with the Turkish authorities who are providing great assistance and support to our investigation."

Mr Arinc had said he hoped the girls would be found, but added that if they were not, Britain would be to blame.

He said: "It is a condemnable act for Britain to let three girls... come to Istanbul and then let us know three days later... They haven't taken the necessary measures.

"The search is ongoing. It would be great if we can find them. But if we can't, it is not us who will be responsible, but the British."

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  1. Gallery: Three Schoolgirls From East London Go Missing

    These pictures were taken from Kadiza Sultana (l) and Shamima Begum's (r) Twitter accounts

Kadiza and Shamima are feared to be on their way to Syria with a third girl, 15-year-old Amira Abase

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Islamic State Kidnaps 90 Christians In Syria

Islamic State militants have kidnapped dozens of people from Christian villages in Syria, a human rights watchdog has said.

The militants stormed at least two villages inhabited by ancient Assyrian Christians, taking some 90 civilians captive, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

Nuri Kino, the head of the activist group A Demand For Action, quoted villagers who fled the attacks as saying between 70 and 100 people are being held.

A number of children are understood to be among those taken captive.

The raids took place outside the town of Tel Hmar in Hasaka province, a region divided between IS and Kurdish control.  

They follow heavy fighting in the area close to the Turkish and Iraqi border.

Syria's SANA state news agency said IS overran seven villages on Monday, forcing hundreds to flee.

Kurdish troops have proved to be effective in the fight against IS, which seized large swathes of Syria and Iraq last year.

They have been backed by US-led airstrikes, which in the last few days have targeted militants in Hasaka.

The abductions come just over a week after IS published a video purporting to show the beheadings of 21 Egyptian Christians in Libya.

It was the latest of several videos released by IS showing the execution of hostages, including foreign aid workers and journalists.


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Qatar World Cup: FIFA Recommends Winter Dates

A FIFA task force has recommended playing the 2022 World Cup in Qatar in November and December.

The task force has also suggested the event be shortened from the current 32 days to accommodate it being moved to the winter to avoid the summer heat.

Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al-Khalifa, the head of the task force, said: "We are very pleased that, after careful consideration... we have identified what we believe to be the best solution for the 2018-2024 international match calendar and football in general.

"It was a challenging task and I want to thank all members of the football community for their productive input and constructiveness in helping to find a solution that we believe can work for everyone."

European football leagues and clubs had called for the tournament to be staged in May and June to reduce the impact on their playing schedules, but that was ruled out due to the heat.

They are now expected to push for a reduced preparation period and a cut in the number of international dates during the season.

English Premier League chief executive Richard Scudamore, who was a member of the task force, said he was "very disappointed" with the decision.

"Yeah, very disappointed, that's the word, I think, on behalf of the all the European leagues and particularly the European clubs who provide most of the players for this World Cup," he said.

He added he felt "let down" by European football's governing body, UEFA, which has already accepted a switch to winter.

Britain's FIFA vice president Jim Boyce welcomed the proposed move as "common sense", although he said he would oppose the final being played on 23 December, which is reportedly one of the options.

"I think that is too close to Christmas - that's the only reservation I would have and I would like it a week earlier," he said.

Traditionally the World Cup is played in June and July, but summer temperatures in Qatar rise above 40C. In November-December, the temperatures would be around 25C.

FIFA said in a statement the task force had recommended "end-November/end-December as the most viable period for the 2022 World Cup".

January and February had been ruled out because the dates would have clashed with the Winter Olympics, and April was the month of Ramadan.

The statement said the task force was exploring the option of staging the Confederations Cup in another Asian confederation country during the traditional June and July window in 2021.

It was also considering using another FIFA competition such as the Club World Cup as the operational test event for Qatar in November and December 2021.

FIFA's executive committee will make a final decision on the 2022 World Cup dates at a meeting in Zurich on 19 March and 20 March.

Awarding the World Cup to Qatar provoked a storm of controversy about the Gulf state's suitability to host the tournament.

There have also been claims the bidding process was corrupt - claims rejected by FIFA following a lengthy investigation by its ethics committee.

The next competition in 2018 will be held in Russia.


23.12 | 0 komentar | Read More

Conscription Back In Lithuania Over Russia

Lithuania, one of the three Baltic States, is to bring back conscription amid concerns about Russia's potential expansionist plans within the region.

It was suspended in 2008 in preference for a professional army but the country's leaders are disappointed with the level of interest.

As a result, Lithuania intends to strengthen its defences by conscription.

Conscription will be in force for a five-year period.

A statement from President Dalia Grybauskaite's office said: "The State Defence Council, taking into account the geopolitical situation and threats to the state's security, decided that the country's defence capabilities need to be strengthened further.

"We must reinforce the country's defence capacities.

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  1. Gallery: Ukraine Crisis: Latest Pictures

    Fighters with the separatist self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic ride in the back of a truck towing a mobile artillery cannon as they leave the frontline, and head towards Donetsk

A pro-Russian separatist forces' truck in Debaltseve. Despite the ceasefire the government in Kiev said armoured columns had crossed the border from Russia to reinforce the separatists

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American Missionary Kidnapped In Nigeria

By Sky News US Team

A US missionary has been kidnapped in Nigeria, her church has said.

A statement posted on the Free Methodist Church's website said the woman, identified as the Reverend Phyllis Sortor, had been abducted in Kogi state, in central Nigeria.

"The US Embassy has been notified, and the State Department and the FBI are working with local authorities to find and rescue her," it added.

According to the AFP news agency, masked gunmen came into a school where Rev Sortor was working and took her hostage.

The kidnappers "came into the school premises shooting sporadically to scare away people before taking (the hostage) away into the bush", Kogi state police spokesman Sola Collins Adebayo told the agency.

Nigeria is one of the world's worst countries for kidnapping.

Criminal gangs have kidnapped scores of expatriates in southern and central Nigeria over the years. Central Kogi state has also had some low-level activity by Islamist militants linked to insurgent group Boko Haram.

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Dozens Hurt In Los Angeles Commuter Train Crash

By Sky News US Team

Dozens of passengers have been injured after a Southern California commuter train collided with a truck.

Three cars on the Metrolink train derailed and overturned after the collision just before 6am local time.

Fire and rescue crews converged on the crash site in Ventura County, about 65 miles (104km) northwest of Los Angeles.

At least 30 people were being treated, according to local media reports.

The severity of their injuries was not immediately known.

Aerial footage from local television stations showed paramedics treating passengers on tarps that had been laid out on a nearby road.

Oxnard police Sergeant Denise Shadinger said the struck vehicle was engulfed in flames when first responders arrived.

The train was bound for Los Angeles from Ventura County, according to Metrolink's website.

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