Greece: Far-Right March On Athens

By Anthee Carassava in Athens

It was supposed to be a remembrance rally, but as thousands packed Athens to honour three fallen heroes, the black-clad crowd of men in military fatigues and baseball caps crested with mangled swastikas, offered the grimmest reminder yet of Greece's tireless march to the far right.

Organised by Golden Dawn, which emerged from political obscurity here to win 7% of the national vote last June, last night's event showcased the group's biggest public gathering to date.

Toting blue-and-white Greek flags, orange-red flares and wooden torches, some 30,000 supporters, according to organisers, gathered in central Athens, shouting slogans indicative of the party's virulent and truculent beliefs.

"We are winning the hearts and minds of the people, because we say it as it is," roared Ilias Kassidiaris, the party's spokesman.

"These politicians who have ruled us for decades are crooks. They have betrayed our national interests. They have led us to humiliating defeats," he said, referring to a near-war showdown with Nato ally Turkey in 1996.

Three Greek Airforce pilots were killed in that crisis and the dispute over contesting claims to a barren outcrop in Aegean Sea forced then US trouble-shooter Richard Holbrooke to intervene.

He ordered both Nato allies not only to climb down from their conflicting claims but to refrain from further ownership disputes of islands in the oil-rich Aegean.

For hardcore nationalists like Golden Dawn sympathisers, the retreat marked an embarrassing sell-out of national sovereignty - a theme gaining fresh appeal among the country's young and unemployed youth as foreign creditors demand greater control over the Greece's failing finances.

"They calls us fascists, thugs and criminals," says Vassilis, a 23-year-old recruit, who joined the party because of his disenchantment with the country's feckless political elite.

Golden Dawn party leader Nikos Michalioliakos addresses the rally

"We're nationalists. We're patriots. And if these guys who ruled the country for decades had a fibre the nationalism we're running on, they would have never brought the country to its current predicament."

With extremism - left and right - polarising Greek society, hundreds of riot police and undercover officers were on alert on Saturday in a bid to thwart potential attacks, springing from the gathering, held within yards of the prime minister's office and the Turkish embassy in Athens. Surrounding roads, also, were cordoned off by police, bringing traffic to a halt and angering locals.

"For a nation that suffered dearly under the Nazis, neo-Nazi gatherings, like these, should be banned," said Sofia Laniti, a 47-year-old saleswoman.

Leftist radicals argue the so-called Imia Day protest is a veiled tribute to the party's true ideological mentor: Adolf Hitler.

The Nazi leader was appointed to the head of the German Chancellery on January 30, 1933, marking the start of a 12-year reign of terror across Europe.

Eighty years later, far-right parties feeding on popular resentment to growing fiscal austerity policies, are attracting growing applause in many corners of Europe. Sliding economies and rising unemployment, have voters largely giving the boot to mainstream parties they hold most responsible.

In Greece, attempts by the government to exclude Golden Dawn and its vehement nationalism that singles out immigrants as a threat, have backfired.

If anything, polls show, the far-right group has gained even greater political ground, since its startling entry to Parliament, becoming Greece's third largest party with over 10% national support.

Mr Kassidiaris said: "This is a day of remembrance. It's a day to remember that Golden Dawn is here to stay. And so long as it does, there will be hope for the country."

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Ahmadinejad Unveils Iranian Stealth Fighter Jet

Iran has unveiled a fighter jet military officials claim can evade radar and has been made by Iranian developers.

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said in a ceremony broadcast on state television that building the Qaher F-313, or Dominant F-313, shows Iran's will to "conquer scientific peaks".

Tehran has repeatedly claimed to have developed advanced military technologies in recent years, but its claims cannot be independently verified because the country does not release the technical details.

The state started producing its own military equipment in the 1980s to compensate for a Western weapons embargo that banned export of military technology and kit to Iran.

Mahmoud Amadinejad inspects the new jet

The Defence Minister, Ahmad Vahidi, said: "Qaher is a fully indigenous aircraft designed and built by our aerospace experts.

"This is a radar-evading plane that can fly at low altitude, carry weapons, engage enemy aircrafts and land at short airstrips."

He said it was Iran's best stealth plane.

However, some reports suggest Iran's programme relies on equipment supplied by major international defence contractors and that it incorporates parts made abroad or uses outside engineered technologies in its domestic designs.

Pictures of the Qaher released by the official IRNA news agency and pictures on state TV showed a single-seat jet. They described it as a fighter-bomber that can combat other aircraft and ground targets.

The single-seater jet can combat other aircraft and ground targets

Iran's English-language state Press TV said Qaher was similar to the American-made F/A-18, an advanced fighter capable of dogfighting as well as penetrating enemy air defences to strike ground targets.

Hasan Parvaneh, an official in charge of the project, said the physical design of the Iranian plane was unique and bore no resemblance to any foreign fighter jet.

"Development depends on our will. If we don't have a will, no one can take us there," President Ahmadinejad said.

"Once we imported cars and assembled them here. Now, we are at a point where we can design, build and get planes in the air."

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Boston Bus Crash: Dozens Of Passengers Hurt

More than 30 passengers, many of them students, have been hurt after their bus struck a bridge in Boston.

The bus, which was carrying 42 high school pupils and teachers from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, crashed into Western Avenue Bridge on Soldier's Field Road.

The students, who were members of the Destined for a Dream Foundation, a group which provides educational programmes for under-privileged children, had been returning home from a visit to Harvard University.

The bus was severely damaged in the crash. Pic: Boston Fire Dept/Twitter

Several passengers were trapped inside the vehicle and had to be lifted through the roof by firefighters.

Of the 32 people hurt in the crash, one is believed to have suffered life-threatening injuries and is being treated at Boston Medical Centre.

A spokesman for Massachusetts State Police said two others had been seriously hurt and had been taken to Brigham and Women's Hospital.

Firefighters removed the roof of the coach. Pic: Boston Fire Dept/Twitter

The other casualties were treated at Beth Israel Hospital for minor injuries.

The police spokesman said the coach was too high for the road, which is closed to buses.

Raymond Talmedge, the owner of the bus company involved in the crash, said his driver - who was not injured - was being interviewed by officers.

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North Korea Meeting Hints At Nuclear Test

By Mark Stone, Asia Correspondent

Fears are growing that a planned nuclear test by North Korea may be imminent.

State news reports from the capital Pyongyang claim that the North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un has presided over meeting at which "important decisions" regarding the country's military were made.

According to Pyongyang's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), Mr Kim chaired an "enlarged meeting" of the country's Central Military Commission.

The English-language version of the report did not say when or where the meeting was held, but claimed senior military members of the commission were all present.

The state report read: "Kim Jong-Un made an important concluding speech, which serves as guidelines for further strengthening the (North's Korean People's Army) into a matchless revolutionary army."

In neighbouring South Korea, President Lee Myung-bak has ordered government agencies to be on the alert.

Mr Lee, who will leave office in the next two weeks, made his comments at an unannounced visit to the underground bunker of the presidential compound.

Punggye-ri nuclear test facility in North Korea (Pic: Google Maps)

Pyongyang has been threatening to conduct a nuclear test for some time.

However, plans for the test, the third since 2009, appear to have been accelerated since the latest round of UN sanctions against the country, themselves prompted by the surprisingly successful rocket launch by Pyongyang in December.

Last week, satellite imagery of the Punggye-ri nuclear test facility in North Hamgyong province seen by the South Korean intelligence officials suggested that covers had been placed over a tunnel entrance.

Both South Korea and the United States are reported to have repositioned intelligence monitoring assets to gain as clear a picture as possible of Pyongyang's intentions.

South Korean and American naval and marine forces are about to begin a pre-planned military exercise in the region.

South Korea's unification minister, Yu Woo-ik, said on Friday that his government believes the third nuclear test will be much more significant than the first two, in 2006 and 2009.

Activity around the test tunnel (Pic: IHS James)

"The first and second tests can be seen as part of Pyongyang's efforts to develop nuclear capability, while a third detonation could mean it is in the final stages," he warned.

North Korea's successful launch of a satellite into orbit in December defied and surprised the international community.

The move prompted the United Nations to levy further sanctions on Pyongyang. The UN resolution had the unusual support of North Korea's only real ally, China.

The Chinese backing is being seen as a clear suggestion of Beijing's frustration at North Korea's continued defiance of international law.

In the past, much of what comes out of Pyongyang is seen by Western governments as little more than bluster and rhetoric.

However, the surprise success of December's rocket launch did focus minds in Washington, London, Seoul and even Beijing.

The international concern is that North Korea's inexperienced and young new leader plans to combine his two developing technologies - ballistic missile capability and nuclear detonation tests - to create a nuclear weapon.

Pyongyang's rockets already have the ability to reach far across east Asia, though suggestions that they could reach the west coast of the US are thought to be wide of the mark.

Analysts also point out that there is a big technological gap between producing a rocket capable of firing a satellite into orbit and developing a nuclear warhead small enough to fit into a rocket which could then be fired accurately.

The concerns are compounded by the fact that reliable intelligence is significantly lacking.

Intelligence communities rely largely on the incomplete picture delivered through the many satellites passing over the peninsula.

Imagery from one satellite, passed to Sky News last week showed increased activity at the probable nuclear test site, but the picture it provides is incomplete.

"The imagery, taken by DigitalGlobe on January 12, displays continued activity at the site, including the presence of three support vehicles and sustained use of roads between different parts of the site." an analyst from IHS Janes told Sky News.

Information from satellites is useful, but paradoxically, the key questions about how advanced Mr Kim's nuclear programme really is will only be answered once the third test has taken place.

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Chris Kyle: Ex-US Navy Seal Sniper Shot Dead

A former US Navy Seal sniper has been shot dead at a shooting range in Texas, according to reports.

Chris Kyle, who also wrote the best-selling book, American Sniper, was killed alongside another man, 35-year-old Chad Littlefield.

It is believed the 38-year-old had been helping a soldier who was recovering from post-traumatic stress disorder.

Local newspapers have quoted Erath County Sheriff Tommy Bryant who said Mr Kyle and Mr Littlefield were found dead on Saturday afternoon at Rough Creek Lodge's shooting range, which is about an hour from Fort Worth.

The Star-Telegram reported that witnesses told police a gunman opened fire on the men, then fled in a truck belonging to one of the victims.

A 25-year-old suspect, identified as Eddie Ray Routh, was arrested, according to Texas Highway Patrol Public Information Officer Lonny Haschel.

Scott McEwen, who co-wrote American Sniper, paid tribute to his friend.

"It just comes as a shock and it's staggering to think that after all Chris has been through, that this is how he meets his end, because there are so many ways he could have been killed," he said.

American Sniper: The Autobiography of the Most Lethal Sniper in US Military History details Mr Kyle's four combat tours of duty in Operation Iraqi Freedom and the two Silver Stars and five Bronze Stars he was awarded for bravery.

It has been claimed he killed 160 people during his career.

After leaving the Navy he founded Craft International, a company that provided combat and weapons training to military, police and corporate and civilian clients.

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Johnny Depp To Play Mobster Whitey Bulger

Johnny Depp will play the notorious gangster James 'Whitey' Bulger in the film Black Mass, which starts shooting in May.

The film recounts the story of the godfather of Boston's underworld, who became an FBI informant to get rid of a gangster rival but was eventually arrested in 2011.

Adapted from a book by two Boston Globe journalists, Black Mass will be directed by Barry Levinson, who won an Oscar for best director in 1988 for Rain Man.

The role is a complete contrast for Pirates Of The Caribbean star Depp, 49, who also plays Tonto in The Lone Ranger, a Disney film scheduled for release in the summer.

The Lone Ranger, played by Armie Hammer, was a legendary masked crime-fighter of the Old West and Tonto his loyal Native American companion.

Bulger, 83, is currently awaiting trial on 19 counts of murder plus charges relating to drug dealing, extortion, money laundering and conspiracy. He denies the charges.

He became an FBI informant in 1975 and in 1994, after apparently being tipped off by his former FBI handler, he went into hiding.

He was on the run until June 2011, when he was arrested without incident at a house in Santa Monica, California.

During his time as a fugitive he featured for more than a decade on the FBI's Ten Most Wanted list.

Bulger's trial is set to begin this year, although his lawyers have requested a lengthy delay to allow time to review more than 300,000 documents.

One matter yet to be settled is Bulger's claim that he was awarded immunity from prosecution in a deal he struck with former US Attorney Jeremiah O'Sullivan in the 1970s.

Prosecutors said in November that there was no proof the two ever met and described the claim as "frivolous" and "absurd".

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Assad: Syria Can Confront Israeli Aggression

President Bashar al Assad has accused Israel of trying to destabilise Syria after an air strike on a military research base near Damascus last week.

The comments by Mr Assad are the first since the attack on Wednesday that US officials say was targeting a convoy of anti-aircraft weapons inside Syria bound for Hizbollah.

State TV said Mr Assad spoke during a meeting with visiting top Iranian official Saeed Jalili.

Saeed Jalili and Bashar al Assad

The president said Syria is capable of facing current challenges and can "confront any aggression" that would target the Syrian people.

Purported images of the targeted site show destroyed cars, trucks and military vehicles. A building has broken windows and damaged interiors, but no major structural damage.

State news agency SANA quoted Mr Jalili as reaffirming Tehran's "full support for the Syrian people ... facing the Zionist aggression, and its continued coordination to confront the conspiracies and foreign projects".

Following the attack, Syria's ambassador to Lebanon, Ali Abdul-Karim Ali, said Damascus "has the option and the capacity to surprise in retaliation," but that it was up to the relevant authorities to choose the time and place.

Israel's defence minister has indicated that his country was behind the air strike, in the first public comments from his government on the attack.

Ehud Barak brought the issue up at a gathering of the world's top diplomats and defence officials in Germany, initially saying: "I cannot add anything to what you have read in the newspapers about what happened in Syria several days ago."

But he added: "I keep telling frankly that we said - and that's proof when we said something we mean it - we say that we don't think it should be allowed to bring advanced weapons systems into Lebanon."

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Malala: Shot Teen's Surgery 'Successful'

A schoolgirl who was shot in the head by a Taliban gunman in Pakistan has had successful surgery, doctors have said.

The Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham confirmed that Malala Yousufzai, 15, underwent cranial reconstruction and cochlear implantation procedures on Saturday.

A hospital spokeswoman said Malala's medical team were "very pleased" with her progress following the operations, which lasted for some five hours.

Commenting on the surgery, the spokeswoman said: "Both operations were a success and Malala is now recovering in hospital.

Malala was shot by a Taliban gunman

"Her condition is described as stable and her medical team are very pleased with the progress she has made so far. She is awake and talking to staff and members of her family."

Malala has been receiving treatment at the hospital since she was flown to Britain in October after being shot in north-west Pakistan for promoting women's rights.

Doctors at the hospital said on Wednesday that Malala was set to undergo surgery for what they hoped would be the last time.

The teenager required the fitting of a custom-made titanium plate to repair damage to her skull, as well as a cochlear implant to help her recover hearing in her left ear.

Malala has been in hospital since October

Speaking earlier this week, Dr Dave Rosser, medical director at the University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, said both procedures were routinely carried out at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital.

Dr Rosser described Malala as a "remarkable young woman" who had made great progress in her recovery.

He also said she was fully aware of the threats the Taliban had made against her life.

Addressing a media briefing on Wednesday, Dr Rosser said: "She's not naive at all about what happened to her and the situation in terms of her high-profile.

"She's incredibly determined to continue to speak for her cause."

Dr Rosser said it could take "between 15 and 18 months" for any hearing to recover in her left ear but added that in time she would have almost normal levels of hearing, thanks to the surgery.

Dr Rosser also credited the surgeons who operated on Malala in Pakistan soon after she was shot with saving her life.

Malala escaped death by a matter of inches when she was shot on October 9 last year - as the bullet entered just above her left eye and ran along her jaw -"grazing" her brain.

In a statement, the hospital said Malala would continue her recuperation as an inpatient until she was well enough to be discharged.

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Iraq: 33 Dead In Bomb Blasts And Gun Attack

At least 33 people have been killed in two co-ordinated suicide car bombings and a gun attack in northern Iraq.

A car bomb went off at the city's telephone exchange building and simultaneously at a police base.

Two militants dressed in police uniforms and armed with guns, grenades and suicide vests also stormed the police compound in the city of Kirkuk.

A further 70 people were injured in the rush-hour attacks - shattering a relative calm in recent days in the war-torn country.

An injured man is stretchered away from the scene

Police said there were still bodies trapped under the collapsed debris of buildings following the explosions.

The gunmen burst through the main gates of the police base in the direction of the headquarters block.

They threw several grenades, but were killed before they could get there, witnesses said.

"I saw a vehicle stop at the checkpoint at the main entrance, and the police started checking it," said Kosrat Hassan Karim, who was nearby when the attack took place.

Rescue workers look for survivors among the debris

"Suddenly, a loud explosion happened, it was terrifying.

"I saw many people killed inside their cars."

No group immediately claimed responsibility.

Police said the dead included 12 employees at the government office. But a health official said only 16 bodies were at a hospital morgue.

Kirkuk, an ethnically mixed city, is at the centre of a dispute over oil and land rights between Baghdad's central government and the autonomous northern Kurdish region.

Firefighters tackle a smouldering vehicle

The unresolved row is persistently cited by diplomats and officials as the biggest threat to Iraq's long-term stability.

Tensions between Shi'ite, Kurdish and Sunni factions in Iraq's power-sharing government have been on the rise this year.

Militants continue to carry out almost daily strikes, with at least one big attack a month.

Last month a suicide bomber disguised as a mourner killed at least 26 people at a funeral at a Shi'ite mosque in the nearby city of Tuz Khurmato.

Days earlier, a suicide bomber driving a truck killed 25 people in an attack on a political party headquarters in Kirkuk, which is 105 miles north of the capital Baghdad.

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Cameron Holds Afghan-Pakistan Peace Talks

David Cameron is to meet the Afghan and Pakistani presidents in talks to prevent a Taliban resurgence when British troops withdraw next year.

Hamid Karzai and Asif Ali Zardari will dine with Mr Cameron at Chequers ahead of a day of in-depth discussions in an attempt to strengthen Afghanitan-Pakistan relations and promote regional stability.

The talks are expected to concentrate on how Pakistan and the international community can support the Afghan-led peace process.

Foreign ministers, chiefs of Army staff, chiefs of intelligence and the chairman of the Afghan High Peace Council are expected to attend the talks.

A Downing Street spokeswoman said: "As the Prime Minister has set out previously, a stable Afghanistan is not just in the interests of Afghans, but also in the interests of their neighbours and the UK.

"We share the same vision for Afghanistan: a secure, stable and democratic country that never again becomes a haven for international terror.

"We are working together to achieve it and Afghanistan's neighbours have a vital role to play. It is vital not just for the future security of their citizens, but for their prosperity too."

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