US and EU Urged To Halt Weapon Sales To Israel

By Tom Rayner, Middle East News Editor

The US and EU governments must suspend all supplies of crowd-control "weapons and devices" to Israel until the country reins in its use of force against Palestinians on the West Bank, a report has demanded

In the report "Trigger Happy: Israel's Use of Excessive Force on the West Bank", Amnesty International criticises what it calls Israel's "callous disregard for human life" in its handling of Palestinian protests against occupation.

It points to an increase in the number of Palestinians killed by Israeli forces - with 27 people killed last year, in comparison to eight in 2012 and 10 in 2011, according to figures from the UN.

The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) say the report "wholly ignores the substantial increase in Palestinian violence initiated over the past year".

However, Amnesty International claims in all the cases it investigated, it found no evidence to suggest those killed were posing a "direct and immediate threat" to the lives of the Israeli forces - a key criteria in the UN Basic Principles of the Use of Force and Firearms.

Amnesty's Middle East and North Africa Director Philip Luther said the failure to properly investigate and punish such acts means those responsible were acting with impunity.

"The report presents a body of evidence that shows a harrowing pattern of unlawful killings and unwarranted injuries of Palestinian civilians by Israeli forces in the West Bank.

"If the Israeli authorities wish to prove to the world they are committed to democratic principles and international human rights standards, unlawful killings and unnecessary use of force must stop now.

"The current Israeli system has proved woefully inadequate. It is neither independent nor impartial and completely lacks transparency."

Palestinian-Israeli clashes in Jenin in the West Bank

One case highlighted is that of 16-year-old Samir Awad, from the village of Bordrus near Ramallah, who was shot dead last January.

Accounts collected by Amnesty suggest he had walked into the "no man's land" near the separation barrier which runs through the village, as part of a protest with school friends.

When soldiers shouted at him and fired warning shots in the air the teenager started to run away, but he was hit by three bullets in the leg, shoulder and then in the back of the head.

He was pronounced dead 40 minutes after arriving at Ramallah Hospital.

At the time Israeli media reported statements from a military spokesman claiming force had been used to prevent an "infiltration attempt".

The office of the Military Advocate General opened an investigation, and requested Military Police conduct further inquiries, but as yet the findings have not been released.

Amnesty claims that since 2011 the Military Police Criminal Investigation Division has opened investigations into 24 Palestinians killed in 20 different incidents, but only one so far has resulted in prosecution and conviction of a soldier for unlawful killing.

The report claims the case of Samir Awad is just one example of forces resorting to lethal or less lethal means to crack down on protests and "low-level violence", such as stone-throwing, when there was no direct threat to the lives of the soldiers involved.

Among its recommendations, the report calls on Western governments, including EU member states, to stop sending crowd-control equipment, such as tear gas, stun grenades and rubber-coated metal bullets to Israel, until steps are taken to "achieve accountability for previous violations" and "effective mechanisms" are established to ensure against further violations.

"This recommendation is particular relevant to the USA" the report states, "as the largest foreign source of supply of weapons, munitions, police equipment and military aid to Israel."

The US State Department said they would not comment on the report at this time.

The West Bank was captured by Israel in the Six Day War in 1967

Last year, following the deaths of two young people in the Bethlehem area, the UK government made representations to the Israeli authorities regarding what it described as its "longstanding concerns about the manner in which the IDF polices non-violent protests and the border areas, including use of live ammunition".

Responding to Amnesty's latest report, a spokesperson for the UK Foreign Office said: "To date, we have no evidence of the use of UK manufactured munitions, weapons, or related equipment by the Israeli military forces to commit or facilitate violations of international human rights law or international humanitarian law.

"We will continue to monitor the situation carefully, and ensure that all our licensing decisions remain consistent with our human rights commitments and all applicable criteria.

"We continue to call on Israel to abide by its obligations under international law, including the appropriate use of force by Israeli military forces."

In a statement, a spokesperson for the IDF accused Amnesty of ignoring the "operational challenges" faced by its forces in "containing Palestinian-incited violence" in the West Bank.

"2013 saw a sharp increase in rock hurling incidents, gravely jeopardising the lives of civilians and military personnel.

"132 Israelis were injured during that year alone, almost double the year previous, which is no surprise considering that over 5,000 incidents of rock hurling took place, half of which were towards main roads.

"Sadly, rock throwing and violent demonstrations present only part of the operational challenges posed to the IDF by Palestinian violence in Judea and Samaria. 

"Indeed in 2013 there were 66 further terror attacks which included shootings, the planting of IEDs (Improvised Explosive Devices), blunt weapon attacks and the abduction and murder of a soldier."

"The IDF holds itself to the highest of professional standards and trains and equips itself as such. When there is any suspicion of wrong doing, or breach of discipline, the IDF reviews, investigates and takes action where appropriate."

The report concludes by calling on Israel to swiftly implement the recommendations of the Israeli-appointed Turkel Committee - which investigated the IDF's deadly sea raid on the Turkish Mavi Marmara ship in 2010, as it tried to break the maritime blockade of Gaza.

The Turkel Committee concluded that "direct criminal responsibility" should be put on commanders and civilian superiors for violations of law committed by subordinates, and recommended judicial investigations into such incidents should be conducted independently of the military's own operational investigations.

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Police Fly To US To Crack Pistorius' iPhone

South African investigators have flown to America to ask for help from Apple to retrieve information from the iPhone of paralympian Oscar Pistorius.

The three investigators want to access any messages which may have been deleted from the athlete's iPhone device.

The double-amputee runner goes on trial on Monday accused of the murder of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp.

The model was shot and killed in a toilet cubicle in the athlete's home in Pretoria a year ago.

The runner has already admitted he fired the gun but says he mistook his girlfriend for a burglar.

For more than a year the state has been battling to get the information on the phone.

Newspapers in South Africa have reported that the information being sought relates specifically to SMS and Whatsapp messages sent from and received on Pistorius' phone.

Other information that investigators are trying to recover includes the times of calls and messages as well as deleted data.

Pistorius shot Steenkamp through a locked toilet door in his Pretoria home on Valentine's Day last year.

He claims it was a case of mistaken identity as he had believed Steenkamp was an intruder. The state says he planned her death.

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

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Italian Restaurant Boss Sets Himself On Fire

An restaurant owner has set himself on fire in protest at authorities' decision to build anti-sound panels close to his business.

The man believes the anti-noise barrier will block access for potential diners at his restaurant in Monza, Italy, and damage his trade.  

In a desperate attempt to save his business, Carlo De Gaetano poured petrol over a blanket, set it on fire and then stepped on to the flames.

Two traffic police officers arrived at the scene within moments and tried to douse the flames, but they too caught on fire.

The men had been rolling on the road for a few seconds before several other policemen at the scene managed to extinguish the massive flames.

The three injured were rushed to the hospital but their injuries were not though to be life-threatening.

It was the latest problem facing Mr De Gaetano's business, after authorities built a road tunnel yards from his restaurant. 

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Concordia's Captain Returns To Stricken Liner

The Costa Concordia's captain has returned to the ship for the first time since it capsized killing 32 people.

Francesco Schettino's visit was part of a court-ordered inspection in the ongoing trial against him for multiple counts of manslaughter and abandoning ship before all passengers had been evacuated.

Wearing a leather jacket, mirrored sunglasses and a life jacket, he was mobbed by reporters as he arrived for a pre-visit meeting at a hotel on Giglio, a tiny island off the coast of Tuscany.

The Italian captain was taken on a 10-minute boat ride to the wreck

He refused to answer questions, telling journalists to "get out of the way", as one local resident shouted in Italian: "Drown yourself."

Earlier, he told an Italian TV station: "They want to show I'm weak, just like two years ago. It's not true. I want to show I'm a gentleman, not a coward."

The technical inspection of the ship will focus on a lift where several of the victims died, as well as an emergency diesel generator which the defence says malfunctioned on the night of the disaster on January 13, 2012.

Schettino talks on his phone as he waits for a boat at Giglio harbour

More than 4,229 people from 70 countries were on board when the giant luxury liner crashed into rocks off Giglio.

Schettino is accused of deliberately altering the course of the Concordia in order to carry out a sail-by salute of the island in order to impress local residents and passengers.

The Italian was dubbed 'Captain Coward' by some tabloid newspapers after reportedly refusing orders from the coastguard to return to the ship to help with the rescue operation.

A huge engineering operation was launched to right the stricken cruise ship

The 53-year-old, who was allegedly on the bridge with his Moldovan lover Domnica Cemortan, claimed it was ''too dark to see anything'' and told investigators he had not fled but had ''tripped and fell into a lifeboat".

Speaking ahead of his return to the scene of the crash, he told Italian TV: "I'm a gallant man and I didn't run away. Lots of lies have been told about that night."

Dozens of Giglio residents gathered around the island's picturesque harbour as Schettino set off on the 10-minute crossing to the Concordia wreck.

Local mayor Sergio Ortelli said: ''What's important is that a clear picture of what happened that night emerges. That's what everyone on Giglio wants."

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Man Faces Charges After Taking Tiger To Bar

A man walks into a bar … with a tiger on a leash.

It sounds like the beginning of a joke but it is not.

John Basile faces misdemeanour charges after he took the big cat into Uncle Richie's bar in Lockport, Illinois.

Mr Basile owns Big Run Wolf Ranch, a run-down animal rescue centre where he keeps wolves, a bear and the tiger.

Witnesses say people started screaming "Is that a tiger?" in disbelief after Mr Basile and his feline companion walked in.

Terry Lemming, Lockport police chief, said: "My concern really was for the people that frequent the downtown area.

"This was at 7.30 at night on a Sunday in an area that has a lot of people walking around."

It is not the first time a big cat has visited the bar - after a woman was bitten by a tiger at the same drinking spot last December.

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North Korea Puts Yorkshire Terriers In Zoo

A zoo in North Korea has reportedly welcomed its newest animal attraction - a pack of Yorkshire Terriers.

The miniature dogs have been introduced to Central Zoo in the capital Pyongyang, according to state media.

Korea Central News Agency (KCNA) said the dogs are now learning "several feats", although it did not elaborate on the type of tricks they might perform.

North Koreans not familiar with 'Yorkies', which were bred in Yorkshire to catch rats and mice by scuttling around clothing mills, were given a helpful guide to the pint-sized pet.

"Each one has long hair - tan on its head and legs and blue grey on its body," KCNA reported.

"It is 22-24cm tall and weighs 2.5-3.5kg. It lives about 14 years on an average."

A picture released by KCNA appeared to show three Yorkshire Terriers in seemingly good condition.

However, Central Zoo was previously condemned by travel publication Lonely Planet, whose website claims most of the animals kept there "look pretty forlorn".

"Worst off are the big cats, nearly all gifts of long-dead communist big wigs around the world - the wonderful lions, tigers and leopards are kept in woefully inadequate compounds, and many have lost the plot as a result," it says.

"The zoo's two elephants and its hippo all look exceptionally lacklustre as well."

Footage uploaded to YouTube in December 2012 by documentary maker Alun Hill appeared to show bears and elephants trudging around largely concrete enclosures, and tigers staring at visitors from behind bars.

According to the video, the zoo houses more than 6,000 animals of about 650 different species in 60 animal shed and aquariums.

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Doctor's Family Want Syria Death Murder Probe

By Joe Tidy, Sky News Reporter

The family of a British doctor who died while in Syrian custody say they were told unofficially that he did not commit suicide.

Dr Abbas Khan, from London, died after spending 13-months in a Syrian prison on "terrorism charges".

The Syrian regime says he hanged himself in his cell on December 16 last year.

It was just days before he was due to be released and travel home to his wife and two children with his mother, who believes he was murdered.

At a pre-inquest hearing on Thursday, Fatima Khan and her children implored the Metropolitan Police - who are investigating the death – to treat it as a murder.

Dr Khan's mother Fatima

She says the family were told off-the-record by many Syrians at the recent Geneva peace talks that Dr Khan did not commit suicide.

The hearing also revealed that investigations are partly being held up by the Syrian regime, which has so far not responded to requests from the Met Police for photographs of the scene where Dr Khan is said to have hanged himself.

Speaking to Sky News after the hearing, Dr Khan's sister Sarah said of the investigation into her brother's death: "It's clearly got a long way to go until all the evidence is collected from all parties.

"I was at the Geneva talks and spoke to many Syrians who said my brother had not killed himself."

The inquest has been adjourned until May, when another pre-hearing is scheduled to take place.

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Google Takes Street View To Polar Bears' Home

Google has taken its Street View project to one of the coldest and most remote places on Earth, mapping the frozen wilderness of northern Canada in search of polar bears.

The tech giant used a specially-adapted buggy to record 360-degree images along the shores of Hudson Bay - home to one of the largest polar bear populations in the world.

The interactive tour of the icy terrain around Churchill, Manitoba, offers a rare glimpse into the animals' natural habitat.

A polar bear watches on as the specially-designed tundra buggy passes by

A team of scientists, who spent two months mapping the barren landscape, came face to face with polar bears several times as the endangered creatures waited for the sea to freeze over.

The data they collected will be passed to Polar Bears International (PBI), which uses Google Maps to track the animals' movements.

Simon Gee, of Frontiers North Adventures, which provided the research vehicle, said: "We had one polar bear come up to the buggy - something we call buggy love.

Some images were collected using cameras carried by scientists. Pic: Google

"When you come eye to an eye with a polar bear and can feel its breath, it's an amazing moment."

BJ Kirschhoffer, director of PBI, said he hoped the project would encourage people to think about the impact they have on the environment.

"Polar bears live on sea ice and building a fence around it (to protect it like other habitats around the world) wouldn't make any difference - it wouldn't stop the ice melting," he said.

"But people living further south from here can make a difference - they can reduce their carbon footprint and that will save the sea ice.

"Bringing it all together visually for people to explore themselves is key, and Google Street View allows people to freely wander out here from the comfort of their home."

According to the World Wildlife Fund, there are fewer than 25,000 polar bears left in the wild.

Of the 19 population groups dotted around the Arctic, nearly half are in decline, and the charity has warned numbers will continue to dwindle due to habitat loss and hunting.

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Ukraine: Treasury 'Stripped' By Ousted Regime

Toppled Ukranian President Viktor Yanukovych and his regime have been accused of robbing the cash-stricken nation to the tune of tens of billions of dollars.

It came amid escalating tensions, with fighter jets being put on combat alert by Russia along its border with Ukraine, while armed men seized the parliament building and the regional government headquarters in the southern Ukrainian region of Crimea, and hoisted Russian flags.

It is also being reported Mr Yanukovych has been spotted in a luxury five-star hotel and spa outside Moscow, in an exclusive enclave favoured by Russia's super-rich.

Police outside the Crimean parliament after it was stormed by armed men

Breaking his silence for the first time since fleeing the capital Kiev, the 63-year-old fugitive, who is wanted in Ukraine on charges of mass murder after police opened fire on demonstrators, released a statement insisting he is still president.

Mr Yanukovych has also announced he will hold a press conference on Friday in the southern Russian city of Rostov-on-Don.

Back at home he and his government are facing charges of stripping the country's coffers bare.

The parliament building has been seized in Simferopol

Shortly before being appointed as head of the crisis-hit country's national unity government, Arseny Yatseniuk said $37bn (£22bn) had disappeared, while $70bn (£42bn) had been siphoned out of the economy into offshore accounts.

Taking up his new post as prime minister, Mr Yatseniuk, who was a prominent protest leader, told parliament: "I want to report to you - the state treasury has been robbed and is empty. $37bn of credit received have disappeared in an unknown direction."

Debt-hit Ukraine has said it needs $35bn (£21bn) over the next two years to avoid bankruptcy.

Mr Yatseniuk warned that given the perilous state of the nation's finances there was no other alternative but to take "extraordinarily unpopular measures".

The country is set to hold talks with the International Monetary Fund over a financial bail-out package, which is seen as vital for the country to be able to stabilise the currency.

Barricades have been erected by the gunmen

Meanwhile, Crimea's parliament, which is currently being controlled by pro-Russian gunmen, has voted to hold a referendum on May 25 on the region's status.

A dawn raid on the region's capital of Simferopol saw up to 50 men in combat fatigues storm the official buildings, erect barricades, and put up signs saying "Crimea is Russian".

Crimea is an autonomous republic in the south of Ukraine, around 500 miles from the capital Kiev.

There are mounting signs of separatism in the region which has strong ties to Moscow, and where the majority of the population are Russian speakers.

President Vladimir Putin has put the military on alert for major exercises

Ukraine's acting president Oleksandr Turchynov has appealed for calm, and branded the armed raiders as "criminals in military fatigues".

It has led Poland's foreign minister Radoslaw Sikorski to warn of a "very dangerous game" in Crimea, amid concerns it could trigger a regional conflict.

President Vladimir Putin has put the military on alert for major exercises, and announced measures to tighten security at the headquarters of Russia's Black Sea Fleet in Crimea.

US defence secretary Chuck Hagel warned Russia must be transparent about the exercises and not do anything that could be misinterpreted or "lead to miscalculation during a delicate time".

Russia has been warned against any military intervention over Ukraine

Russia has also questioned the legitimacy of the new Ukrainian authorities, and has pledged to defend the rights of its "compatriots".

Moscow said it is prepared to work with the West on resolving the crisis in Ukraine, but that the interests of all Ukrainians must be taken into account.

US secretary of state John Kerry has stressed the Ukraine crisis should not be seen in a Cold War context.

"I want to underscore to everybody that this is not Rocky 4," he said.

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Syria Crisis 'Threat To Global Security'

By Zein Ja'Far, Sky News Reporter

The crisis in Syria is the biggest threat to regional and global security that the world has witnessed in decades, according to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees.

Antonio Guterres told Sky News he hoped a UN Security Council resolution on humanitarian aid to Syria, passed unanimously this week, would provide much needed relief to besieged areas in the country.

"For the moment, the situation is not good at all but my hope is in the fact the Security Council approved the resolution and the Syrian Government said it's ready to discuss its implementation with the United National Security Council …

"I hope the resolution will now create the conditions to organise a method allowing humanitarians to go into these areas and to be able to provide assistance to all the civilians who are trapped there."

A Palestinian woman and her child in the Yarmouk camp

Mr Guterres also told Sky News that the UN estimates three million Syrians have fled the country because of the crisis.

"We are still having 100,000 new refugees per month and we have more than two-and-a-half million registered refugees but we are convinced that more than three million people have already left the country fleeing the war," he said.

His comments come as the UN released a photo of thousands of Palestinian refugees in the Yarmouk camp in Damascus desperately queuing for food parcels.

More than 18,000 people are under siege in the refugee camp and face shortages in food, medicine and clean water. The Yarmouk camp, in the south of Damascus, has witnessed some of the worst fighting in the Syrian capital.

More than 18,000 people are under siege in the camp

The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees described conditions as "apocalyptic" and said the delivery of 6,500 food parcels and 10,000 polio vaccinations were "a drop in the ocean" compared to the needs of residents. 

As conditions within Syria continue to deteriorate, millions have fled into bordering countries seeking refuge. Mr Guterres acknowledged it was placing a huge strain on the economies of countries such as Lebanon and Jordan and is urging the international community to share the burden.

"Lebanon today has a number of refugees that, if compared proportionally, would mean 15 million refugees in France, 32 million in Russia or 71 million in the US. It's a miracle that Lebanon has been able to cope with this challenge. Massive support from the international community and massive solidarity is necessary for these countries to cope with this challenge."

The UNHCR wants Europe to take more refugees

Despite pledging £600m in humanitarian aid Britain was recently criticised by human rights organisations for not opening its borders to more Syrian refugees.  The Government agreed last month to allow in 500 of the most vulnerable Syrian but the UN's High Commissioner says EU states need to do more.

"We are making very strong appeals, first of all, for all borders to be open not only in the region but also in Europe.

"It really breaks my heart to see Syrians who are not able to enter the border of one member of the EU or Syrians who have to die in the Mediterranean drowning because they can't find a safe way to reach Europe. Borders need to be opened, more positive visa policies need to be established."

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