Written By Unknown on Senin, 22 Desember 2014 | 00.27
By Sky News US Team
President Barack Obama says he does not consider the Sony hack an act of war but an act of "cyber-vandalism".
The US is weighing up how to respond to the attack, which prompted Sony to withdraw the movie The Interview, which had been set for release during the holiday season.
The movie, starring Seth Rogen and James Franco, parodies North Korea and its leader Kim Jong-Un.
The Interview had been set for Christmas Day release before it was pulled
"I don't think it was an act of war. I think it was an act of cyber-vandalism that was very costly, very expensive," the US President said in a TV interview set for broadcast later on Sunday.
"We take it very seriously. We will respond proportionately."
Video:Sony Film 'Neuralgic' To Pyongyang
Speaking to CNN, Mr Obama also said his government was considering putting North Korea back on a US list of countries that sponsor terrorism.
North Korea spent two decades on the list until the Bush administration removed it in 2008 during nuclear negotiations. Some politicians in the US have called for the designation to be restored following the hack.
Only Iran, Sudan, Syria and Cuba remain on the list, which triggers sanctions that limit US aid, defence exports and certain financial transactions.
The US believes that Pyongyang was behind the hack attack, which also involved the embarrassing leak of scores of private emails of Hollywood stars and industry executives.
Video:The Interview: Official Trailer
North Korea insists it had nothing to do with the cyber-attack on Sony and has proposed a joint investigation with the US.
The White House has rejected the idea.
Republican Senator John McCain said the hack was "more than vandalism" and called it a "new form of warfare".
The group Human Rights Foundation has urged citizens to join their Hack Them Back campaign and "break the monopoly of information that the Kim regime imposes".
1/12
Gallery: 'The Interview' Film Pulled: Hollywood Takes to Twitter
Boko Haram militants have released a video apparently showing civilians being shot as they lie face down in a hall as the group's leader boasted the floor was "crimsoned" with blood.
Gunmen are seen struggling to move around the room, which appears to be in a school, because of the sheer number of corpses around them.
"We have made sure the floor of this hall is turned red with blood, and this is how it is going to be in all future attacks and arrests of infidels," the group's leader said in a message.
"From now, killing, slaughtering, destructions and bombing will be our religious duty anywhere we invade."
Most of the victims appear to be adult men, which the Nigerian group said had been killed because they were "infidels".
1/7
Gallery: Profile Of Boko Haram Leader
Abubakar Shekau is the leader of Boko Haram. He took control of the Islamist group after the death of founder Mohammed Yusuf in 2009.
Little is known about him, although he was born in Shekau village in the northeastern state of Yobe and is now thought to be in his early 40s.
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.
The children were found dead on Friday
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.
When Amanda Rabbow describes the hours she fought for her life in the Boxing Day tsunami in 2004, it is as if she is back in the wave again.
"I just got carried off in the water until I backed into a brick wall - and everything carried in the water piled up against me so I got crushed backwards against this wall - and it started stacking up and rising up above my head and started to push me under," she said.
"Then I remember taking my last breath before I went under - and I just remember thinking - I hope it's quick - because I couldn't breathe.'
Amanda was on holiday in the beach resort of Khao Lak in Southern Thailand with her boyfriend - they were in bed when the wave struck their beachside bungalow.
Miraculously, just as she thought she was going to die, she was pulled out of the water by a local Thai man, who she is convinced saved her life.
Video:10 Years On: Tsunami Memories
She was then washed into the water again and spent three hours battling struggling to survive.
"It took me in it like a washing machine, that's all I can describe it as, and I remember doing massive somersaults and then coming back up to the surface and taking a massive breath and then being taken under again - more somersaults, come up for air, more somersaults," she said.
Amanda was finally able to pull herself up into a tree. When the water receded she climbed down, surrounded by bodies - including the body of the man who saved her.
"I know that he didn't survive and I have a lot of questions in my head in life - if you do the right thing by someone - he should have survived because he saved my life without a doubt."
Video:'I Felt Like I Was Dead'
Amanda managed to find her boyfriend up on the hillside and they stayed in a temple with other survivors until rescue teams finally managed to clear the roads to Khao Lak.
She faced an horrific journey to Bangkok.
"People paid for us to get on this bus but I couldn't sit upright on a chair and so I had to be laid flat in the luggage hold of this bus - and I was sick for 14-and-a-half hours solidly, brown water and I don't know what was coming out of my body - I thought I was going to die."
At last she was back in London, but she faced months of healing both her physical and psychological scars.
Video:'I Saw Dead Bodies In The Water'
"I felt like I should have died, so I felt guilty, felt guilty for surviving and someone else not having the chance to survive," she said.
"I couldn't ever sleep - I didn't want to do anything and ... I was scared to do anything."
As the weeks passed, Amanda became determined to return to Thailand:
'I wanted to go back to Khao Lak and thank the people and to see if I could find the family of the man who I still think saved my life.'
Video:'I Lost 50 Members Of My Family'
She and a group of friends raised more than £50,000, and went back to Khao Lak to help the rebuilding effort:
"There was just a massive community of people that were there - there were survivors that were in back braces still, so injured, but they had stayed on to help.
"We could see where to use our money - there were Thai man mixing cement by hand, so we said - 'Here's some money, let's buy a cement mixer'."
Amanda remembers Boxing Day 2004 as the day her life changed forever.
Video:'It Turned Phi Phi Into A Canal'
'I know I had a life before 2004 - I was born in 1976, I know that - but I survived that day for one reason or another and I was meant to survive to have my children.
'So I think of life as of that day - that day my new life began - and I see life from 2004 - not before.'
You can see more about the Boxing Day Tsunami in a Sky News' documentary Tsunami: 10 Years After the Wave, on Sky News this evening at 9pm, and also on Catch up.
:: If you have been affected by any of the issues in Tsunami: 10 Years After The Wave, the following helplines can offer help and support:
1/14
Gallery: Archive CCTV Stills Of Tsunami
Aceh province in Indonesia was the hardest hit by the Boxing Day tsunami of 2004. CCTV stills from the capital Banda Aceh show how the tsunami destroyed everything in its path.
People still on the street see the debris that is being swept along in the water and begin to run.
Boxing legend Muhammad Ali has been taken to hospital suffering from pneumonia.
The three-time heavyweight champion, who has Parkinson's disease, was admitted to the unidentified hospital on Saturday morning and is expected to recover.
Pneumonia can be a dangerous complication of the debilitating neurological condition.
"Because the pneumonia was caught early, his prognosis is good with a short hospital stay expected," spokesman Bob Gunnell said in a statement.
Ali training for a fight against Brian London in 1966
He declined to give other details about the 72-year-old's condition and the family have requested privacy.
Ali retired from boxing in 1981 and has devoted his time to charitable and humanitarian work.
Video:1974: Ali's Surprise School Visit
He was diagnosed with Parkinson's three years after leaving boxing.
He was seen in public in September at a ceremony for the Muhammad Ali Humanitarian Awards in Louisville, Kentucky.
Ali dazzled the boxing world from 1960 to 1981 with his prowess in the ring and his wit outside it.
He converted to Islam in 1964, changing his name from Cassius Clay, before refusing to join the armed forces in 1967 on religious grounds.
He was convicted of draft dodging and banned from boxing for years, but in 1971 the US Supreme Court overturned the conviction.
A father and his two young sons have been found in the Australian Outback after spending days stuck in a bog.
A cattle farmer found Steven Van Lonkhuyzen, 37, and his sons Ethan, 7, and Timothy, 5, in Expedition National Park in central Queensland.
A police spokesperson said the trio, who were missing for 10 days, were "very hungry" but in "good spirits".
"We are all very thankful that we have a happy outcome," said Acting Superintendent Mick Bianchi.
The trio had left their home at Lota in Brisbane after midnight on 11 December, heading to Cairns, about 1,060 miles (1,700km) away.
Mr Van Lonkhuyzen contacted his wife from an Outback town later that day, but she heard nothing from them after that.
They were last seen at a petrol station, also on 11 December, in Miles, northwest of Brisbane.
They were meant to reach Cairns on December 15, but were reported missing when they did not reach their destination.
Police carried out extensive searches over several days and pleaded with the public to help.
They were found in Expedition National Park
Earlier Sunday, shortly before they were found, Acting Supt Bianchi said: "The search areas is several hundred thousand square kilometres in size and police can't do this alone."
The farmer had actually seen Mr Van Lonkhuyzen's vehicle enter the national park a few days earlier, but was not aware they were in trouble.
He only realised they were missing after seeing news reports, police said.
The farmer has since taken the family back to his house where they are recovering.
Mr Van Lonkhuyzen and his boys had become stranded after their four-wheel drive vehicle got stuck in a bog in the rugged and remote park, about 300km from where the petrol station they were seen at.
The national park is largely without mobile phone coverage.
Acting Supt Bianchi praised the public for helping look for the Van Lonkhuyzens.
"People from across rural Queensland have taken this story to heart and have helped police in many different ways in our search," he said.
"We've had farmers and graziers searching their properties, local store owners checking to see if they had passed by or dropped in, mining companies and mustering helicopters checking lands, as well as park rangers searching parks and camp sites.
"The response has been outstanding and I thank the community, and the media, for their efforts and support."
The group behind the devstating hacking attack on Sony has apparently posted a message mocking the FBI.
"The result of investigation by FBI is so excellent that you might have seen what we were doing with your own eyes," the message posted on the file-sharing website Pastebin by a group calling itself GOP (Guardians of Peace) said.
"We congratulate you success. FBI is the BEST in the world."
The US federal agency has named North Korea as the force behind the attack on Sony, which led the company to withdraw the comedy The Interview from its Christmas Day release.
The movie is about two hapless US journalists - Seth Rogen and James Franco - and a plot to assassinate the North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un.
Video:N Korea Demand Joint Investigation
The message then says: "You will find the gift for FBI at the following address" and links to a YouTube video called You Are An Idiot.
The video, which appears to have been originally uploaded in 2006, has been seen by more than half a million people.
The Sony hackers have released the contents of emails between actors, including Angelina Jolie, and industry heavyweights such as Sony co-chairwoman Amy Pascal and producer Scott Rudin.
1/8
Gallery: Eight Other Controversial Films
Sacha Baron Cohen upset a lot of people with his Borat film. Kazakhstan's government said it portrayed its people as racist. There were also accusations of anti-Semitism
South Park's creators sent up Kim Jong-Il in Team America: World Police. North Korea reportedly asked the Czech Republic to ban the film
We use cookies to give you the best experience. If you do nothing we'll assume that it's ok.
Video:Cops Shot Dead 'With No Warning'
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 mid-afternoon.
The pair were shot in the head in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighbourhood of Brooklyn. Officials said they had been "ambushed and murdered".
The suspect has been named as Ismaaiyl Brinsley, who had posted an apparent warning on Facebook just hours earlier.
In the message, he wrote about shooting two "pigs" in revenge for the death of Eric Garner, who died after a New York police officer used a chokehold during an arrest, sparking nation-wide protests.
Ismaaiyl Brinsley turned the gun on himself after the shooting
Police Commissioner William Bratton identified the two dead officers as Liu Wenjin, 32 and Raphael Ramos, 40.
He said they were shot and killed "with no warning, no provocation".
1/10
Gallery: Tributes As NYPD Officers Killed
A police officer lays flowers at a makeshift memorial at the scene were two officers were killed in Brooklyn
Victoms Liu Wenjin (L) and Raphael Ramos. Pics: NYPD
]]>
The two were shot to death while sitting in a patrol car
]]>
Fellow officers saluted the victims at the hospital where they were declared dead
]]>
The scene at Woodhull Hospital
]]>
"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 confirmed the contents of the messages but an image has emerged of an Instagram post attributed to Brinsley.
Part of the caption 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".
The shooting comes amid heightened tensions in New York and across the US over police tactics following the death of Mr Garner and the shooting dead of Michael Brown in Missouri.
Video:NYPD Union: 'Blood On Many Hands'
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.
Mayor Bill de Blasio has come under attack for not supporting the police, and on Saturday some officers turned their backs on him as he walked into the hospital where the two cops were declared dead.
The New York police union head declared there is "blood on the hands" of protesters and Mr de Blasio.
The shooting shocked the city .
One man who lives in the area, 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 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".
Recommended by Outbrain Recommended by Outbrain
Top Stories
Police Officer Shot And Killed In Florida
Sony Hack Was 'Act Of Cyber-Vandalism'
Sony Hackers Mock FBI: 'You Are An Idiot'
Dad And Sons Stuck In Outback Bog For Days
Confirmed: Christmas Day Weather Forecast
Two New York Cops 'Assassinated' In Ambush
We use cookies to give you the best experience. If you do nothing we'll assume that it's ok.
Video:Cops Shot Dead 'With No Warning'
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 mid-afternoon.
The pair were shot in the head in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighbourhood of Brooklyn. Officials said they had been "ambushed and murdered".
The suspect has been named as Ismaaiyl Brinsley, who had posted an apparent warning on Facebook just hours earlier.
In the message, he wrote about shooting two "pigs" in revenge for the death of Eric Garner, who died after a New York police officer used a chokehold during an arrest, sparking nation-wide protests.
Ismaaiyl Brinsley turned the gun on himself after the shooting
Police Commissioner William Bratton identified the two dead officers as Liu Wenjin, 32 and Raphael Ramos, 40.
He said they were shot and killed "with no warning, no provocation".
1/10
Gallery: Tributes As NYPD Officers Killed
A police officer lays flowers at a makeshift memorial at the scene were two officers were killed in Brooklyn
Victoms Liu Wenjin (L) and Raphael Ramos. Pics: NYPD
]]>
The two were shot to death while sitting in a patrol car
]]>
Fellow officers saluted the victims at the hospital where they were declared dead
]]>
The scene at Woodhull Hospital
]]>
"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 confirmed the contents of the messages but an image has emerged of an Instagram post attributed to Brinsley.
Part of the caption 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".
The shooting comes amid heightened tensions in New York and across the US over police tactics following the death of Mr Garner and the shooting dead of Michael Brown in Missouri.
Video:NYPD Union: 'Blood On Many Hands'
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.
Mayor Bill de Blasio has come under attack for not supporting the police, and on Saturday some officers turned their backs on him as he walked into the hospital where the two cops were declared dead.
The New York police union head declared there is "blood on the hands" of protesters and Mr de Blasio.
The shooting shocked the city .
One man who lives in the area, 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 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".
A police officer has been shot to death in Florida, authorities say, hours after two cops were killed in Brooklyn.
The shooting occurred at around 3am (8am UK time) in Tarpon Springs, about 30 miles (48km) from Tampa.
Tarpon Springs is about 30 miles (48km) from Tampa
A suspect has been taken into custody, The Pinellas County Sheriff's Office said in a statement.
The suspect fled the scene in a vehicle and crashed into a pole and another vehicle. He was then apprehended by police.
People have started leaving flowers to the Tarpon Springs Police Department in memory of the victim, the local WTSP TV said.
The circumstances of the incident were not clear, and a news conference was scheduled later on Sunday.
But the shooting comes at a time of heightened tensions between officers and communities across America over police tactics.
On Saturday, two officers were shot while sitting in their patrol car in Brooklyn by a suspect who then took his own life. New York officials have described the killing as an assassination, and President Barack Obama has condemned it.
There is no known connection between the two cases.
Written By Unknown on Senin, 15 Desember 2014 | 00.27
The US Senate has passed a $1.1tr spending bill - and prevented a repeat of last year's government shutdown.
The 56-40 vote on Saturday came as Congress ended a two-year legislative session that has been marred by bitter partisanship and few successes.
Now the measure will be sent to US President Barack Obama, who is expected to sign it into law before Wednesday.
This will mean that most government agencies will be funded until September 2015, except for the Department of Homeland Security, which will have its funding reviewed at the end of February.
By this time the Republicans will control the House of Representatives and the Senate and will be able to deny the organisation funding to enforce Mr Obama's recent order easing deportations for undocumented immigrants.
Video:Obama Says Washington Must Change
Getting the 1,603-page bill through was a bitter struggle, with a revolt by House Democrats that nearly scuttled the bill earlier this week, and delaying tactics in the Senate.
Of the 40 no votes, 22 were Democrats, many of them furious that negotiators inserted policies into the package, including one pulling back on key financial regulations for Wall Street banks.
Another part of the bill gets rid of campaign finance law by dramatically increasing the amount of money wealthy donors can give to political campaigns.
1/6
Gallery: US Landmarks Re-Open After Shutdown
A National Park worker removes a closed sign at Washington's Martin Luther King Jr Memorial after it was re-opened to the public following a partial shutdown of government services.
A woman jogs past the Lincoln Memorial on the morning after a bipartisan bill passed by the House and the Senate allowed the government to reopen and the debt limit to be raised.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has been re-elected with a two-thirds majority in a snap ballot, exit polls suggest.
The vote had been portrayed by Mr Abe as a referendum on his plans to revive the world's third-biggest economy.
The Japanese leader may use his victory to push ahead with tough economic reforms, but with turnout on course for a record low this could weaken his claim of a mandate.
Exit polls shortly after voting finished showed Mr Abe's ruling Liberal Democratic Party and its junior coalition partner had secured between 328 and 333 of the 475 seats in the lower house.
The result is enough to maintain its "super-majority", and smooth the way for its policies through parliament.
Speaking on the eve of the election, Mr Abe said: "I have been pushing for Abenomics, the policies designed to create jobs and raise salaries.
"Japan can be much richer."
But many voters, doubtful over Mr Abe's plans to generate growth and the opposition's ability to come up with an alternative, stayed at home.
Hopes for the PM's strategy suffered a setback after the economy slipped into recession following a sales tax rise in April.
In response, Mr Abe delayed a second tax hike to 10% until 2017, raising concerns about how Japan will curb its huge public debt.
Doubts also remain over Mr Abe's ability to tackle more politically-sensitive areas of reform, including deregulation of the labour market, and the highly protected farm sector.
Experts say Mr Abe may also use his fresh four-year term to focus on changing Japan's pacifist constitution to ease limits on the military.
This is likely to cause concern in China and South Korea, where bitter memories of Japan's past militarism remain raw.
Two US soldiers were killed by Taliban forces in Afghanistan on Friday, an American military official has said.
They died during a bomb attack on a NATO convoy near America's Bagram Airfield base in the east of the country.
Meanwhile, at least six Afghan troops were killed after a suicide bomber destroyed a bus in the capital Kabul on Saturday.
A senior court official was also assassinated and 12 Afghan workers were gunned down in the south.
Taliban fighters claimed responsibility for all the attacks and vowed more bloodshed ahead of the official end of NATO's combat mission on December 31.
The scene of the bus bombing in Kabul
It has wrecked claims the insurgency is weakening and highlighted fears Afghanistan could descend into a spiral of violence as the US-led military presence declines.
NATO's force will change at the end of the month from a combat mission to a support role, with troop numbers cut to about 12,500 - down from a peak of 130,000 in 2010.
Earlier on Saturday, Taliban gunmen shot dead a senior Supreme Court official as he left his home in the capital.
Taliban fighters also killed 12 workers clearing mines in southern Helmand province.
Soldiers at the site of the suicide bomb attack
Afghan troops fought with the attackers, killing two insurgents and capturing four others.
In his weekly presidential address, Barack Obama thanked American forces for their work in Afghanistan.
"Since our nation was attacked on 9/11, these men and women, like so many others in uniform, have met every mission we've asked of them," he said.
"In more than a decade of war, this 9/11 Generation has worked with the Afghan people to help them reclaim their communities and prevent terrorist attacks against our own country."
We use cookies to give you the best experience. If you do nothing we'll assume that it's ok.
Video:Anti-Police March In Washington
By Sky News US Team
Tens of thousands of demonstrators have taken to the streets of cities across the US to protest at the killings of unarmed black men by police and call on politicians to act.
Organisers expected the rallies to be among the largest seen over the lethal actions of officers in New York, Cleveland and Ferguson, Missouri.
Protesters in Washington carried placards reading "Black Lives Matter" and "Who do you protect? Who do you serve".
Marchers shouted "No justice, no peace, no racist police" and "Hands up, don't shoot".
Among those who took part in the march on the Capitol Building were the families of Eric Garner, killed by an officer using a chokehold position in New York, Michael Brown, who was fatally shot in Ferguson, Trayvon Martin, who was shot by a neighbourhood watch volunteer in Florida, and Tamir Rice, who was fatally shot in Cleveland, Ohio.
1/22
Gallery: Protests Over US Police Killings
Thousands of people have marched in several US cities including Washington and New York to demand justice for black men who have died at the hands of white police
It is part of a growing protest movement sparked by the fatal August shooting of unarmed teenager Michael Brown by a white policeman
]]>
Protests continued after 43-year-old Eric Garner died in New York when he was put in a chokehold by a police officer
]]>
Several thousand people have massed on the streets, shouting "No justice, no peace!" - a signature chant of the nationwide demonstrations
]]>
The families of Michael Brown and Eric Garner were among the protests
]]>
Esaw Garner, the widow of the 43-year-old, who died in July after officers arrested him in Staten Island on suspicion of selling loose, untaxed cigarettes, told marchers: "Let's keep it strong, long and meaningful."
"Wow, what a sea of people," said Mr Brown's mother, Lesley McSpadden.
"If they don't see this and make a change, I don't know what we're going to do."
The lack of criminal charges brought by grand juries in the New York and Ferguson cases has fuelled protests across the US.
Civil rights leader the Rev Al Sharpton, whose National Action Alliance headed the Washington protest, said in a statement: "We need more than just talk - we need legislative action that will shift things both on the books and in the streets."
Video:Dec 4: Chokehold Decision
He called for legislation that would allow federal prosecutors to take over cases involving police.
Local prosecutors who work with police regularly and then must investigate officers faced a conflict of interest, he argued.
Protesters in Washington were expected to arrive by bus from as far away as Florida, Connecticut and Pittsburgh.
Organisers estimated the crowd at 40,000 to 50,000.
The rally blocked Pennsylvania Avenue between the White House and the US Capitol.
Video:Riots And Racial Tension: A History
The march in New York, a city which has seen a series of protests after a grand jury failed to indict the officer who killed Mr Garner, was estimated by observers to have drawn a crowd of more than 10,000.
The crowd headed north up Manhattan's Fifth Avenue from Washington Square Park and was due to end at the city's police headquarters.
Some chanted "How do you spell racist? NYPD" and some taunted police guarding the route.
New York march co-organiser Umaara Elliott said in a statement: "It's open season on black people now.
"So we demand that action be taken at every level of government to ensure that these racist killings by the police cease."
1/8
Gallery: Unarmed Michael Brown Was Shot By A White Officer
Michael Brown, 18, was shot dead on 9 August by officer Darren Wilson. Family described Mr Brown, known as Big Mike, as a gentle giant. He was unarmed
CCTV footage appeared to show Mr Brown conducting a strong-arm robbery at a convenience store minutes before his encounter with Officer Wilson
]]>
Hundreds of protesters also gathered in Boston, Massachusetts.
The state police said "several demonstrators who failed to comply with the law despite orders to do so have been taken into custody".
Recommended by Outbrain Recommended by Outbrain
Top Stories
Top MP's Demand Over CIA Torture Report
Glitch Causes Items To Be Sold On Amazon For 1p
UN Climate Talks Reach 'Watered-Down' Deal
Russia Denies Near-Miss With Passenger Jet
UKIP Candidate Sorry For Offensive Remarks
Thousands March Against US Police Killings
We use cookies to give you the best experience. If you do nothing we'll assume that it's ok.
Video:Anti-Police March In Washington
By Sky News US Team
Tens of thousands of demonstrators have taken to the streets of cities across the US to protest at the killings of unarmed black men by police and call on politicians to act.
Organisers expected the rallies to be among the largest seen over the lethal actions of officers in New York, Cleveland and Ferguson, Missouri.
Protesters in Washington carried placards reading "Black Lives Matter" and "Who do you protect? Who do you serve".
Marchers shouted "No justice, no peace, no racist police" and "Hands up, don't shoot".
Among those who took part in the march on the Capitol Building were the families of Eric Garner, killed by an officer using a chokehold position in New York, Michael Brown, who was fatally shot in Ferguson, Trayvon Martin, who was shot by a neighbourhood watch volunteer in Florida, and Tamir Rice, who was fatally shot in Cleveland, Ohio.
1/22
Gallery: Protests Over US Police Killings
Thousands of people have marched in several US cities including Washington and New York to demand justice for black men who have died at the hands of white police
It is part of a growing protest movement sparked by the fatal August shooting of unarmed teenager Michael Brown by a white policeman
]]>
Protests continued after 43-year-old Eric Garner died in New York when he was put in a chokehold by a police officer
]]>
Several thousand people have massed on the streets, shouting "No justice, no peace!" - a signature chant of the nationwide demonstrations
]]>
The families of Michael Brown and Eric Garner were among the protests
]]>
Esaw Garner, the widow of the 43-year-old, who died in July after officers arrested him in Staten Island on suspicion of selling loose, untaxed cigarettes, told marchers: "Let's keep it strong, long and meaningful."
"Wow, what a sea of people," said Mr Brown's mother, Lesley McSpadden.
"If they don't see this and make a change, I don't know what we're going to do."
The lack of criminal charges brought by grand juries in the New York and Ferguson cases has fuelled protests across the US.
Civil rights leader the Rev Al Sharpton, whose National Action Alliance headed the Washington protest, said in a statement: "We need more than just talk - we need legislative action that will shift things both on the books and in the streets."
Video:Dec 4: Chokehold Decision
He called for legislation that would allow federal prosecutors to take over cases involving police.
Local prosecutors who work with police regularly and then must investigate officers faced a conflict of interest, he argued.
Protesters in Washington were expected to arrive by bus from as far away as Florida, Connecticut and Pittsburgh.
Organisers estimated the crowd at 40,000 to 50,000.
The rally blocked Pennsylvania Avenue between the White House and the US Capitol.
Video:Riots And Racial Tension: A History
The march in New York, a city which has seen a series of protests after a grand jury failed to indict the officer who killed Mr Garner, was estimated by observers to have drawn a crowd of more than 10,000.
The crowd headed north up Manhattan's Fifth Avenue from Washington Square Park and was due to end at the city's police headquarters.
Some chanted "How do you spell racist? NYPD" and some taunted police guarding the route.
New York march co-organiser Umaara Elliott said in a statement: "It's open season on black people now.
"So we demand that action be taken at every level of government to ensure that these racist killings by the police cease."
1/8
Gallery: Unarmed Michael Brown Was Shot By A White Officer
Michael Brown, 18, was shot dead on 9 August by officer Darren Wilson. Family described Mr Brown, known as Big Mike, as a gentle giant. He was unarmed
CCTV footage appeared to show Mr Brown conducting a strong-arm robbery at a convenience store minutes before his encounter with Officer Wilson
]]>
Hundreds of protesters also gathered in Boston, Massachusetts.
The state police said "several demonstrators who failed to comply with the law despite orders to do so have been taken into custody".
We use cookies to give you the best experience. If you do nothing we'll assume that it's ok.
Sam Mendes and Daniel Craig were due to start filming Spectre this week
A script to the next James Bond film was among the items stolen by hackers who carried out a cyber-attack on Sony Pictures.
Producers of the films about the British secret agent said they found out on Saturday that an early version of the Spectre screenplay was among material made public.
Some websites which have got hold of the leaked script have already detailed the plot online, giving the producers a dilemma over whether to tear it up and start again.
The 24th Bond movie was only officially launched last week when Daniel Craig was announced to be returning alongside a cast of new faces.
All those involved were sworn to secrecy and strenuous efforts were made to keep the plot under wraps.
Video:New Bond Film
It has already emerged as a result of the hack that the film will cost $300m (£180m), making it the most expensive Bond film ever.
The script was described as having copious notes written alongside it, suggesting it was still being heavily reworked, according to Gawker.
The cyber-attack on the Sony's computer network on 25 November - which may have originated from North Korea - has meant thousands of embarrassing documents and five films have emerged online.
1/19
Gallery: New 007 Film Cast Unveiled
Details of the latest Bond film were unveiled at an event at Pinewood Studios
Director Sam Mendes and producer Barbara Broccoli announced the name, cast and film locations
]]>
The 24th Bond film will be called Spectre
]]>
Daniel Craig will play Bond for the fourth time
]]>
Craig joined Sam Mendes at the launch event
]]>
Among other embarrassing revelations has been that Oscar-winner Jennifer Lawrence was paid considerably less than her male American Hustle co-stars.
Angelina Jolie, meanwhile, was called a "minimally talented spoiled brat" because of her demands during a remake of Cleopatra.
One of the most embarrassing leaks was a series of emails between Sony Pictures co-chair Amy Pascal and top producer Scott Rudin in which they list films Barack Obama must like because they star African Americans.
Video:Daniel Craig - Back As Bond
A White House spokesman said on Friday he felt a subsequent apology by Ms Pascal was "appropriate".
The Bond leak has the potential to hit the studio hard as the franchise is one of the most lucrative for Sony Pictures with the last instalment Skyfall bringing in $1.1bn (£700m) worldwide - more than any other film in the series.
A Sony spokesman said news reports that the cyber-attack forced the studio to stop production on films, including Spectre, were wrong.
Video:Bond Role 'Like No Other' - Harris
Robert Lawson told Reuters: "Productions are still moving forward."
A statement by EON productions, the company making the Bond film, said: "The screenplay for SPECTRE is the confidential... and is protected by the laws of copyright in the United Kingdom and around the world.
"It may not (in whole or in part) be published, reproduced, disseminated or otherwise utilised by anyone who obtains a copy of it. Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios and Danjaq LLC will take all necessary steps to protect their rights."
Video:Mendes: Bond 'unfinished business'
North Korea has denied involvement in the cyber-attack in retaliation for an upcoming film, but hailed it a "righteous deed.
The Interview, a comedy starring Seth Rogen and James Franco, depicts an assassination attempt on North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.
Recommended by Outbrain Recommended by Outbrain
Top Stories
Top MP's Demand Over CIA Torture Report
Glitch Causes Items To Be Sold On Amazon For 1p
UN Climate Talks Reach 'Watered-Down' Deal
Russia Denies Near-Miss With Passenger Jet
UKIP Candidate Sorry For Offensive Remarks
New Bond Film Script Leaked After Sony Hacking
We use cookies to give you the best experience. If you do nothing we'll assume that it's ok.
Sam Mendes and Daniel Craig were due to start filming Spectre this week
A script to the next James Bond film was among the items stolen by hackers who carried out a cyber-attack on Sony Pictures.
Producers of the films about the British secret agent said they found out on Saturday that an early version of the Spectre screenplay was among material made public.
Some websites which have got hold of the leaked script have already detailed the plot online, giving the producers a dilemma over whether to tear it up and start again.
The 24th Bond movie was only officially launched last week when Daniel Craig was announced to be returning alongside a cast of new faces.
All those involved were sworn to secrecy and strenuous efforts were made to keep the plot under wraps.
Video:New Bond Film
It has already emerged as a result of the hack that the film will cost $300m (£180m), making it the most expensive Bond film ever.
The script was described as having copious notes written alongside it, suggesting it was still being heavily reworked, according to Gawker.
The cyber-attack on the Sony's computer network on 25 November - which may have originated from North Korea - has meant thousands of embarrassing documents and five films have emerged online.
1/19
Gallery: New 007 Film Cast Unveiled
Details of the latest Bond film were unveiled at an event at Pinewood Studios
Director Sam Mendes and producer Barbara Broccoli announced the name, cast and film locations
]]>
The 24th Bond film will be called Spectre
]]>
Daniel Craig will play Bond for the fourth time
]]>
Craig joined Sam Mendes at the launch event
]]>
Among other embarrassing revelations has been that Oscar-winner Jennifer Lawrence was paid considerably less than her male American Hustle co-stars.
Angelina Jolie, meanwhile, was called a "minimally talented spoiled brat" because of her demands during a remake of Cleopatra.
One of the most embarrassing leaks was a series of emails between Sony Pictures co-chair Amy Pascal and top producer Scott Rudin in which they list films Barack Obama must like because they star African Americans.
Video:Daniel Craig - Back As Bond
A White House spokesman said on Friday he felt a subsequent apology by Ms Pascal was "appropriate".
The Bond leak has the potential to hit the studio hard as the franchise is one of the most lucrative for Sony Pictures with the last instalment Skyfall bringing in $1.1bn (£700m) worldwide - more than any other film in the series.
A Sony spokesman said news reports that the cyber-attack forced the studio to stop production on films, including Spectre, were wrong.
Video:Bond Role 'Like No Other' - Harris
Robert Lawson told Reuters: "Productions are still moving forward."
A statement by EON productions, the company making the Bond film, said: "The screenplay for SPECTRE is the confidential... and is protected by the laws of copyright in the United Kingdom and around the world.
"It may not (in whole or in part) be published, reproduced, disseminated or otherwise utilised by anyone who obtains a copy of it. Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios and Danjaq LLC will take all necessary steps to protect their rights."
Video:Mendes: Bond 'unfinished business'
North Korea has denied involvement in the cyber-attack in retaliation for an upcoming film, but hailed it a "righteous deed.
The Interview, a comedy starring Seth Rogen and James Franco, depicts an assassination attempt on North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.
The head of the UK's Intelligence and Security Committee (ISC) is demanding to see material documenting any British links to the CIA's use of torture.
Sir Malcolm Rifkind, chair of the Commons committee, is seeking any intelligence relating to the UK that was redacted from the explosive Senate report into the CIA.
It concluded that the CIA lied over its torture and interrogation programme developed in the wake of the 9/11 attacks.
Sir Malcolm told Sky's Murnaghan programme: "This is a major United States' report and so we are requesting, both our colleagues on the Senate Intelligence Committee ... but also it will ultimately be the United States government, that will decide whether some of the material that has been redacted in the American report can be shown to us.
Jack Straw has been questioned by police over renditions, say reports
"We don't need to see everything that's been redacted, what we need to see are the bits that might refer to the UK government."
Asked whether that information would be made public, he said the ISC would only agree for it to be withheld "if the Prime Minister was able to convince us that there were legitimate national security reasons why it shouldn't be published".
Video:Former CIA Officer Michael Scheuer
He said there had been "justified" criticism of the ISC in the past, but it had new powers to order intelligence agencies to hand over requested files and for its staff to go to MI5, MI6 and GCHQ to "personally inspect files to make sure nothing's been left out".
He said once the ISC had looked through the written material, "we will come to a judgement as to which people, first of all who in the intelligence agencies we wish to take evidence from, secondly either current ministers or former ministers who have intelligence on these matters".
Sir Malcolm said he does not think a judge-led inquiry into any British involvement in the CIA's rendition and torture programme is necessary.
Video:UK Bid To Access CIA Torture Report
He agreed the ISC does not have the power to compel ministers to give evidence, "but, of course, it would be huge scandal if they did refuse to".
The British Government has admitted requesting the deletion of references to Britain's intelligence agencies for national security reasons.
UK Government representatives had 24 meetings with members of the US committee responsible for the findings.
Video:MI5 And MI6 Involvement Questioned
Some of the deletions are believed to relate to the British Overseas Territory of Diego Garcia.
There is escalating pressure on the British government not to extend an agreement allowing the US to use the territory in the Indian Ocean as a military base.
Andrew Tyrie, chair of the all-party parliamentary group on rendition, said any negotiations should address allegations that it was used by the CIA to render terror suspects around the world.
Video:UK Involvement in CIA Torture
"The negotiations on the lease can focus minds on establishing the scope and limits of Britain's involvement, direct or indirect, in extraordinary rendition," Mr Tyrie said.
"We are talking about kidnap and taking people to places where they may be maltreated or tortured."
The former Home Office minister, Lib Dem MP Norman Baker, who has taken a close interest in the atoll, said: "As it comes up for renewal, we need a full explanation of what happened in our name on that island."
Video:UK Wanted CIA Report Changes
It comes amid reports former foreign secretary Jack Straw was questioned by police investigating the abductions of two Libyans who say they were handed to Colonel Gaddafi and tortured by his regime.
Mr Straw was interviewed as a "witness" by Scotland Yard following claims the Government was complicit in the rendition of the two men and their families, the Sunday Times said.
Moscow has denied one of its military planes nearly collided with a passenger plane over Sweden.
Swedish defence forces said the incident happened on Friday when a Russian aircraft turned off its transponders to avoid commercial radar south of the Swedish city of Malmo.
It nearly hit an airliner that had just taken off from Copenhagen International Airport in Denmark, they said.
Both Swedish and Danish fighters were scrambled amid growing concerns about Russian planes skirting or violating the national air space of neighbouring countries.
Russia did not deny its plane was in the area at the time, but said it was a safe distance of more than 70km (43 miles) from the passenger jet.
Video:Pilot's Shock At Close Call
"There were no conditions for an aviation incident connected to the flight on Friday December 12 of a Russian military plane in the international airspace over the Baltic Sea," said Moscow defence ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov.
"The distance from the flight path of the passenger jet that took off from Copenhagen was more than 70km."
He confirmed the Russian plane was flying without a transponder that would have made it visible on the radar of a commercial plane.
1/6
Gallery: Russian Military Planes Alarm NATO
Russian Tupolev Tu-95 (Bear) bomber refuelling from an Ilyushin Il-78 during an exercise
A remote village in Indonesia has been destroyed in a landslide which has left at least 32 people dead and scores more missing.
Rescuers searched through mud with their bare hands to try and find the lost villagers until light faded.
Around 105 houses in Jemblung village were swept away late on Friday when a flood of orange colour mud and water cascaded down a wooded mountainside, according to Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, a spokesman for the National Disaster Mitigation Agency.
Villagers dig a motorcycle out of the mud
Hundreds of people have been evacuated from around the village in the Banjarnegara regency of central Java, about 280 miles (450 km) from the capital, Jakarta.
Large swathes of forest land, power lines and houses were buried in the disaster which struck on Friday night.
"There was a roaring sound like thunder," Imam, who lives in a neighbouring village, told television crews.
"Then I saw trees were flying and then the landslides. People here also panicked and fled."
Wahono, a resident who survived along with his four family members, said: "It was like a nightmare ... We suddenly heard a terrible roar and we were immediately fleeing from the rain of red soil.
"Many failed and they were buried in the ground," added Wahono, who uses one name like many Indonesians.
A second resident said there had been no warnings of the likelihood of a landslide.
Rescuers work to remove bodies from the scene of the landslide
Mr Nugroho said 32 people had been killed, 15 rescued, more than 76 were missing and 577 people from the surrounding areas had been taken to temporary shelters.
Eleven of the 15 rescued were receiving hospital treatment for serious injuries, he said.
"Jemblung village was the most affected," Mr Nugroho said.
"The challenge is that the evacuation route is also damaged by the landslide."
A government agency official added the rescue effort had been suspended as light faded and would resume on Sunday.
A trapped cow is rescued from the mud.
Local reports said five of the dead were found in one car.
Rescuers were pictured using bamboo stretchers to carry bodies away.
A rescue team of about 1,250 people, which included police, military and local volunteers, used their bare hands and makeshift tools to search for people and clear the area.
Tractors and bulldozers were later brought in to help.
A lack of a telephone signal and heavy-lifting equipment has hampered the rescue effort along with crowds of onlookers, Mr Nugroho added.
Jemblung had a history of similar disasters, he added.
Mudslides are common in Indonesia during the monsoon season, which usually runs from October until April.
Negotiators at United Nations talks in Peru have reached a compromise deal which sets the stage for a global climate pact to be made next year in Paris.
After late-night wrangling, delegates from more than 190 nations meeting in Lima adopted a format for national pledges to cut greenhouse gases and approved a blueprint to guide negotiations for the Paris pact in December 2015.
"As a text it's not perfect, but it includes the positions of the parties," said Peru's environment minister, Manuel Pulgar-Vidal, who was the conference chairman.
The hard-fought agreement - dubbed the Lima Call for Climate Action - was reached hours after a previous draft was rejected by developing countries who accused rich nations of shirking their responsibilities to fight global warming.
The two-week talks overran by 32 hours after the delegates failed to reach a consensus by the end of the session.
While hailing the Lima agreement as one that "unites all nations", UK Energy Secretary Ed Davey warned there was a lot of work to be done before the Paris summit.
Delegates work towards a deal in Lima
Mr Davey said: "The talks were tough but the Lima Call for Climate Action shows a will and commitment to respond to the public demand to tackle climate change.
"The next 12 months will be critical and the UK's leadership will be needed more than ever in the difficult negotiations ahead - but we have to succeed because the threat to our children's future is so serious."
Video:Climate Change Deal Reached
Shadow energy secretary Caroline Flint told Sky's Murnaghan programme: "What is really positive is that for the first time we have got the developed countries and the developing countries on the same page and they have all agreed that they all need to reduce their carbon emissions."
The European Union welcomed the outcome of talks as a "as a step forward on the road to a global climate deal in Paris next year."
But environmental campaigners said it was a step backwards in protecting poor countries from catastrophe.
Friends of the Earth's international climate campaigner Asad Rehman said: "The only thing these talks have achieved is to reduce the chances of a fair and effective agreement to tackle climate change in Paris next year.
Video:Caroline Flint On Climate Deal
"Once again poorer nations have been bullied by the industrialised world into accepting an outcome which leaves many of their citizens facing the grim prospect of catastrophic climate change."
Samantha Smith of the WWF conservation group said of the successive drafts: "We went from weak to weaker to weakest."
And Alden Meyer of the US-based monitoring group Union of Concerned Scientists said the deal was "definitely watered down from what we expected".
Due to take effect in 2020, the Paris pact aims to limit global warming to 2C (3.6F) over pre-industrial levels. At its heart is a roster where all nations enter voluntary commitments to reduce their carbon emissions.
Video:People's Climate Change March
But the Lima deal came after a rebellion by developing nations like India and China, who warned tougher measures would put an unfair burden on them.
The final draft apparently alleviated those concerns, with language saying countries have "common but differentiated responsibilities" to deal with global warming.
"We've got what we wanted," said Indian environment minister Prakash Javedekar, who said the text preserved the notion enshrined in a 1992 climate convention that the rich have to lead the way in making cuts in greenhouse gas emissions.
Historically Western nations have been the biggest greenhouse gas emitters but now developing nations are pulling ahead, as they grow their economies and lift millions out of poverty, meaning China is now the biggest greenhouse gas emitter ahead of the US, the EU and India.
Video:2009: Climate Change In Himalayas
The main goal for the session in Lima was to agree on what information should go into the pledges that countries submit for the summit in Paris.
But the deal weakened language on the content of the pledges, saying they "may" instead of "shall".
And after opposition led by China it was agreed that there will not be a full-blown review comparing each nation's pledge.
And it restored language demanded by small island states at risk of being flooded by rising seas, mentioning a "loss and damage" mechanism agreed upon in last year's talks in Poland.
