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Israel: 'Not True' We Spied On US-Iran Talks

Written By Unknown on Selasa, 24 Maret 2015 | 23.12

By Sky News US Team

Israel has denied a claim that it spied on US-led nuclear talks with Iran in order to undermine support for a deal.

A Wall Street Journal report, quoting current and former US officials, said the Israelis had eavesdropped on the negotiations.

Israel also obtained intelligence from secret US briefings, informants and diplomatic contacts in Europe, according to the Journal.

The White House was said to be especially angry because Israel had shared its inside information with US lawmakers to brief against a nuclear accord.

"It is one thing for the US and Israel to spy on each other," the Journal quoted a senior US official briefed on the matter as saying.

"It is another thing for Israel to steal US secrets and play them back to US legislators to undermine US diplomacy."

The spying was reportedly discovered by American intelligence intercepting communications by Israeli officials.

Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman said the report was "not true".

"We do not spy on the United States," he said. "There are enough participants in these negotiations, including Iranians.

"We got our intelligence from other sources, not from the United States."

Republican House Speaker John Boehner said he was "baffled" by reports of Israeli spying.

If true, the espionage would do little to allay the currently strained relations between the two allies.

Scarcely a day has passed since Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's return to power last week without a critical comment by Obama administration officials, who were outraged by his pre-election posturing.

The Israeli prime minister apologised on Monday for his remarks playing the race card to drum up more right-wing votes at the expense of Israel's Arab minority.

He also backtracked on comments flatly ruling out a Palestinian state - a White House foreign policy priority which spurred months of fruitless shuttle diplomacy by US Secretary of State John Kerry.

US officials, however, have been unimpressed by Mr Netanyahu's olive branch.

White House Chief of Staff Denis McDonough told a left-leaning pro-Israel lobby on Monday: "We cannot simply pretend that those comments were never made."

Mr Netanyahu irked the White House earlier this month by addressing the US Congress to warn in apocalyptic terms against a deal with Iran.

Many Republican lawmakers are backing the Israeli prime minister ahead of the US president.

Under the emerging terms of the deal, the US, UK, France, Germany, Russia and China are offering to ease sanctions if Iran limits its nuclear programme.

Iran says its uranium enrichment is for civilian energy purposes and denies its plans to build a bomb.


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'Mischievous' Boy Gets Stuck In Toy Machine

A boy in South Korea has managed to get himself stuck in a toy vending machine.

The boy, whose last name is Lee, was on his way to school in the capital Seoul when he stopped to try and get a toy from the machine on Tuesday morning.

Refusing to be undeterred in his attempts to get what he wanted, the boy, who is believed to be aged around seven, climbed inside in order to get to the prizes on offer.

A passing pedestrian spotted him and called the emergency services, who came to rescue the boy.

They were surprised to find the child still happily playing with the toys, and quickly broke the lock on the machine in order to free him.

The boy, who was stuck for about 20 minutes, was not injured, so he was sent on his way to school.

The vice principal of the school, which did not want to be identified, told Sky News: "The boy is mischievous.

"When you can't get a toy, other children would walk away or kick the machine.

"But he wanted to get the toy so climbed into the machine."


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Pakistani Militants Die In US Drone Attacks

At least nine Pakistani fighters have been killed in a US drone strike in the Nazyan area of Afghanistan's Nangarhar province, Pakistani officials have said.

The militants were part of the Pakistani Taliban and the Lashkar-e-Islam group, which has recently announced a Taliban link-up.

The air attack, part of an increasing drone campaign against Pakistani militants in Afghanistan, was carried out near the site of fierce fighting on the Pakistani side of the border in recent days.

Fighter jets have been carrying out attacks on areas in the Tirah Valley in the Khyber region, and the army says scores of militants have been killed.

At least seven Pakistani soldiers have also been killed.

Many of the drone strikes in Afghanistan occur in remote regions and are not generally reported but Taliban commanders say their fighters are being increasingly targeted.

The air strikes come as relations between the two traditionally hostile neighbours improve, following the election of Afghan President Ashraf Ghani last year.

Each country accuses the other of sheltering fighters who also fight on behalf of their government.

Pakistan says it is in favour of potential peace talks between the Afghan government and the Afghan Taliban and diplomats are said to be hoping Pakistan can pressure those Taliban with bases in its country to negotiate.

However, Pakistan says it wants Afghanistan to take action against Pakistani Taliban operating from bases with Afghanistan.


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France Plane Crash: 150 Die As Jet 'Disintegrates'

France Plane Crash: 150 Die As Jet 'Disintegrates'

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A rescue helicopter has landed at the site of the Germanwings air disaster in the French Alps to find the plane "disintegrated" and no survivors.

The Airbus A320 with 150 people on board came down in a mountainous region, at an altitude of around 6,500ft, between Barcelonnette and Digne.

After taking off at 9.55am (8.55am UK time), a distress signal was issued for flight 4U 9525 at 10.47am (9.47am UK time) after it found itself in an "abnormal situation" on its route from Barcelona to Dusseldorf.

:: Follow live updates on the crash

France's Prime Minister Manuel Valls said a helicopter had managed to land near the crash site but found no survivors.

Gilbert Sauvan, of the local council, told Les Echos newspaper: "The plane is disintegrated. The largest debris is the size of a car."

France's President Francois Hollande said: "It's a tragedy on our soil."

Spain's Deputy Prime Minister, Soraya Sáenz de Santamaría, said 45 of those on board are thought to be Spanish. Germanwings said there were 67 Germans on board.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel was "deeply shaken" by news of the crash, her spokesman said.

French Interior Ministry spokesman Pierre-Henry Brandet said debris from the crash had been found at an altitude of 2,000 metres.

He added that he expected "an extremely long and extremely difficult" search and rescue operation because of the area's remoteness.

Emergency workers were not expected to reach the scene for several hours.

Eric Ciotti, the head of the regional council, said search-and-rescue teams were on the way to the crash site at Meolans-Revels.

Flight-tracking data indicated the aircraft plummeted from 40,000ft to 6,200ft in less than eight minutes before it crashed.

French aviation authorities said that the plane, operated by Lufthansa's budget airline, did not issue a distress call and that air traffic controllers had raised the alarm.

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  1. Gallery: Rescue Teams And Relatives Wait After Plane Crash

    French Police and Gendarmerie Alpine rescue units gather on a field as they prepare to reach the crash site of an Airbus A320, near Seyne-les-Alpes, in the French Alps

French Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve (R) and his advisors arrive by helicopter on a field near the crash site

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The plane, en route from Barcelona to Duesseldorf, crashed in a remote snowy area of the French Alps on Tuesday and all 150 on board were feared dead

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Aerial view of the crash site area. Pic: Dauphine Libere

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People arrive at a holding area for friends and relatives of passengers at Dusseldorf International Airport

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France Plane Crash: 150 Die As Jet 'Disintegrates'

We use cookies to give you the best experience. If you do nothing we'll assume that it's ok.

A rescue helicopter has landed at the site of the Germanwings air disaster in the French Alps to find the plane "disintegrated" and no survivors.

The Airbus A320 with 150 people on board came down in a mountainous region, at an altitude of around 6,500ft, between Barcelonnette and Digne.

After taking off at 9.55am (8.55am UK time), a distress signal was issued for flight 4U 9525 at 10.47am (9.47am UK time) after it found itself in an "abnormal situation" on its route from Barcelona to Dusseldorf.

:: Follow live updates on the crash

France's Prime Minister Manuel Valls said a helicopter had managed to land near the crash site but found no survivors.

Gilbert Sauvan, of the local council, told Les Echos newspaper: "The plane is disintegrated. The largest debris is the size of a car."

France's President Francois Hollande said: "It's a tragedy on our soil."

Spain's Deputy Prime Minister, Soraya Sáenz de Santamaría, said 45 of those on board are thought to be Spanish. Germanwings said there were 67 Germans on board.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel was "deeply shaken" by news of the crash, her spokesman said.

French Interior Ministry spokesman Pierre-Henry Brandet said debris from the crash had been found at an altitude of 2,000 metres.

He added that he expected "an extremely long and extremely difficult" search and rescue operation because of the area's remoteness.

Emergency workers were not expected to reach the scene for several hours.

Eric Ciotti, the head of the regional council, said search-and-rescue teams were on the way to the crash site at Meolans-Revels.

Flight-tracking data indicated the aircraft plummeted from 40,000ft to 6,200ft in less than eight minutes before it crashed.

French aviation authorities said that the plane, operated by Lufthansa's budget airline, did not issue a distress call and that air traffic controllers had raised the alarm.

1/19

  1. Gallery: Rescue Teams And Relatives Wait After Plane Crash

    French Police and Gendarmerie Alpine rescue units gather on a field as they prepare to reach the crash site of an Airbus A320, near Seyne-les-Alpes, in the French Alps

French Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve (R) and his advisors arrive by helicopter on a field near the crash site

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The plane, en route from Barcelona to Duesseldorf, crashed in a remote snowy area of the French Alps on Tuesday and all 150 on board were feared dead

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Aerial view of the crash site area. Pic: Dauphine Libere

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People arrive at a holding area for friends and relatives of passengers at Dusseldorf International Airport

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Three People Put To Death Over China Attack

Three people have been executed for their part in a mass stabbing in China, in which 31 people were killed and more than 140 injured.

The attack at Kunming railway station in the country's southwestern Yunnan province on 1 March last year was dubbed "China's 9/11" by state-run media.

Iskandar Ehet, Turgun Tohtunyaz and Hasayn Muhammad were put to death for "leading a terrorist organisation and intentional homicide", according to the Supreme People's Court.

China uses both lethal injection and shooting for executions, but the method used this time has not been specified.

A female attacker, Patigul Tohti, who was pregnant at the time of her arrest, was sentenced to life in prison.

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  1. Gallery: Three Men Put To Death For Mass Stabbing at China Railway Station

    Thirty one people were killed and more than 140 injured in the stabbings at Kunming station

A group of men armed with knives attacked travellers at random

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Firing Squads Can Carry Out Utah Executions

Death row inmates in Utah can now be executed by firing squad if the state runs out of lethal injection drugs.

Governor Gary Herbert, who signed the law on Monday, conceded he finds the method "a little bit gruesome".

But he said it gives the state a fallback execution method in case drugs are not available.

"We regret anyone ever commits the heinous crime of aggravated murder to merit the death penalty, and we prefer to use our primary method of lethal injection when such a sentence is issued," a spokesman for the Governor said.

"However, when a jury makes the decision and a judge signs a death warrant, enforcing that lawful decision is the obligation of the executive branch."

The measure's approval illustrates the frustration of some states over bungled executions and shortages of lethal injection drugs.

Utah is one of several seeking new forms of capital punishment after a botched Oklahoma lethal injection last year.

Opponents say it is barbaric and makes the state look bad.

Ralph Dellapiana, director of Utahns for Alternatives to the Death Penalty, said: "It's an embarrassment to Utah.

"We should be taking the moral lead on this. You can't be both pro-life and pro-death."

The last person killed by firing squad in the US was Ronnie Lee Gardner in 2010. He was declared dead two minutes after he was shot.


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Firing Squad: What Happens On Execution Day?

By Sky News US Team

Utah has passed a law that will see firing squads reintroduced as a back-up method in case lethal injection drugs are not available.

One, two or three days before execution:

:: Contrary to popular belief, prisoners on death row do not get a formal "last meal" on the day they are killed. Most states will offer the condemned person a "special meal" in the days before they are put to death.

:: On June 15, 2010, three days before his execution, Ronnie Lee Gardner, the last person to be executed by firing squad in Utah, reportedly ate a last meal of steak, lobster tail, apple pie, vanilla ice cream and 7-Up, before starting a 48-hour fast while watching The Lord of the Rings film trilogy and reading Divine Justice.

On execution day:

:: The prisoner is seated in a chair set up in front of a wood panel. The chair is in between stacked sandbags that keep the bullets from ricocheting around the room.

:: A target is pinned to the inmate's heart. Shooters aim for the chest rather than the head because it is a bigger target and usually allows for a faster death, according to the man who sponsored the proposal, Utah Republican Paul Ray.

:: The Washington DC-based Death Penalty Information Center, which opposes capital punishment, warns a firing squad is not a foolproof execution method because the inmate could move or the shooters could miss the heart, causing a slower, more painful death.

:: The inmate has two minutes to offer final words. In 1977, Gary Gilmore, executed by firing squad for the murder of two men, said "Let's do this" before he died.

:: Five shooters set up about 25ft (7.5m) from the chair, with their .30 calibre Winchester rifles pointing through slots in a wall.

:: The gunmen are chosen from a pool of volunteer officers, with priority given to those from the area where the crime happened.

:: The shooters' identities are kept anonymous, and one of their rifles is loaded with a blank round so nobody knows which officer killed the inmate. Assuming they hit their target, the heart ruptures and the prisoner dies quickly from blood loss.


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Mass Protest Over Afghan Woman's Mob Killing

Thousands of Afghans have marched through the capital, Kabul, to protest over the beating to death of a woman falsely accused of burning a Koran.

Many of the 3,000 demonstrators carried banners showing the bloodied face of Farkhunda, a 27-year-old religious scholar who was killed last week.

Some paimted their faces red in trubute to her.

The crowd shouted "Justice for Farkhunda!" and "Death to the killers!"

Farkhunda, who went by just one name, was beaten, run over with a car, burned and then her body was thrown into the Kabul river.

Eighteen people have been arrested and 13 police officers suspended as part of an investigation into her killing, according to police reports.

Protester Waheed Omar said: "We are here to ask for punishment for all those who committed this heinous crime, this tragic tragedy that is unparalleled in the current Afghan history."

The protesters also called for officials and religious leaders who said her killing was justifiable if she had deliberately damaged a Koran.

Women's rights activist Fatana Gilani said she hoped the death could spark change in the country after years of war and corruption.

"We want peace, we want security, we want justice, we want unity," she said.


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France Crash: 16 Victims From One School

Sixteen children from the same school in Germany were on board the passenger plane that crashed in France carrying 150 people.

North Rhine-Westphalia state Education Minister Sylvia Loerhmann said: "We know that the school group boarded the plane," the dpa news agency quoted her as saying.

The Germanwings plane, which was travelling from Barcelona to Dusseldorf, crashed in the French Alps between Barcelonnette and Digne carrying 144 passengers and six crew.

There are not thought to be any survivors.

:: Live updates on the crash

The school the children had visited, about 45 minutes from Barcelona, said 16 students from the town of Haltern had been on an exchange trip that ended on Tuesday.

Marti Pujol, mayor of the village of Llinars de Valles, said: "There were 16 children and two teachers who had spent a week here, poor things.

"The children were aged about 15."

Media reports in Germany said earlier that the schoolchildren and teachers were from Joseph-Koenig Gymnasium high school in the town.

The headmaster of the school has sent students home, and parents have gathered at Dusseldorf airport, Halterner Zeitung reported.

Local police are still awaiting official confirmation, but they have already sent officers to the school to help students and staff.

The school has so far refused to comment.

At a press conference, Germanwings said there were two babies on the flight.

Sobbing and grieving families at both Barcelona and Dusseldorf airports were led away by airport workers and crisis counsellors.

Family members arriving at Dusseldorf were taken from the main terminal to a nearby building, which has been partially covered with sheets for privacy.

In Barcelona, police escorted several crying women to a secure part of the airport. One held a jacket over the head of another woman, who was sobbing.

The aircraft started descending one minute after reaching its cruising height and continued losing altitude for eight minutes.

Germanwings managing director Thomas Winkelmann said: "The aircraft's contact with French radar, French air traffic controllers ended at 10.53 am at an altitude of about 6,000 feet.

"The plane then crashed."

A total of 67 Germans are believed to have been on board, as well as 45 Spaniards.

The country's chancellor, Angela Merkel, will travel to the region on Wednesday.

She described the crash as "a shock which has plunged us into deep mourning in Germany, France and Spain".

The German leader added: "What concerns me now is the extent of the suffering, which this catastrophe has brought to so many people.

"My thoughts and condolences, and those of the entire government, go out to the people who have lost their lives, including many compatriots."

Ms Merkel has urged people not to speculate on the cause.


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Weather Could Be Ruled Out As Crash Cause

Weather Could Be Ruled Out As Crash Cause

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Weather could be ruled out as a cause of the French Alps Airbus disaster at an early stage, according to experts.

Conditions in the region of the crash were not out of the ordinary, with no significant storms in the area.

Dr Rob Thompson, a meteorologist at the University of Reading, said: "The weather conditions in the area of southern France where the crash is reported to have occurred look like nothing out of the ordinary for this time of year.

"Wind speeds on the ground showed breezy conditions, although this does not indicate the conditions higher up in the atmosphere.

"Available satellite imagery shows there were not any significant storm systems locally. Data from lightning detectors show the nearest electrical storms were occurring in Sardinia, some 186 miles off the south coast of France, which would be much too far away to cause any issues to air traffic."

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  1. Gallery: The Plane And Where It Crashed

    The A320 D-AIPX which crashed in the southern French Alps between Barcelonnette and Digne

The plane crashed in a mountainous region

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A picture taken from a rescue helicopter searching for the wreckage

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The plane was en route from Barcelona to Dusseldorf

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Airbus said a team of its technical advisers has been sent to the scene to help the French air accident investigators.

They are trying to establish what triggered the plane's eight-minute descent before crashing.

The A320 aircraft is one of the most popular passenger planes in the world, used by most airlines.

Known for its efficiency and advanced technology, more than 11,000 orders for planes from the A320 family have been made since its launch in 1987.

Aviation safety expert Alex Macheras told Sky News: "The A320 is used almost by every airline that has short-haul operations, from British Airways to easyJet and American airlines.

"Every airline which operates the short flights goes for the A320 because they are a very efficient aircraft, modern and up-to-date and they have the latest technology on the flight deck which makes flying them a treat."

Captain Mike Vivian added: "It is a very good plane. They are operating all over the world and they are intrinsically a short-haul aircraft and have a very good safety record."

The A320 aircraft family is made up of narrow-bodied short to medium range twin engine jets. The first flight took place on 22 February 1987.

There have been 60 incidents known as "aviation occurrences" since the aircraft family was introduced, resulting in 789 fatalities up to 23 March.

One of the best-known incidents involving an A320 aircraft was the so-called Miracle on the Hudson in which a plane crash-landed in New York's Hudson River. All 155 people on board survived.

The AirAsia plane which crashed into the Java Sea in December was also an Airbus A320.

The Airbus A320 which crashed in France on Tuesday is operated by Germanwings, a budget airline which is wholly owned by Lufthansa. The aircraft was manufactured in 1991.

Germanwings has 81 aircraft operating out of Cologne, Bonn, Hamburg, Berlin and Dusseldorf.

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  1. Breaking News: France Plane Crash: 150 Die As Jet 'Disintegrates'
  2. Breaking News: Live: Rescuers Struggle To Reach Crash Site
  3. Breaking News: 16 Children From One School In Plane Crash
  4. Jolie's Ovaries Removed After Cancer Scare
  5. Wife Jailed For Attempt To 'Boil Her Husband'

Weather Could Be Ruled Out As Crash Cause

We use cookies to give you the best experience. If you do nothing we'll assume that it's ok.

Weather could be ruled out as a cause of the French Alps Airbus disaster at an early stage, according to experts.

Conditions in the region of the crash were not out of the ordinary, with no significant storms in the area.

Dr Rob Thompson, a meteorologist at the University of Reading, said: "The weather conditions in the area of southern France where the crash is reported to have occurred look like nothing out of the ordinary for this time of year.

"Wind speeds on the ground showed breezy conditions, although this does not indicate the conditions higher up in the atmosphere.

"Available satellite imagery shows there were not any significant storm systems locally. Data from lightning detectors show the nearest electrical storms were occurring in Sardinia, some 186 miles off the south coast of France, which would be much too far away to cause any issues to air traffic."

1/4

  1. Gallery: The Plane And Where It Crashed

    The A320 D-AIPX which crashed in the southern French Alps between Barcelonnette and Digne

The plane crashed in a mountainous region

]]>

A picture taken from a rescue helicopter searching for the wreckage

]]>

The plane was en route from Barcelona to Dusseldorf

]]>

Airbus said a team of its technical advisers has been sent to the scene to help the French air accident investigators.

They are trying to establish what triggered the plane's eight-minute descent before crashing.

The A320 aircraft is one of the most popular passenger planes in the world, used by most airlines.

Known for its efficiency and advanced technology, more than 11,000 orders for planes from the A320 family have been made since its launch in 1987.

Aviation safety expert Alex Macheras told Sky News: "The A320 is used almost by every airline that has short-haul operations, from British Airways to easyJet and American airlines.

"Every airline which operates the short flights goes for the A320 because they are a very efficient aircraft, modern and up-to-date and they have the latest technology on the flight deck which makes flying them a treat."

Captain Mike Vivian added: "It is a very good plane. They are operating all over the world and they are intrinsically a short-haul aircraft and have a very good safety record."

The A320 aircraft family is made up of narrow-bodied short to medium range twin engine jets. The first flight took place on 22 February 1987.

There have been 60 incidents known as "aviation occurrences" since the aircraft family was introduced, resulting in 789 fatalities up to 23 March.

One of the best-known incidents involving an A320 aircraft was the so-called Miracle on the Hudson in which a plane crash-landed in New York's Hudson River. All 155 people on board survived.

The AirAsia plane which crashed into the Java Sea in December was also an Airbus A320.

The Airbus A320 which crashed in France on Tuesday is operated by Germanwings, a budget airline which is wholly owned by Lufthansa. The aircraft was manufactured in 1991.

Germanwings has 81 aircraft operating out of Cologne, Bonn, Hamburg, Berlin and Dusseldorf.

More follows...

Recommended by Outbrain Recommended by Outbrain

Top Stories

  1. Breaking News: France Plane Crash: 150 Die As Jet 'Disintegrates'
  2. Breaking News: Live: Rescuers Struggle To Reach Crash Site
  3. Breaking News: 16 Children From One School In Plane Crash
  4. Jolie's Ovaries Removed After Cancer Scare
  5. Wife Jailed For Attempt To 'Boil Her Husband'


23.12 | 0 komentar | Read More
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