Police Lash Out At Burmese Protest Students

A student protest in Burma has been broken up by baton-wielding police officers, raising fears that the government is still using junta-style tactics to hold off dissent.

The unrest flared in the central town of Letpadan where some 150 students were protesting near a monastery.

Some took shelter, but around 70 were cornered by police.

Students and monks fled as police blocked roads and rounded up the protesters.

"The police beat us," one protester told the AFP news agency in a phone call, explaining there were some injuries.

Police surround a Buddhist monk protester

"We cannot accept this kind of crackdown."

Police were later seen entering the monastery, according to a reporter.

Students have been protesting since November 2014 against a new education law.

They are calling for changes to the law that will decentralise the school system, teach in ethnic languages and let students have unions.

The latest violence happened after earlier scuffles with police who had put up a security blockade. Students said the authorities had reneged on a deal to allow them to march.

"If it isn't going to go as we agreed, we will break the blockade," one activist said before the clashes occurred.

"They will choose whether they allow or arrest us," he said, insisting the protest was intended to be peaceful and that the authorities had been given plenty of notice of other march.

On 2 March, Rangoon police stopped a similar march, bringing concern that the authorities, despite their apparent relaxation of the former junta rules, are still determined to prevent dissent ahead of a general election planned for the end of the year.

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IS Defector: I Saw Jihadi John Kill Hostage

By Stuart Ramsay, Chief Correspondent

Sky News has spoken to a former member of Islamic State, who claims he witnessed the man known as Jihadi John murder Japanese hostage Kenji Goto.

The former translator said that the masked man in the video was indeed Mohammed Emwazi, the 26-year-old Londoner who has become the face of the world's most notorious terrorist organisation.

"Saleh" said Emwazi is employed as the chief killer of foreign hostages for Islamic State's media wing and that his murderous influence among the group is feared and respected.

Kenji Goto, 47, was killed by Islamic State earlier this year

Speaking from Turkey, where he fled to escape IS, Saleh explained in broken English how he was employed by the group to convince foreign hostages they were safe. He is the only person to admit seeing Emwazi kill.

He said: "When he killed Kenji Goto I live showed this [saw this] but not near, from a little [distance].

Video: Kuwaiti Ambassador On 'Jihadi John'

"After he was killed him, three or four person come and take over the body and put in a car. After that, John went on a different road.

"The big boss was there with them. Turkish man say 'put this camera there, change place there' but John [was] the big boss. All time, all time say to all 'fastly, fastly, fastly, we should finish'. So respect him. Only he talks orders – others do."

Saleh suggested Emwazi commanded such respect within the group because of his willingness to murder foreigners. 

Video: Audio Recording Of Mohammed Emwazi

"Maybe because he use the knife," he said. "I cannot understand why he is so strong. One man can kill and all people will respect. A Syrian man anyone [in IS] can kill. But strangers [foreigners], only John."

Saleh claims foreign hostages captured and murdered by the group were subjected to numerous mock executions until the procedure became normal. It could explain why many hostages appeared calm in execution videos published online by the group.

He said: "He would say to me 'say to them, no problem, only video, we don't kill you, we want from your government [to] stop attacking Syria. We don't have any problem with you; you are only our visitors'.

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1. Gallery: Jihadi John's email exhanges with Cage and a reporter

   This email Mohammed Emwazi sent to a Mail On Sunday reporter in 2010 revealed his first encounter and his fear of MI5

He later made contact with the campaign group Cage and told them about clashes with border control officers

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Video Emerges Of Reality TV Helicopter Crash

Footage has emerged of a helicopter crash which killed ten people - including three French sports stars.

Amateur video shows two helicopters colliding and then plunging to the ground during filming for reality TV show Dropped in northern Argentina.

Camille Muffat, who won an Olympic gold medal in swimming at the London 2012 games, Olympic boxer Alexis Vastine, and champion sailor Florence Arthaud were in the two aircraft flying over mountains near Villa Castelli, in La Rioja province.

Camille Muffat, Alexis Vastine and Florence Arthaud

Photographs showed the burning wreckage in dry scrubland with people gathered nearby.

The other seven victims - five French TV production crew and two Argentine pilots - were not immediately named.

Video: Investigators Examine Crash Scene

A statement from La Rioja's government confirmed the identities of the three athletes.

Ms Arthaud, 57, was considered one of the best sailors in the world and had won the 1990 Route du Rhum.

Ms Muffat, 25, won gold in the 400-metre freestyle in 2012, along with two other medals.

Mr Vastine, 28, won a bronze medal at the Beijing games in 2008 in the light welterweight category.

In her last Facebook post, Ms Muffat had written: "Everything is going well for me. Leaving Ushuaia early this morning. See you soon."

Former Arsenal footballer Sylvain Wiltord reportedly missed the doomed flight because he was voted off the show the day before.

The 40-year-old tweeted: "I'm sad for my friends, I'm trembling, I'm horrified, I have no words, I don't want to say anything."

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1. Gallery: Argentina Helicopter Collision Kills Olympians

   French athletes Florence Arthaud (left), Camille Muffat (centre) and Alexis Vastine about to board the helicopter which crashed in Argentina, killing them and seven others

The wreckage of a helicopter crash in Villa Castelli, northern Argentina. The two aircraft apparently collided with 10 people on board. Crash images by Gabriel Gonzalez

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IS Hostages Subjected To Execution Rehearsals

By Stuart Ramsay, Chief Correspondent

An Islamic State defector claims militants routinely subjected foreign hostages to mock executions and gave them Arabic names before they were killed.

Speaking exclusively to Sky News, "Saleh" said he was employed by a Turkish man in the group to reassure hostages their lives were not in danger - yet he says he always knew they would be killed.

Saleh said the execution rehearsals took place so that when the moment of death finally came the hostages were not expecting to be killed and were relaxed to appeal for their release on camera.

He said: "He would say to me 'say to them, no problem, only video, we don't kill you, we want from your government [to] stop attacking Syria. We don't have any problem with you; you are only our visitors'.

"So they don't worry. Always I say to them 'don't worry, doesn't matter, nothing dangerous for you'. But at the end I was sure [they would die].

Video: IS Defector: John The 'Big Boss'

"Maybe they [the captors] raise their voice, but without hitting. All the time he say to him 'it's a rehearsal, don't [be] afraid'.

"I will explain. He want, when he will kill you really… [it] don't enter his [hostage's] head. Exactly, of course, you [hostages] should say this message: 'I'm living in ISIS and will stay and continue'."

Saleh worked as a translator before he was employed by IS. He fled across the border to Turkey to escape the group and claims to have looked after a hostage with an English accent.

He said: "This man from England, or Netherlands, I don't know. He was speaking English so nice. Sometimes I don't understand what he say.

"He was with mask. All questions around gun, around job in Syria. 'Who send you to Syria? Who is your partner there? When you came into Syria? Where you stayed in Idlib? In Aleppo?' All thing [the time he] give answer. 'No, I'm press, I'm press'.

"So after that he said to me, the Turkish man, 'don't worry, don't worry'. After that he was so afraid."

Saleh claimed hostages were given Arabic names to convince them they were amongst friends in order to calm them down. He says Kenji Goto was given the name "Abu Saad".

"ISIS gave the hostages an idea; 'You should be Muslim and come with us'. When I went to the rehearsal he said to [Kenji] Goto 'Abu Saad'. Maybe I was thinking to myself 'maybe they try [find] this name so hard, 'Kenji Goto'.

"Maybe they could not say [Kenji Goto] so [they say] Abu Saad. But when I noticed Goto, when they said Abu Saad to Goto, direct [he] relax."

"Saleh" said Mohammed Emwazi, known as Jihadi John, is employed as the chief killer of foreign hostages for Islamic State's media wing and that his murderous influence among the group is feared and respected.

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Video Shows Tsarnaev Brothers At Bombing Scene

By Sky News US Team

Jurors in the trial of Dzhokhar Tsarnaev have seen a video showing the suspected Boston bomber and his brother at the scene of the marathon explosions.

The video pieced together CCTV footage and photos to show the brothers' movements on 15 April 2013, when two blasts at the marathon finish line killed three people and injured more than 260.

The footage had never been shown publicly before.

It shows the defendant and older brother Tamerlan Tsarnaev wearing baseball caps and carrying backpacks as they move through the marathon crowds.

Dzhokhar Tsarnaev (L) and his brother Tamerlan at the scene

After the second blast, Tsarnaev is seen fleeing, next to scores of terrified runners and bystanders.

Earlier jurors heard descriptions of horrendous injuries from survivors.

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1. Gallery: In Pictures: Boston Marathon Bombs

   Two explosions have been reported at the finish line

The bombings on 15 April 2013 killed three people and injured more than 260

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Poisoned Baby Formula Threat By NZ Blackmailer

New Zealand is facing an "eco-terrorist" threat involving poisoned baby formula, the country's prime minister has said.

Police have launched a "priority investigation" after packages of formula containing poison were sent with anonymous letters to the National Farmers Federation and dairy giant Fonterra.

The poison was a pest control called 1080, which some critics say kills native wildlife.

Prime Minister John Key said: "It's a form of eco-terrorism without doubt.

Supermarkets have taken some formulas off shelves

"The person's motive is to try and bully the government into not using 1080 but the reality of anyone carrying out this threat is extremely low."

Parents have been warned to examine packaging for signs of tampering.

Supermarkets have removed formula cans from shelves to storerooms so shoppers cannot access them directly.

Deputy commissioner Mike Clement said: "Whilst there is a possibility that this threat is a hoax, we must treat the threat seriously and a priority investigation is under way."

The New Zealand Food and Grocery Council said extra testing had been introduced to reassure parents.

"This is an attack on Brand New Zealand," it said.

Dozens of officers are investigating the threat

"Our country has a reputation for producing safe, high-quality food products which are in demand around the world, and this coward's letter doesn't change that at all.

"These letters are an attack on all New Zealanders, designed to gain publicity and cause the maximum damage to the New Zealand economy."

The blackmail attempt, originally made in November, was to contaminate products unless 1080 was banned by the end of March.

Thirty-six officers have been investigating, police said.

The threat is the latest controversy involving dairy production in the country.

Prime Minister John Key accused those responsible of 'bullying'

A botulism scare last year involving Fonterra was eventually declared a false alarm - but not before formula was removed from shelves in China to Saudi Arabia.

New Zealand is the world's largest dairy exporter - and infant formula is a major component.

Infant Formula Exporters Association chairman Michel Barnett said the industry did not need another crisis.

"This could be extremely damaging for New Zealand's exports offshore," he told TVNZ.

"Not just dairy, not just milk formula, our whole reputation as an exporter of food is at risk as a result of this nutter."

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Ivory Coast: Ex-First Lady Jailed For 20 Years

The wife of Ivory Coast's ex-president has been jailed for 20 years for her role in the country's post-election violence in which 3,000 people were killed.

Simone Gbagbo, who is also wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC), was tried alongside 82 other supporters of Laurent Gbagbo.

General Bruno Dogbo Ble, who headed the elite republican guard, and former navy chief Admiral Vagba Faussignaux were also jailed for 20 years.

Mrs Gbagbo (bottom left) and other defendants at the trial

Lesser sentences were handed to other defendants including the Gbagbos' son, Michel, who got five years, according to his mother's lawyer Rodrigue Dadje.

"The jury members retained all the charges against her, including disturbing the peace, forming and organising armed gangs and undermining state security," he said.

Allies of ex-president Gbagbo, whose refusal to acknowledge his defeat to Alassane Ouattara in elections in late 2010 sparked a brief civil war, claimed his wife's trial was politically motivated.

Former president Laurent Gbagbo shortly after his arrest

The sentence given by the six-member jury followed nine hours of deliberations and was longer than the 10 years requested by the state prosecutor.

Simone Gbagbo's civil rights will also be suspended for a period of 10 years, Mr Dadje said.

Laurent Gbagbo is awaiting trial at the ICC accused of crimes against humanity for his alleged role in orchestrating the post-election violence.

Ivory Coast refused to transfer his wife to The Hague to face similar charges, arguing she could receive a fair trial at home.

Smoke rises from the Ivorian capital Abidjan during the civil war

Pascal Affi N'Guessan, president of Gbagbo's Ivorian Popular Front (FPI) party and seen as a potential challenger to President Ouattara in elections later this year, was handed an 18-month suspended sentence.

On the final day of the trial, Simone Gbagbo said she had been insulted and humiliated by the prosecution, which she claimed had failed to prove her guilt.

"I'm prepared to forgive. I forgive because, if we don't forgive, this country will burn," she said. "I am satisfied with this trial. I told my part of the truth."

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Pound Soars Amid Latest 'Greek Drama'

Fresh uncertainty over Greece has prompted a warning from the Chancellor and helped push the pound to a seven-year high of €1.40.

Sterling is now at levels not seen since the autumn of 2007, meaning Britons travelling abroad will get more for their money - around €1.38 at tourist exchange rates.

But Chancellor George Osborne remains focussed on resolving the deadlock over Greece, tweeting: "Just had bilateral meeting with Greek finance minister, urging them and eurozone to find solution.

"Unfortunately this Greek drama isn't over," he wrote.

Greek finance minister Yanis Varoufakis was told by his fellow eurozone finance ministers on Monday that time was running out and he must urgently put forward concrete proposals if the country wants to secure rescue funds agreed under its bailout extension.

Athens got a lifeline last month when ministers agreed a four-month deal on extending its current EU-IMF bailout, subject to the reforms being agreed.

The next payout of €7bn (£5bn) is due at the end of April.

Greece may have to leave the currency union if no reform programme can be ratified.

Mr Varoufakis has faced ridicule in Brussels and back home for some of his proposals, including the use of tourists to spot tax cheats.

His tough negotiating style has also irritated creditors, who have signalled their patience is wearing thin.

Greece has warned of a possible referendum if its plans are rejected.

The new radical left-wing government has pledged to streamline bureaucracy and tackle smuggling but its blueprint has been slammed as lacking detail, and especially figures.

Jeroen Dijsselbloem, head of the Eurogroup, said on Monday: "We have lost over two weeks in which very little progress has been made - we have to stop wasting time and start talks seriously."

Mr Dijsselbloem, who is also the Dutch finance minister, added: "The extension (of the Greek bailout) is only for four months and the clock is ticking."

The deadlock, combined with the effects of the eurozone's new QE programme, pushed the euro on Tuesday to levels not seen for years.

The FTSE 100 suffered however, having fallen more than 1.5% by Tuesday lunchtime.

It was pegged back by Prudential after the insurer said its chief executive was leaving for Credit Suisse.

A fall in energy stocks on weaker oil prices also weighed on the market.

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Baby's Throat Cut With Power Saw By Relative

By Sky News US Team

A seven-month-old girl has died after a relative cut her throat with a power saw, Chicago police have said.

The 52-year-old woman attacked the infant with a circular saw, apparently because she would not stop crying, according to police.

The scene in Chicago's West Side

Initially the woman had tried to shove something in the infant's mouth to make her quiet, the Chicago Tribune reported.

Officers found the child, identified in news reports as Rose Herrera, after being called to a building on the city's West Side on Monday.

The woman is in police custody at a hospital with self-inflicted wounds, after both the baby and the woman were found by another relative.

No other children were present in the home at the time of the incident.

Police spent several hours at the scene collecting evidence.

Illinois Department of Children and Family Services officials said the agency had no prior contact with the family.

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Zoolander Takes To The Catwalk In Paris

Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson have officially announced the sequel to Zoolander by taking to the catwalk at Paris Fashion Week.

The stars performed for the fashionistas in character as Derek Zoolander and Hansel and flashed the infamous blue steel pose.

The pair surprised guests by appearing as part of the Valentino show.

Vogue magazine has confirmed that Zoolander 2 is officially gearing up for production with filming set to begin in Rome "any day now".

Stiller and Wilson play fashion rivals in 2001's film where dim-but-kind Zoolander becomes a pawn in a plot to assassinate the Prime Minister of Malaysia.

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1. Gallery: Cafe Culture At Chanel's Paris Show

   Cara Delevingne wore a sheer black dress and heavy make-up for the catwalk show for Chanel at Paris Fashion Week

Kendall Jenner was modelling a similar look

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