New York Cop Killer's Chilling Warning Revealed

Search Officials: 'Debris Is Missing Plane'

Written By Unknown on Selasa, 30 Desember 2014 | 14.59

Items resembling a plane door and an emergency slide found in the search for AirAsia Flight QZ8501 are probably from the missing plane, officials have said.

At least 10 large objects have been found in the Java Sea, around six miles from where the plane lost contact with air traffic control, the Indonesian air force said in a statement.

Djoko Murjatmodjo, Indonesia's director general of air transportation, said: "For the time being it can be confirmed that it's the AirAsia plane and the transport minister will depart soon to Pangkalan Bun."

Yusuf Latif, spokesman for Indonesia National Search and Rescue, said an Indonesian military aircraft saw white, red and black objects, including what appears to be a life jacket, off the coast, about 105 miles (170 km) south of Pangkalan Bun.

The agency has sent at least one helicopter to pick up at least 10 pieces of debris which will be taken to the search and rescue co-ordination post on Belitung Island.

"This is the most significant finding, but we cannot confirm anything until the investigation is completed," said Mr Latif.

On Tuesday, the search for the lost aircraft was expanded off the coast of Indonesia, with the US deploying a warship to assist the operation.

It has been more than 36 hours since the aircraft, with 162 passengers on board, communicated with air traffic control over the Java Sea - and officials fear the jet has crashed into shallow waters.

Hull-born businessman Chi Man Choi and his two-year-old daughter Zoe are among the missing.

Some 30 ships and 21 aircraft from South Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, Australia and Indonesia are scouring 10,000 nautical miles in hope of tracking down the Airbus A320.

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Gallery: The Search For Missing AirAsia Plane

Indonesian air force CN295 crew members look from plane windows during a search and rescue operation for missing AirAsia flight QZ8501 over waters near Pangkalan, Central Kalimantan

This aerial view taken from an Indonesian search and rescue aircraft over the Java Sea shows floating debris spotted in the same area as other items being investigated by Indonesian authorities

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Patient Assessed For Ebola Symptoms In Truro

A patient is being assessed for possible symptoms of Ebola at the Royal Cornwall Hospital in Truro.

The person is being kept in isolation and the result will be known in around 24 hours.

The patient had recently been in a high-risk Ebola area, although the exact location has not been revealed.

The tests are thought to be precautionary - more than 100 patients have tested negative in similar circumstances over the last few months.

Symptoms of Ebola are very similar to other tropical diseases, such as malaria.

It comes as the first person diagnosed with Ebola in the UK - a Scottish nurse - is transferred to London for specialist medical care.

More follows...

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Flight QZ8501: The Search Operation Explained

Written By Unknown on Senin, 29 Desember 2014 | 15.00

The disappearance of Flight QZ8501 has sparked a major search and rescue operation, with Indonesian authorities resuming their spotter flights after earlier bouts of bad weather.

Five planes, three helicopters, 12 navy ships and several warships have been deployed so far, and are currently searching the waters surrounding Belitung island in Indonesia, where the AirAsia passenger plane last made contact.

Other countries have also offered their resources to help recover the jet. Singapore has sent three naval vessels to scour the Java Sea, in addition to a C-130 Hercules plane.

:: Follow live updates with Sky News here

An Orion surveillance plane from the Royal Australian Air Force has also left Darwin to join the search effort. Australia's Prime Minister Tony Abbott pledged his country would do "whatever we humanly can to assist".

The US and India have also expressed a willingness to help, along with officials from Britain and South Korea - two countries which have nationals on board the missing plane.

Any investigation into the disappearance of the AirAsia plane will focus on the aircraft's black box, which has a homing beacon that helps search teams find the jet.

Cockpit voice recorders and flight data will also provide clues about what happened after the flight lost contact with air traffic control just 42 minutes into the journey.

Although the plane was bound for Singapore, Flight QZ8501's last-known location was in Indonesian territory, prompting transport officials to confirm they would lead the investigation.

Stressing it has the expertise to develop an effective search strategy, a spokesman for the Indonesian Transport Ministry said: "Our primary task is to find the plane. We are cooperating with every possible department and relevant countries."

AirAsia's chief executive, Tony Fernandes, added: "We don't want to speculate. By now, of course, the plane has been missing for more than 12 hours and there is a deep sense of depression here.

"But we stay strong and our first priority now is to look after the families and do whatever we can."

The search effort has drawn comparisons to that of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370, which has not been found since it went missing in March.

There were 239 passengers and crew on board the flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing, and it is feared that the plane crashed in the remote Indian Ocean, far off the west coast of Australia.

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Objects Spotted In Sea In Missing Plane Search

An Australian plane has spotted objects in the sea during the hunt for the missing AirAsia flight QZ8501, officials have said.

Indonesian officials said the search team had made the discovery while searching for the jet which stopped communicating with air traffic control over the Java Sea in the early hours of Sunday morning.

Earlier, the chief of Indonesia's search effort said that the missing AirAsia passenger plane "is likely at the bottom of the sea".

Bambang Soelistyo added that an initial investigation into the disappearance had revealed that the "estimated crash position is in the sea".

More than a dozen ships have been sent to the area to try to find the aircraft.

More follows...

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Man Charged With Grandson's Murder In Lincoln

Written By Unknown on Kamis, 25 Desember 2014 | 15.00

A 64-year-old man has been charged over the murder of his nine-year-old grandson in Lincolnshire.

Stewart James Greene, of Grimoldby, was charged following the death of Alex James Robinson on Tuesday.

Lincolnshire Police were called to Pennell Street, in Lincoln, just before midday on Tuesday.

The boy was taken by ambulance to Lincoln County Hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.

Police initially described the boy's death as "suspicious", adding that a 64-year-old man was "helping police with inquiries".

Police say Greene was charged with murder after a post-mortem was carried out on the boy's body.

Greene is due to face Lincoln Magistrates Court on Boxing Day.

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Queen Uses Speech To Hail UK Ebola Medics

By Enda Brady, Sky News Correspondent

The Queen will use her Christmas message to pay tribute to medical staff who have volunteered to fight Ebola in west Africa, saying she has been "deeply touched" by their "selflessness".

Dozens of British doctors and nurses have travelled to countries like Sierra Leone to help combat the deadly epidemic.

In her Christmas message, which will be broadcast at 3pm, the Queen will say: "I have been deeply touched this year by the selflessness of aid workers and medical volunteers who have gone abroad to help victims of conflict or of diseases like Ebola, often at great personal risk."

The theme of this year's message is reconciliation and on the 100th anniversary of the Christmas Day truce in the World War One trenches, the Queen also touches on how she felt visiting the ceramic poppies at the Tower of London.

The monarch and the Duke of Edinburgh visited the installation by artist Paul Cummins in October.

She said: "The ceramic poppies at the Tower of London drew millions and the only possible reaction to walking among them was silence.

"For every poppy, a life - and a reminder of the grief of loved ones left behind."

A total of 888,246 ceramic poppies were planted in the moat at the Tower, one for each British and Commonwealth death.

The Queen recorded her message sitting next to a table featuring separate photographs of her grandparents, King George V and Queen Mary.

Also present is an embossed box similar to those sent to soldiers on the frontline in 1914.

The Queen made her first Christmas broadcast in 1952, live on the radio from her study at Sandringham.

Her first televised message came five years later and she has only missed one year, 1969, when she decided the royals had featured enough on TV after an unprecedented documentary.

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Police Investigate Deadly Bin Lorry Crash

Written By Unknown on Selasa, 23 Desember 2014 | 15.00

Police in Glasgow are investigating why a bin lorry crashed into a crowd of Christmas shoppers in the city centre killing six people.

The truck mounted the pavement outside the Gallery of Modern Art - hitting a group of people waiting to cross the road - carrying on for another 300 metres until it crashed into the Millennium Hotel.

The driver, who was said to be lucid when the vehicle finally stopped, was taken to hospital after the tragedy and it is believed he may have fallen ill at the wheel.

"We heard from eyewitnesses saying he wasn't looking around as the lorry was going across the pavement. He appeared to be slumped over the wheel," Sky's Gerard Tubb, reporting from Glasgow, said.

Seven other people are also being treated for their injuries in three hospitals in Glasgow.

Chief Inspector Mark Sutherland from Police Scotland said on Monday night: "We are currently working with our other agencies to establish exactly what happened.

"It's important that we do a thorough investigation to establish the full circumstances.

"It's important that we take all the necessary steps to do it as quickly as we can so that we get the answers for the families and get their loved ones back to them as quick as we can."

Police Scotland has appealed to anyone who has photos or videos of the incident to send it to them at georgesquareincident@scotland.pnn.police.uk.

Roads around George Square, which was packed at the time of the accident, remain closed.

A large cordon remains in place and dozens of floral tributes have been placed at the scene.

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Gallery: Images From The Devastating Scene In Glasgow After Bin Lorry Crash

The lorry crashed into the Millennium Hotel at the top of Queen Street in the city centre

One police officer said it first mounted the pavement 300 metres down the street

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North Korea Hacked? State's Internet Cut

North Korea's limited internet service collapsed for more than nine hours just days after the US vowed to retaliate for a cyber-attack on Sony, which has been blamed on the reclusive state.

A US-based analyst said all internet went down after a period of instability over the weekend before links were eventually restored.

"For the past 24 hours North Korea's connectivity to the outside world has been progressively getting degraded to the point now that they are totally offline," said Doug Madory, director of internet analysis at Dyn Research.

"There's either a benign explanation - their routers are perhaps having a software glitch; that's possible. It also seems possible that somebody can be directing some sort of an attack against them and they're having trouble staying online."

Sony pulled The Interview - a comedy about the assassination of North Korea's leader Kim Jong-Un - after hackers threatened showings of the movie.

The group, calling itself Guardians of Peace, had already leaked five unreleased films, the script of the next James Bond movie, embarrassing email exchanges between executives and private individuals' data after attacking Sony's systems.

Pyongyang has repeatedly denied any role in the attack but said it could have been carried out by the country's supporters.

But the FBI blamed North Korea for the devastating attack on the media giant and President Barack Obama said the US would respond "in a place and time and manner that we choose".

State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf said she could not confirm North Korea had been the target of a cyber-attack.

"We aren't going to discuss ... publicly, operational details about the possible response options or comment on those kind of reports in anyway except to say that as we implement our responses, some will be seen, some may not be seen," she said.

However, Ms Harf did respond to Pyongyang's calls for a joint investigation into the attack, saying: "If they want to help here they could admit their culpability and compensate Sony for the damages that they caused."

The internet is only available to trusted government officials in North Korea and its main web presence is through its Uriminzokkiri website, which has Twitter and Flickr feeds best known for sharing propaganda videos attacking the US and South Korea.

Mr Madory said the internet connection had historically been stable, but had come under attack in the past.

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Gallery: Sky News On China's North Korea Border

Sky News has filmed rare pictures across the Chinese border into North Korea. The images demonstrate the poverty inside the country and the degree to which China cooperates with its old ally

At the border town of Ji'an only a narrow river separates China with North Korea

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New York Cop Killer's Chilling Warning Revealed

Written By Unknown on Senin, 22 Desember 2014 | 15.00

New York Cop Killer's Chilling Warning Revealed

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The gunman who shot dead two New York City police officers told passers-by to "watch what I'm going to do", moments before the attack.

Chief of Detectives Robert Boyce said witnesses recall Ismaaiyl Brinsley asking them to follow him on Instagram, before making the chilling warning.

Instagram posts attributed to Brinsley, 28, have been described as "very anti-police".

One appears to threaten to carry out an attack in retaliation for the death of Eric Garner, who was killed in a New York officer's chokehold, sparking weeks of mass protests.

Part of the caption read: "I'm Putting Wings On Pigs Today. They Take 1 Of Ours ... Let's Take 2 of Theirs."

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Gallery: New York Vigil For Dead Police Officers

Mourners have taken part in a prayer vigil at the location where two NYPD cops who were shot in the head in their squad car in Brooklyn

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Police officers lined up to pay their respects to Liu Wenjin, 32, and Raphael Ramos, 40

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Lucy Ramos, the aunt of Mr Ramos, paid tribute to the officers during a press conference at the vigil

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Click through for more images

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Eric Garner's family have condemned the killings, denouncing revenge attacks.

Joined by civil rights activist Reverend Al Sharpton, Mr Garner's mother Gwen Carr told reporters: "I'm standing here in sorrow about losing those two police officers, that was definitely not our agenda.

"We want you to not use Eric Garner's name for violence, because we are not about that."

A candlelight vigil was held for the two dead police officers on Sunday, a day after they were ambushed in their squad car while on patrol in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighbourhood of Brooklyn.

They have been named as 32-year-old Liu Wenjin and 40-year-old Raphael Ramos.

Police have said Brinsley shot the pair in the head with "no warning, no provocation".

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Gallery: Everything We Know Following The Shooting Of Two Officers

Officers Liu Wenjin, 32, and Raphael Ramos, 40, were shot dead as they sat in their parked patrol car

The suspect, named as Ismaaiyl Brinsley, 28, used a silver semi-automatic handgun. It is believed Brinsley had shot and seriously injured his ex-girlfriend earlier on Saturday

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"They were quite simply assassinated," Police Commissioner William Bratton said.

Brinsley then ran inside a subway station and fatally shot himself in the head as responding officers pursued him.

Details have now emerged surrounding his long criminal record and apparent history of mental instability.

Brinsley shot and seriously injured his ex-girlfriend in Baltimore, Maryland, shortly before travelling to New York to carry out Saturday's attack.

He had at least 19 arrests in Georgia and Ohio and had spent two years in prison for gun possession.

Police said Brinsley's mother believed he had been suffering from an undiagnosed mental illness.

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Gallery: Archive: Protests After Eric Garner Grand Jury Decision

Protesters took to the streets after a grand jury decided not to charge a white policeman over the chokehold death of an unarmed black man

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He also reportedly tried to kill himself last year.

The killings have sparked fears of further revenge attacks amid heightened nationwide tensions over the deaths of Mr Garner and another black male at the hands of white police officers.

The unarmed teen Michael Brown was shot dead in Ferguson, Missouri, back in August.

Decisions by US grand juries to not charge either of the officers involved triggered widespread protests.

New York police officers have been told to take extra backup when responding to radio calls and have been urged to wear bulletproof vests when out on the street.

On Sunday a police officer in Florida was shot and killed in what is believed to have been an unrelated incident.

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Written By Unknown on Minggu, 21 Desember 2014 | 15.00

A woman has been charged with the murder of eight children at a house in Cairns, northern Australia, police have said.

Mersane Warria, 37, is the mother of seven of the children, who had all been found stabbed to death. The eighth child was her niece.

The youngsters - four girls and four boys - were aged between two and 14 years, police said.

Warria was formally charged following a bedside hearing at Cairns Base Hospital where she appeared before a magistrate.

She remains under police guard in the hospital.

Officers were called to the home in the suburb of Manoora on Friday morning after reports of a woman suffering from stab wounds.

The children's bodies were discovered during a search of the house.

Police have not said how the children died, but Queensland Police Detective Inspector Bruno Asnicar said they are examining several knives in the home that may have been the weapon used to kill them.

Suffocation was also a possible cause of death.

Det Ins Asnicar said: "We are considering that and that's why it's taking a bit of time.

"It could be a range of things, from suffocation to 1,000 other things."

Police are not looking for any other suspects.

Residents have held a church service, candlelit vigil and laid flowers and toys for the children outside the home.

The family were members of the Torres Strait Islander community, a group of indigenous Australians viewed as distinct from the broader Aboriginal community due to their origins on islands off the Queensland coast.

Prime Minister Tony Abbott described the deaths as "heartbreaking".

He added: "All parents would feel a gut-wrenching sadness at what has happened. This is an unspeakable crime.

"These are trying days for our country."

The deaths came as Australia was reeling from a deadly siege in a Sydney cafe.

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Two New York Cops 'Assassinated' In Ambush

By Sky News US Team

Two New York City police officers have been killed by a lone gunman as they sat in their parked patrol car in broad daylight.

Both officers were shot in the head in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighbourhood of Brooklyn by the suspect, who has been named as Ismaaiyl Brinsley.

Police Commissioner William Bratton identified the two officers as Liu Wenjin, 32 and Raphael Ramos, 40.

He said they were shot and killed "with no warning, no provocation".

"They were quite simply assassinated," Mr Bratton said.

Mr Liu, a seven-year veteran who got married two months ago, and Mr Ramos, father to a 13-year-old son, were "ambushed and murdered", officials said.

Mr Bratton added that Brinsley had published posts on Instagram that were "very anti-police".

Authorities have not revealed the contents of the messages.

But two officials told the Associated Press that Brinsley posted about shooting two "pigs" in retaliation for the death of Eric Garner, who died after a New York police officer used a chokehold during an arrest.

An image later emerged of an Instagram post that has been attributed to Brinsley.

Part of the caption with it reads: "I'm Putting Wings On Pigs Today. They Take 1 Of Ours ... Let's Take 2 of Theirs."

Brinsley shot and seriously injured his ex-girlfriend earlier on Saturday in Baltimore, Maryland, before travelling to New York.

He fired through the passenger side of the officers' vehicle with a silver semi-automatic handgun just before 3pm local time (8pm UK time).

The 28-year-old then ran inside a subway station and fatally shot himself in the head as responding officers pursued him.

The shooting occurred around the same time New York police were receiving a warning fax from authorities in Baltimore.

President Barack Obama condemned the killings, saying there was no justification for them, while Attorney General Eric Holder called the deaths an "unspeakable act of barbarism".

Local resident Derrick Thompson said the shooting happened across from the Tompkins Houses public housing development.

"I was watching TV, and then I heard the helicopters," he said. "I walked out, and all of a sudden - this."

The shooting comes amid heightened tensions in New York and across the United States over police tactics following the death of Mr Garner and the shooting dead of Michael Brown in Missouri.

Several officers have been assaulted at protests in New York during demonstrations that have largely been peaceful.

Mr Bratton said they were looking at whether the suspect had attended any rallies or demonstrations.

The Reverend Al Sharpton, a civil rights leader who has supported the families of Mr Brown and Mr Garner, said Mr Garner's family has no connection to the suspect and denounced the shootings.

He said: "Any use of the names of Eric Garner and Michael Brown, in connection with any violence or killing of police, is reprehensible and against the pursuit of justice in both cases."

Mr Brown's family also condemned the shootings, saying in a statement they reject "any kind of violence directed toward members of law enforcement".

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Stigma Of Sierra Leone's 'Ebola Orphans' Remains

Written By Unknown on Sabtu, 20 Desember 2014 | 14.59

By David Bowden, Senior News Correspondent

Sierra Leone is now at the forefront of the fight against Ebola in West Africa, with more reported cases - over 8,000 - than any other country, a rising number of deaths and many children left orphaned.

But the impact of the disease goes far beyond the victims themselves.

There are thousands of so-called "Ebola orphans", young children who have lost one or both parents to the disease and many have seen their close family wiped out by the virus too.

In Sierra Leone there are estimated to be more than 4,500 children in this situation and caring for them is a growing problem.

Before the Ebola outbreak the St George Foundation - founded by Unicef just outside Freetown after the civil war in Sierra Leone a decade ago - cared for street urchins and child prostitutes, but not anymore.

Now the youngsters here, aged from just one and a half to 17 years old, are without their loved ones because of Ebola.

For founder Justina Conteh and her staff it is heartbreaking to have to explain to ones so young that they are alone in the world. All deal with it differently.

She said: "For the boys, give them one week and they are ok, but for the girls you really see them in the corners in a sulky way sitting down thinking, holding their heads.

"For the girls it really takes time for them to get over the psychological problems."

There are 35 children being looked after at St George's, but as the others tuck into their lunch, two remain apart behind a sagging nylon rope marking the boundary of the quarantined area.

This is where Haja and Fatima live for now. Haja, who is 17, has lost 10 members of her family to Ebola including her mother, seven of her sisters and two brothers. Her father died five years ago.

Haja, too, was infected but survived.

She explained what happened in hospital: "So two to three days and I didn't die. After I don't die they transferred me to Hastings (an Ebola treatment centre). I stay there for about two weeks and they discharge me."

She has been at the orphanage ever since, acting as an unpaid nanny to other orphans who are suspected of having Ebola.

Her survival has given her hope for immunity from the virus a second time.

At the moment she only has one charge, nine-year-old Fatima, whose mother died from the disease, but who so far is showing no signs of being infected herself.

An 11-month-old baby boy who had been in quarantine has just died from Ebola, though Kadija, 10, recently left Haja's care after she tested negative for the virus.

The ordeal for these youngsters is not over yet, finding them new homes is proving very difficult because of the stigma of Ebola.

No one, not even extended family, seems to want anything to do with a child who has been so close to the killer virus.

:: You can watch an extended special report on the Ebola crisis at 4.30pm today.

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Sony: 'We Had No Choice' But To Cancel Film

Sony has defended its decision to cancel a film mocking the North Korean regime after the studio suffered a damaging cyber-attack.

In a statement, the company said it had "no choice" but to pull The Interview, because cinema chains across the US had backed away from showing the film, which depicts a plot to assassinate North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un.

The decision was made after the group claiming responsibility for the cyber-attack made terrorist threats against US cinemas if they showed the movie, which stars Seth Rogen and James Franco.

President Barack Obama strongly criticised the move, saying he believed the studio had "made a mistake".

Celebrities and film-makers have also slammed the decision, which was made earlier this week.

Mr Obama said: "I wish they had spoken to me first.

"We cannot have a society in which some dictatorship someplace can start imposing censorship."

"Without theaters, we could not release it in the theaters on Christmas Day," Sony said in response.

"We had no choice."

It insists it has only cancelled the Christmas Day release and it has been "actively surveying alternatives" to release the film on another platform.

"It is still our hope that anyone who wants to see this movie will get the opportunity to do so," Sony said.

Sony's chief executive, Michael Lynton, has also defended the company's actions, telling CNN: "We experienced the worst cyber-attack in American history.

"We have not caved, we have not given in, we have persevered and we have not backed down.

"We have always had every desire to have the American public see this movie."

Mr Lynton said the President, the media and the public "are mistaken as to what actually happened" and added he had personally talked to senior advisers at the White House, who were "certainly aware of the situation".

The FBI revealed on Friday it believed North Korea was behind the cyber-attack on Sony, something Pyongyang has denied.

However, a North Korean diplomat did say the film "defamed the image of our country".

The FBI called the attack, which led to a series of embarrassing leaks, an unacceptable act of state-sponsored "intimidation".

The agency said technical analysis of malware used in the attack found links to malware that "North Korean actors" had developed and found a "significant overlap" with "other malicious cyber activity" previously tied to Pyongyang.

The group claiming responsibility for the attack, who call themselves Guardians of Peace, praised the decision to cancel the film's release in a statement provided to CNN on Friday.

:: Watch a special report about people who have fled from North Korea on Sky News, Tuesday at 7.30pm.

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Gallery: 'The Interview' Film Pulled: Hollywood Takes to Twitter

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Eight Children Stabbed To Death In Cairns

Written By Unknown on Jumat, 19 Desember 2014 | 14.59

Eight children have been found stabbed to death at a house in Cairns, Australia.

The children are reportedly aged between 18 months and 15 years old.

Police were called to a property in the suburb of Manoora following reports of a woman with serious injuries.

During the search of the house the bodies of the children were discovered.

The 34-year-old woman is reportedly the mother of seven of the children. The eighth child is thought to be a family member.

The mother is said to be in a stable condition at a hospital where she is being questioned by police.

Queensland Police Detective Inspector Bruno Asnicar said: "As it stands at the moment, there's no need for the public to be concerned about this other than the fact that it's a tragic, tragic event.

"The situation is well controlled."

Lisa Thaiday, who said she was the woman's cousin, said another sibling, a 20-year-old man, came home and found his brothers and sisters dead inside the house.

She said: "We're a big family... I just can't believe it."

Cairns Post reporter Scott Forbes, at the scene, told Sky News: "I've spoken to some of the family members and they say the woman, who is the biological mother, actually has more children but the other kids weren't at home at the time. So of the children she does have, eight of them are now dead.

"Many of the people here are actually connected to the family or relatives of the family. They are very shocked. They said they were a happy family and were enthusiastic about Christmas.

"They've said she was a very proud mother who was very protective of her children, so everyone lining the streets here is reeling right now."

The street is in lock down and a crime scene will remain in place for at least another day, police said.

Cairns MP Michael Trout told Sky News the close-knit community was in shock over the "dreadful tragedy".

"How can anyone harm innocent children is on everyone's lips at this moment," he said.

Media outlets reported that the neighbourhood was predominantly inhabited by indigenous Aboriginal Australians, and was known by residents to have a high crime rate.

Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott called the events in Cairns "heartbreaking" and acknowledged that these were "trying days" for Australia.

The deaths come as Australia is still feeling the shock of the deadly siege in a Sydney cafe earlier this week.

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Pump Prices: Cheap Petrol Comes With A Warning

Tumbling oil prices are resulting in lower petrol costs, but there are warnings the good news for drivers may not last.

With prices falling by more than 40% since June's high of $111 a barrel, there have been an increasing number of reports suggesting petrol prices across the UK could soon fall below £1 per litre - the lowest level since the end of May 2009.

Experts at the RAC believe petrol could fall to 99p a litre next year, while economists at Goldman Sachs also believe petrol could fall close to £1.

But AA president Edmund King said this possibility remained "remote".

He said: "A 6.6p-a-litre drop in the price of petrol releases a potential £3m-a-day switch of consumer spending from fuel forecourts to other businesses.

"It will also lower the cost of transporting goods, hopefully also to be passed on to customers."

Mr King went on: "However, the parallels with the 2008 crash, albeit that was a market in freefall while this one has been engineered by OPEC and could be stopped any time, carry a warning from the ghost of Christmas past.

"In 2009, a new year brought a new assessment of the market and pump prices started to rise again on January 5."

Analysis by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) also suggests petrol prices are unlikely to fall below £1-a-litre in the coming months.

But while the ONS said the price consumers pay at the pumps for petrol and diesel were "strongly related to the price of crude oil", it highlighted that price changes were "less volatile and the effect of changes in crude oil prices are delayed".

Ian Taylor, chief executive and president of Vitol, the world's largest oil trading company, told Sky News' Ian King Live that although the future was difficult to predict he believes the market "will steady up".

He said: "As you know oil traders are pretty useless at predicting price, but we sort of feel that inevitably at these price levels that several areas of the world will begin to cut back on capex (capital expenditure) and we'll see some reductions in supply and a big transfer of income to the consumers - hopefully lower petrol prices in the UK etc - and that will increase demand.

"We feel at the current prices and with Brent at $60 a barrel we should begin to see some stability, but oil has been a lot lower than this and a lot higher so it's difficult to predict just at this moment - but I do begin to believe the market will begin steady up."

He added: "It's a pretty big tax cut for every single consumer in the world and it's a huge transfer of income from oil producers to world consumers. It's pretty positive for the UK, Europe and other big consuming countries around the globe."

Petrol pump prices have plunged in the last month with the mid-November to mid-December fall the third biggest in 25 years, according to the AA.

The motoring group said that between mid-November and mid-December UK average petrol prices fell 6.6p to 116.32p a litre.

Only the October-November 2008 fall of 11.5p a litre and the August-September 2006 dip of 7.9p have been greater than the most recent decline.

The AA also said that average diesel prices have fallen 5.27p a litre to 122.16p over the mid-November to mid-December 2014 period.

And the fall does not include the very latest 2p-a-litre petrol reduction by the four biggest supermarkets which took effect on Wednesday.

Currently, south west England has the cheapest petrol, at an average of 116.1p a litre, while East Anglia has the dearest, at 117.1p.

The cheapest diesel is to be found in Northern Ireland, at 121.8p a litre, with the most-expensive in Scotland, at 122.7p a litre.

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Exclusive: Death Pact Of IS-Fighting Britons

Written By Unknown on Rabu, 17 Desember 2014 | 14.59

Exclusive: Death Pact Of IS-Fighting Britons

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By Lisa Holland, Foreign Affairs Correspondent

Two Britons who went to Syria to fight IS have told of their battles on the front line - and how they vowed to kill each other rather than get captured.

Jamie Read and James Hughes told how they dodged bullets during chaotic patrols with Kurdish forces after recording a "goodbye" video for their families in case they died.

They described spending hours lying in the "pitch black" in no-man's land, in conditions they said were reminiscent of World War One.

On one occasion, it was so cold that a young Kurdish comrade collapsed with hypothermia - "body-popping" on the ground next to them.

In an exclusive Sky News interview after their return to the UK, the pair also revealed how panic alarms have been installed in their homes, amid fears they could be targets for IS supporters.

They strongly denied being mercenaries, telling how they had sold possessions to fund their flights and had returned to the UK to "mounting debts and bills".

They had not been paid "a penny" for their exploits, though they had been "treated like royalty" by some of the Kurdish troops, the men said.

And the former soldiers gave a detailed account of their time in Iraq and Syria, explaining that they had travelled to fight IS militants because they had "zero tolerance for terrorism".

Describing what had prompted them to travel, Mr Read said the beheading of British aid convoy volunteer Alan Henning had been the final straw.

"Alan Henning - aid worker, British - put him on his hands and knees and cut his head off, you know what I mean," Mr Read said.

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Gallery: British Pair Joined Fight Against Islamic State

James Hughes and Jamie Read gave an exclusive interview to Sky News

James Hughes from Worcestershire is a former soldier who served three tours in Afghanistan

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Jamie Read from Lanarkshire, Scotland, spent time training with the French army

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He said that he had 'zero tolerance' for terrorism

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The men joined Kurdish fighters in Syria battling IS

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"Can you really find justification in sitting back here and doing nothing?"

Mr Read, 24, and Mr Hughes, 26, revealed that organising the trip had been quite simple with a "phone call here or there" and some communication over Skype.

They were screened by simply having their Facebook posts checked and ensuring that social media friends were not IS supporters, Mr Read said.

The pair said that after arriving in Irbil, northern Iraq, they were transported via the Kurdish HQ to the front line in Syria.

During the journey the Britons said they had no idea whether they had landed in a trap.

"I'm not going to lie, this was one of the most frightening processes you can go through, you know, the paranoia: through the roof," Mr Read said.

"You get picked up by a guy who doesn't speak English, so straight away there's a language barrier.

"When we got to the safe house... it's sort of dodgy-looking, so you think 'I don't really like this'. At one point, you think 'is this the point I'm going to get handed over?'"

After getting a uniform and weapons, Mr Hughes said they eventually "rocked up" on the frontline to an old schoolhouse covered in mud.

They arrived to cheers from their Kurdish comrades, were plied with chai (tea) and cigarettes, and met three other Westerners who had joined the fight.

During their three weeks on the front line, their duties included terrifying night patrols where it was the "blackest black... like being in a cave with no lights".

"You are left staring into the pitch black, hoping no one sees you first," Mr Read said.

The Britons said they had hatched a plan to shoot each dead rather than being caught and paraded on television as hostages.

"We wouldn't get captured, bottom line, we couldn't get captured, we're not getting our heads paraded on YouTube, we made that vow before we went out.

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Gallery: Peshmergas On The Front Line In The Battle Against Islamic State

Kurdish Peshmerga forces sweep the Bakirta village near the town of Makhmur, south of Erbil, the capital of Iraqi Kurdistan

Members of Kurdish "peshmerga" troops ride a vehicle during an intensive security deployment on the outskirts of Diyala, northeast of Baghdad

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"Everybody out there is carrying a round for themselves. Nobody wants to be captured by IS. Nobody wants to end up on YouTube getting their head cut off.

"So for us, as harsh as it sounds, it's probably the better way to go. It's the old saying, 'you keep a round for each other'."

Describing their final day, Mr Read told how the pair had been out on patrol towards a nearby village where IS militants had been holed up.

"All of a sudden we just got opened up on. Quite a lot of small arms (...) quite a lot of AKs and they were quite close.

"There were rounds coming in and they were really close - they were pinging and they were bouncing, whizzing over your head - obviously it's a very distinctive noise.

"There was a lot of shouting, a lot of screaming, a lot of F-words being dropped."

The pair said they were forced to flee through a village which was "littered with IEDs (improvised explosive devices)" before returning to base.

"We eventually made it out but this was a real eye-opener - this is how these people were going to act - there's something more that needs to be done there."

They returned to Britain last week and were questioned by anti-terrorism officers for six hours at Heathrow airport before being released.

Asked whether they would return to Syria, Mr Read said: "I'd like to think we would have the opportunity to go back."

But he added: "I'm unsure on the political stance - I'm not sure whether our Government would appreciate us going back."

:: You can watch an extended special report on the IS-fighting Britons at 2.30pm, 4.30pm and 8.30pm, today.

Watch the report on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 132 and Freesat channel 202.

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Written By Unknown on Selasa, 16 Desember 2014 | 14.59

A female barrister who died in the Sydney siege has been hailed a hero amid reports she was killed shielding her pregnant friend from gunfire.

Katrina Dawson died along with cafe manager Tori Johnson, who was praised for trying to grab the gun off hostage-taker Man Haron Monis at the end of the 16-hour siege.

Tributes were paid to the victims at a memorial service, as questions were raised over why the self-styled sheikh had been granted bail after a string of alleged sex attacks and involvement in a murder.

As Sydney struggled to come to terms with the shock of the siege, a video also emerged showing some of the hostages inside the cafe, filmed by their captor.

In the video, uploaded by the gunman, three hostages are pictured describing demands made by the gunman - including that he be brought an Islamic State flag.

Television news footage also emerged of the moment when a TV reporter broke down in tears live on air as she read out the name of Ms Dawson - realising that she knew her.

Huge piles of flowers were laid outside the Lindt café in Sydney's financial district, as more details about the victims and the gunman began to emerge.

At a prayer service in St Mary's Cathedral about 500 metres from the cafe, Archbishop Anthony Fisher spoke of how the "heart of our city is broken by the deaths of two innocents".

"Reports have emerged this morning of the heroism of the male victim of this siege," Archbishop Fisher said.

"Apparently seeing an opportunity Tori Johnson grabbed the gun - tragically it went off killing him.

"But it triggered the response of the police and eventual freedom for most of the hostages.

"Reports have also emerged that Katrina Dawson was shielding her pregnant friend from gunfire. These heroes were willing to lay down their lives so others might live."

Deputy Police Commissioner Catherine Burn could not confirm reports of Mr Johnson's tussle with the gunman, adding that investigators were still compiling the chain of events that led to the siege ending.

But the police chief admitted that Monis, 50, had a "serious history of criminal offences and a history of violence".

"This was a man that we do believe had some extremist views and we also believe that he was unstable," she added.

Questions have been raised as to why Monis was on bail at all - after it emerged he was accused of a string of sex attacks and implicated in a murder.

He was also convicted of sending offensive letters to the grieving relatives of soldiers killed in Iraq.

NSW Premier Mike Baird told a press conference this morning that he was "outraged" that Monis was out on the streets.

His comments were further echoed by Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott.

Speaking at the same conference, Mr Abbott said he had asked himself "how can someone who has had such long and dangerous history not be on the appropriate watch-lists?"

He added: "And how can someone like that be entirely large in the community? These are questions we need to look at clearly, calmly and methodically to learn the right lessons."

As well as Ms Dawson and Mr Johnson, three female hostages were also shot in the attack and are being treated in hospital. They are in a stable condition.

A police officer who was shot in the face during the shoot-out had been released from hospital.

"I spoke to the police officer as he was going home. His only words to me were 'I'll be back at work tomorrow'," Ms Burn said.

Ms Dawson was having a cup of coffee with a colleague at the café when the gunman rounded up 17 hostages yesterday morning.

A statement from the New South Wales Bar Association said: "Katrina was one of our best and brightest barristers who will be greatly missed by her colleagues and friends at the NSW Bar.

"She was a devoted mother of three children, and a valued member of her floor and of our bar community."

Mr Johnson's parents, in a statement shared via Sydney broadcast journalist Ben Fordham, praised their "beautiful boy" and called for everyone to "pray for peace on Earth".

"We are so proud of our beautiful boy Tori, gone from this earth but forever in our memories as the most amazing life partner, son and brother we could ever wish for," the statement said.

Flags were lowered to half-staff on the landmark Harbour Bridge as Australians awakened to the surreal conclusion of the crisis.

The siege ended in dramatic scenes, as a group of panicked hostages ran from the building into the arms of waiting police in the early hours of Tuesday morning local time.

Specialist police then swooped on the gunman, who was armed with a pump-action shotgun.

A series of loud explosions were heard at the scene before glass shattered onto the pavement from a nearby window.

Monis was shot dead when specialist officers threw flash grenades into the building in the Martin Place premises at around 2.10am local time.

Lord Mayor of Sydney Clover Moore told Sky News the police acted "incredibly bravely" and said the situation had been managed "calmly and professionally".

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Gallery: Sydney Mourns Cafe Siege Victims

A man sobs as he lays flowers in Sydney, near to the scene

Dozens of bouquets of flowers were laid at the scene

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