Elliot Rodger Shooting: Family 'In Shock'

Elliott Rodger's filmmaker father is "absolutely broken" after his son killed six people in a knife and gun rampage.

The sister of Hunger Games assistant director Peter Rodger told Sky News his family are "in total shock" and called for changes to US gun laws in the wake of the atrocity in California.

Speaking from her home in Cazals, France, Jenni Rodger said: "I can't imagine how awful this must be for the families of those killed. My heart goes out to them.

"I don't know how on earth a sick, disturbed young man was able to get hold of a gun.

The 22-year-old pictured recently with his filmmaker father Peter

"He was always a disturbed child. I don't know how he was allowed to get a gun. Something has to be done about gun laws in America."

She added: "Pete is absolutely broken. He is such a sensitive being. I can't see how he'll ever recover from this."

CCTV footage has also been released showing shoppers scattering as Rodger fired bullets into a deli during the shooting spree.

The 22-year-old "repeatedly stabbed" three men to death in his apartment before taking to the streets in his BMW, police said.

Thousands of people in Isla Vista held a candlelit vigil on Saturday

British-born Rodger had three semi-automatic handguns and 400 rounds of ammunition with him when he died, officers confirmed. The two Sig Sauers and a Glock were legally bought from licensed firearms dealers and registered in his name.

He also left seven others in hospital as he sped around Isla Vista, a student enclave next to the University of California, Santa Barbara.

County Sheriff Bill Brown told reporters Rodger had tried to get into a college sorority house during the Friday night attack, and that women inside had heard "loud, aggressive knocking" for several minutes.

Police are investigating 10 locations and multiple crime scenes

Unable to gain access, police said he then shot three young women outside the building, killing Veronika Weiss, 19, and Katie Cooper, 22.

The sixth victim, 20-year-old student Christopher Michael-Martinez, was shot dead outside a delicatessen.

In an emotional statement, his father called on the "insanity" to stop and blamed "irresponsible politicians" for not doing more on gun control.

Rodger's family said the attacker had been receiving psychiatric care.

Rodger used three handguns, two Sig Sauers and a Glock

He had also been diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome and had "multiple therapists", said Alan Shifman, the family's lawyer.

A day before the attack, the killer posted a video on YouTube, promising to slaughter "spoilt, stuck-up, blonde" women who he said had rebuffed him.

Rodger made a chilling tirade against women and the rest of humanity, threatening a "day of retribution".

He also published a rambling 141-page manifesto on the internet, called My Twisted World, where he detailed his childhood.

Police believe Rodger shot himself in the head after he crashed his BMW

Police said Rodger's attacks had taken place at 10 locations as he fled from officers and fired at pedestrians from his black BMW.

He also crashed into two cyclists - one of whom caved in the windshield.

Police exchanged fire with Rodger and believe they hit him in the hip as they opened fire on his car. The rampage ended when he crashed his vehicle after ploughing into the second cyclist.

Sheriff Brown said they found him with a gun wound to the head, which they believe was self-inflicted.

Rodger went to the 2012 Hunger Games premiere with his father Peter

Witness Kyle Sullivan, 19, told US media that he found three young women who had been shot on grass in front of the sorority.

The student said one woman seemed to be dead and the other two were seriously wounded.

One of the women, he said, was on the phone to her mother, saying she thought her injuries were fatal and telling her how much she loved her, Mr Sullivan said.

In his 'manifesto', Rodger had written of the sorority: "I know exactly where their house is and I've sat outside it in my car to stalk them many times."

Seven people remain in hospital at Santa Barbara's Cottage Hospital with gun wounds and injuries caused by the suspect's car, said Dr Stephen Kaminski. Two of them are in a serious condition.

Rodger's family called police last month worried about his welfare but officers said they found him "polite and courteous" and no action was deemed necessary.

In a blog post, he wrote he was born in the UK and moved to the US when he was five. His father, Peter, was educated in Maidstone, Kent.

Rodger was pictured two years ago on the red carpet with his father at a premiere for The Hunger Games, a dystopian futuristic drama in which teenagers fight each other to the death.

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Zuma Pledges SA 'Economic Transformation'

Jacob Zuma has been sworn in again as South African president vowing "economic transformation" will take "centre stage" in his second term in power.

He pledged the economy would be put on an "inclusive growth path" and promised to promote "broad-based black economic empowerment".

There have been concerns that much of the economy remains in the hands of South Africa's white minority.

In his speech to a cheering crowd of thousands, Mr Zuma said his country was "a much better place to live in now than before 1994".

But he added that poverty, unemployment and other problems persisted despite many improvements.

The ceremony, attended by dignitaries including the leaders of Nigeria and Zimbabwe, was marked by dance, prayer, a 21-gun salute and flyovers by the air force.

It took place in the amphitheatre of Pretoria's Union Buildings - the seat of government - where just five months before Nelson Mandela's body lay in state.

Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan was among the dignitaries

"Today marks the beginning of the second phase of our transition from apartheid to a national democratic society," Mr Zuma said, promising a bigger economic role for the state.

Mr Zuma was a former anti-apartheid activist who was jailed for 10 years on Robben Island, the same prison where Mr Mandela was held for many years.

As president, Mr Zuma has been hit by criticism over a scandal surrounding more than $20m (£12m) in state spending on his private home.

On May 7, the ruling African National Congress (ANC) won elections, continuing its political dominance since the end of the apartheid system that it had fought for decades.

The ANC retains a comfortable majority, but opposition parties have capitalised with some success on allegations of official corruption and mismanagement.

National elections are held every five years.

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Putin Brands Charles Hitler Slur 'Unacceptable'

Vladimir Putin says a comparison made by the Prince of Wales in which the Royal likened the Russian president to Hitler is "not what monarchs do."

Mr Putin said Prince Charles' reported comments were "unacceptable" and "wrong".

The president was talking to leading global news agencies in St Petersburg including the British Press Association ahead of elections in Ukraine on Sunday.

It is claimed the Prince made his comments during a Royal tour of Canada during a private conversation with a museum volunteer whose Jewish family fled Nazi Germany during the war.

Marienne Ferguson, 78, said that after telling Charles the story of how her family fled the Nazis, he replied: "Putin is doing just about the same as Hitler."

It is understood that Charles had been talking to Ms Ferguson about the Nazi occupation of Danzig at the start of World War Two, and had appeared to draw a parallel with Russia's annexation of the Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea in March.

When asked by the Press Association's chief executive what he thought of what the Prince was reported to have said, Mr Putin replied: "It reminds me of a good proverb: 'You are angry. That means you are wrong."'

He added: "Give my words to Prince Charles.

"He has been to our country more than once, if he made such a comparison, it is unacceptable and I am sure he understands that as a man of manners."

Mr Putin added: "I met him personally, as well as other members of the Royal Family. This is not what monarchs do.

"But over the past few years we have seen so much, nothing surprises me any longer."

Mr Putin's response comes a month before he is due to take part in a D-Day anniversary event with the Prince.

His comments made it clear that the disapproval of prominent international figures such as the Prince of Wales would not influence his actions in the current crisis in Ukraine.

He added: "I will be guided not by what they say about me anywhere.

"I will only be guided by the interests of the Russian people, and I hope our colleagues in Great Britain will keep that in mind and will always remember that when finding solutions to any issues, we are always guided by international law and its norms."

A spokeswoman for the Prince of Wales declined to comment.

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Egypt Election Winner To Face 'Uncertain Fate'

By Sherine Tadros, Middle East Correspondent in Cairo

When former army chief Abdel Fattah al Sisi announced he was running for president he told Egyptians not to expect a "traditional" campaign - apparently that meant he wasn't going to turn up to a single public rally (most likely for security reasons).

But that hasn't stopped people from holding parties for him across the country.

In contrast, Hamdeen Sabbahy - Mr Sisi's opponent - has been canvassing far and wide. He has fashioned himself as the revolutionary campaign, a man of the people.

Mr Sabbahy is not the only opposition Mr Sisi faces. We met up with 21-year-old Youssef Salheen in a park in central Cairo. 

Youssef Salheen, of Students Against The Coup, says poll is not democratic

Youssef only meets in public places and is constantly looking over his shoulder. He's the spokesman for a movement called Students Against The Coup which has held weekly rallies since former president Mohamed Morsi was deposed. 

Lately the police have cracked down hard on these protests. Youssef is boycotting the vote on Monday because he says the environment they are being held is not democratic.

"There are more than 25,000  people in prisons for just expressing their opinions so do you want us to go and participate in elections and express our opinions? Of course not. They won't accept this," he tells us.

There are also other, secular youth groups planning to boycott.

We met up with a new group called "didak" (which translates as: "against you" in English) as they were staging a small protest on a bridge in Cairo. 

Other secular youth movements have also been campaigning for a boycott

They take down posters of Mr Sisi and hold up pictures of their friends who have been detained. But even they say there's not much they can do because of the constant threat of arrest, and they will probably have to stop their activities altogether soon.

One group that was instrumental in the 2011 uprising is April 6. In a cafe in downtown Cairo we met the spokesperson for the political bureau of the movement, Mohamed Kamal. 

He too says he is followed and harassed by the authorities on a regular basis because of his opposition to the military-backed government. 

April 6 was recently banned and their leaders have been in prison for months. But Mohamed thinks it's only a matter of time before people rise up against Mr Sisi.

"He is deceiving people, he is playing in the minds of people, so people when he fails to achieve their goals, they will revolt against him again and we are planning to this," he says.

But Mohamed admitted there is no space for his group in the current political landscape and they have to change their tactics from protesting to more grass roots work to get their message across to the people.

Supporters of Hamdeen Sabbahy, dubbed the 'revolutionary candidate'

Egypt's economy is faltering, unemployment is at its highest rate in a decade and tourism, a main source of income for the state, has halved in recent years. Constant power cuts, because of the energy crisis, are crippling businesses. 

Youssef thinks these obstacles will eventually bring Mr Sisi down because he has no solutions for them.

"What's happening and what's going to happen with the economy, the freedom of expression, freedom of action - it's going to make people rebel again, and more people, even people who supported the coup and supported Sisi himself. I believe that is going to happen at some point," he says.

Perhaps, but for now Mr Sisi enjoys overwhelming support across the country and more importantly he has the backing of the army, the most powerful institution in the country, and as long as he has that his political survival is guaranteed. 

The winner of these elections may be clear, where the country is heading is not.

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Thai Police Clash With Protesters In Bangkok

More than 1,000 protesters marching against the military coup in Thailand have been involved in a tense stand-off with police.

The demonstrators are marching in defiance of limits on public gatherings imposed since the army took control this week.

As the protesters marched from a shopping centre in the city centre they were met by a line of riot police, backed by heavily-armed soldiers.

A soldier in tears as crowds berate him (pic: Mark Stone)

Sky News Asia Correspondent Mark Stone, who is at the scene of the confrontation, said it had been "bloodless, but incredibly tense".

"This is very tense because one of the key conditions the general now in charge of this country made was that he did not want any political gatherings of more than five people," he said.

He added that the situation on the ground in Bangkok could change "very quickly".

"Right now, they (riot police) seem to have got the situation under control, but you can see they are heavily armed.

"A little bit earlier on, right here in this position, we filmed some clashes which were the most tense we've seen since this coup took hold.

"We saw as the protesters pushed the army back, the army managed to regain control relatively quickly, but it's just a sign of how things could turn very, very quickly."

The demonstrators marched in defiance of orders to disperse

At one point the protesters chased away a group of soldiers in the Ratchaprasong shopping district.

Soldiers have blocked off elevated walkways linking shopping centres and trains to the area have been suspended.

Former Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra was in a "safe place" on Saturday, an aide said, after being held by the army following the coup.

Soldiers have blocked walkways linking shopping centres in Bangkok

The army moved on Thursday after failing to forge a compromise in a power struggle between Ms Yingluck's populist government and the royalist establishment, which brought months of unrest to Bangkok's streets.

The military detained Ms Yingluck on Friday when she and scores of other people, most of them her political allies, were summoned to an army facility in Bangkok.

Thailand has been locked in political crisis since a 2006 military coup that deposed Ms Yingluck's elder brother Thaksin Shinawatra, a billionaire tycoon who clashed with the royalist establishment.

Lines of riot police and soldiers confronted the protesters

His Red Shirt supporters had warned that any military overthrow of the government could trigger civil war and all eyes are now on how his movement will respond.

US Secretary of State John Kerry said there was "no justification" for the military takeover.

He said it would have "negative implications" for US relations, and demanded early elections.

Soldiers descended from a truck as the situation became more tense

British ambassador to Thailand Mark Kent said British citizens should "exercise extreme caution" and follow travel advice and media updates."

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Bali Murder: Arrest After Briton Found Dead

Police have arrested a construction worker suspected of murdering a British teacher in her rented villa on the holiday island of Bali, an official has said.

The 32-year-old man was arrested in Jakarta after he allegedly robbed and killed 49-year-old Anne Marie Drozdz.

Ms Drozdz was found dead in her villa in the cultural tourism district of Ubud on Thursday afternoon, police said.

She had travelled around the world teaching at international schools and, according to her LinkedIn profile, last worked in Hanoi, Vietnam.

The villa where Ms Drozdz's body was discovered

Her brother Gregory Drozdz said the family was suffering "overwhelming grief" after Ms Drozdz's death.

"We were contacted by the Foreign Office on Friday. They told us it appeared my sister had gone back to her villa in Bali and that there had been some kind of scuffle involving a burglary," he said.

"My brother had only spoken to her by email a few weeks ago and she seemed very happy.

A murder investigation has been launched

"I had sent her birthday greetings for her 49th birthday on April 29.

"It's gut-wrenching. You never expect it's going to happen to you and your family. It has left us raw, bewildered and confused."

Bali police commissioner Refi Pribadi said the suspect had allegedly stolen a mobile phone, a motorcycle and 20 million rupiah (£1,500) from Ms Drozdz.

Ms Drozdz had been renting the villa since May 17, reports say

"We arrested him on charges of robbery and murder," he said.

Ms Drozdz was found by the owner of the villa lying dead on the floor with a black cloth over her face, police said earlier.

Forensics experts said that the woman's body showed bruises on the neck and around the mouth.

A British embassy spokesman in Jakarta confirmed the death, adding that embassy officials were "ready to provide assistance to the family" and that they were cooperating with local authorities.

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Pope's Plea For Peace During Bethlehem Visit

Pope Francis has made a plea for peace between Israel and the Palestinians during a visit to Bethlehem on the second leg of this three-day Middle East tour.

The Pontiff held a mass in the West Bank city and called for renewed peace negotiations, saying the prolonged conflict had become unacceptable.

Francis delighted his hosts by referring to the "state of Palestine," and said the time had come for "everyone to find the courage to be generous and creative" to end the conflict.

"For the good of all, there is a need to intensify efforts and initiatives aimed at creating the conditions for a stable peace based on justice," he said.

Pope Francis meets Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Bethlehem

Francis made an unscheduled stop at the concrete wall erected 10 years ago by Israel, which separates Bethlehem from Jerusalem.

The Pope spent several minutes praying in the shadow of an Israeli watchtower.

Francis travelled to Bethlehem by helicopter, becoming the first Pontiff to travel directly to the West Bank instead of entering via Israel.

After six hours in the city, he was due to travel to Israel for a series of meetings before returning to the Vatican on Monday.

A Bedouin honour guard for the pope in Amman, Jordan

Israeli police say they have arrested 26 people who took part in a protest early on Sunday by Jewish nationalists at the Cenacle in Jerusalem, the traditional site of Jesus's Last Supper.

Francis is due to hold a mass at the site on Monday.

The protesters say authorities are preparing to hand the Church the site, where some Jews believe King David is buried.

The Vatican says the Pope's Middle East tour is aimed at raising awareness of the exodus of Christians from the region in the face of increasing persecution.

The Pope prays at the edge of the Jordan River

It is also intended to highlight the need for greater unity between the Catholic and Orthodox churches.

In an effort to promote inter-religious dialogue, the Pope is being accompanied by a Rabbi and an Imam, both close friends from his home city of Buenos Aires in Argentina.

The final day of the visit will see Francis visit the grounds of the Al Aqsa Mosque, as well as the Western Wall, the most holy site in Judaism.

He will also travel to the Holocaust memorial at Yad Vashem, before a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The visit will conclude with a mass at the Cenacle in Jerusalem, the site at which the last supper is thought to have taken place.

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Elliot Rodger: Did Police Miss Their Chance?

Police have admitted Elliot Rodger was "severely mentally disturbed" - so were opportunities missed to stop his killing spree?

Santa Barbara sheriff Bill Brown told reporters they had encountered Rodger three times - the most significant on April 30 when a family member asked police to check on him.

"(Police) found him to be polite and courteous. He downplayed the concerns for his welfare and the deputies cleared the call," said Sheriff Brown.

Rodger regularly posted "selfie" photos on social media

"They determined he did not meet the criteria for an involuntary mental health hold. He appeared timid and shy."

In his rambling online 'manifesto', Rodger describes his relief that his plans for murder had not been discovered.

The killer pictured in the BMW he used in his killing spree

"For a few horrible seconds I thought it was all over," writes the 22-year-old, who says his plans for a "Day of Retribution" began last summer when he claims he was attacked at a party.

In pictures posted on social networking websites, Rodger appeared to be a privileged young man who enjoyed the trappings of his Hollywood filmmaker father's success.

The 22-year-old pictured recently with his filmmaker father Peter

In reality, he was documenting his inner torment and making painstaking preparations for the killing spree that left six innocent people dead in knife and gun attacks.

Rodger described taking down his YouTube videos to head off suspicions over his mental health.

Police told reporters the killer said he was having social problems and would not be returning to school for the next year.

Rodger (L) attended the 2012 Hunger Games premiere with his father (R)

"The deputies discussed options available to him in terms of support offered", said Sheriff Brown, who added such call-outs were a routine part of the job.

He had two previous encounters with police.  

On July 21 last year, Rodger spoke to police in hospital, where he was being treated for injuries he claimed to have suffered in an assault. Officers later found Rodger might have actually been the aggressor in the incident, and the case was suspended.

The student, circled in a fifth grade photo, was bullied, his family said

On January 15, 2014 Rodger contacted police to accuse a roommate of stealing $22 (£13) worth of candles from him.

Rodger is reported to have made a citizen's arrest on the roommate, who was questioned by police and released.

The Rodgers' family lawyer, Alan Shifman, said Elliot had been diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome - a form of autism - at a young age.

The killer posted a picture of himself on a visit to London in 2011

"He was probably a victim, from my understanding, of bullying throughout his life," said Mr Shifman. "I am sure that played a role in the terrible consequences of last night.

"He had multiple therapists - a social worker who as recently as last week was concerned."

The killer's online post - which runs to more than 140 pages - reveals the extent of his mental illness. Police have described it as a "combination of an autobiography and diary".

Rodger attended a 'private' Katy Perry concert in March 2012

He repeatedly describes his hatred of women and his frustration at being ignored and remaining a virgin while girls around him choose "obnoxious" men, or men he considers racially inferior.

"Women are sexually attracted to the wrong type of man," he writes.

"Obnoxious, tough jock-type men. They should be going for intelligent gentlemen such as myself ... This is a major flaw in the foundation of humanity."

The young man appeared to enjoy the trappings of his father's success

The final section of his post is entitled: 'Part 6: Santa Barbara: Endgame Age 19-22'.

He sets out his plans to "silently kill as many people as I can by luring them into my apartment through some sort of trickery".

Rodger also talks of beheading and torturing his victims, as well as killing all the members of the Alpha Phi sorority.

"I will punish all females for the crime of depriving me of sex," he writes.

Police revealed he tried unsuccessfully to enter the sorority and that the women inside heard "loud, aggressive knocking" for several minutes but did not open the door.

With his plan seemingly frustrated, Rodger shot three young female students, killing two - Katherine Cooper, 22, and Veronica Weiss, 19.

He then went on a shooting spree through Santa Barbara, killing one more victim, Christopher Michael-Martinez. Seven people also remain in hospital, two with serious injuries.

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Jewish Museum Shooting Claims Fourth Victim

A fourth person has died following a shooting spree at a Jewish museum in Brussels amid fears of a rise in anti-Semitism.

A receptionist at the museum, believed to be in his early 20s, has now died of gunshot wounds, according to AFP.

Two Israeli tourists - reportedly a couple - and a French woman had already been confirmed dead following Saturday's shooting, which French President Francois Hollande says was clearly of "anti-Semitic character".

His comments came shortly before a separate assault on two Jewish brothers near a synagogue in Paris.

"The anti-Semitic character of this act, a shooting in the Jewish museum in Brussels with the intention to kill, is in no doubt," said Mr Hollande.

"We must do everything to fight against anti-Semitism and racism."

A makeshift memorial outside the Jewish museum

Belgian police have released CCTV footage of a suspect - dressed in sunglasses and a cap - walking into the museum with two bags, removing an automatic rifle and shooting through a door before walking away.

They believe he acted alone.

"From the images we have seen, we can deduce that the author probably acted alone and was well prepared," said Ine Van Wymersch, a spokeswoman for the Brussels prosecutor's office.

"It's still too early to confirm whether it's a terrorist or an anti-Semitic attack, all lines of investigation are still open."

The victims were shot in the face and neck.

Security around all Jewish institutions in Belgium has been raised to the highest level. The country is home to 42,000 Jews, half of whom live in Brussels. 

The scene where four people were killed outside a Jewish museum

The French government has also tightened security around synagogues and Jewish cultural centres following the Paris attack on two men dressed in "traditional" attire. Both victims were taken to hospital after being beaten by two attackers, one on a bike and one on foot, AFP reported.

The attacks were condemned by Pope Francis as he visited Israel on the latest leg of his Middle-East tour.

"I am profoundly saddened, my thoughts go out to those who lost their lives in the attack in Brussels," the pontiff said.                 

"Let us promote an education... where there will be no place for anti-Semitism in any of its forms or for expressions of hostility, discrimination or intolerance towards any individual or people."

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu welcomed the Pope's comments but accused some European leaders of hypocrisy for allegedly failing to adequately condemn anti-Semitic attacks.

A CCTV still of the suspect walking into the Jewish museum

He said: "There are elements in Europe that rush to condemn the construction of a flat in Jerusalem but do not rush to condemn - or offer only weak condemnations of - the murder of Jews here or in Europe itself and, even worse, welcome unity with a terrorist element such as Hamas, which calls for the destruction of the State of Israel.

"We oppose such hypocrisy, we protest against it."

Prime Minister David Cameron has written to his Belgian counterpart, Elio Di Rupo, to pledge to "work with you to confront such bigotry across Europe".

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Ukraine Vote: Turnout Sees East-West Divide

Ukrainians have been choosing a new president with reports of a high turnout in the west of the country and virtually no voting in the pro-Russian east.

The vote is billed as the most important since the former Soviet republic won independence from Moscow 23 years ago.

The main candidates, including front-runner Petro Poroshenko, known as the "chocolate king" because of his confectionery empire, are promising closer ties with the West in defiance of Russia's President Vladimir Putin.

But the absence of over 15% of the electorate in Crimea, now annexed by Russia, and two eastern regions, where fighting with pro-Moscow rebels continues, may mar any result.

Presidential poll frontrunner Petro Poroshenko speaks after voting in Kiev

It could leave the Kremlin questioning the victor's legitimacy, despite Mr Putin's new pledge to respect the will of the people.

Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev visited Crimea during voting to hand out passports, in a move denounced by Kiev as a "deliberate provocation".

As 12 hours of voting for 21 candidates come to an end at 8pm local time (6pm UK time), exit polls will indicate the result ahead of the official outcome on Monday.

Frontrunner Mr Poroshenko needs to take over 50% of the votes to win outright. If not, a run-off vote will be held on June 15.

Only about 20% of the polling stations in the heavily industrialised, Russian-speaking Donetsk region, which has 3.3 million registered voters, were open, authorities said.

Yulia Tymoshenko votes in Dnipropetrovsk with her husband and daughter

None were open in the city of Donetsk, where the streets were empty, and only 426 of 2,430 were open across the region.

Although there was no significant violence, armed pro-Russian militias were seen on the streets in the region with ballot boxes being smashed.

Sky's Katie Stallard, in eastern Ukraine witnessed separatists burning ballot papers in the town of Makiivka.

European election monitors have largely pulled out of the Donetsk region for their own safety, claiming a campaign of "terror" by pro-Russian separatists against Ukrainian electoral officials.

Others also complained of being prevented from voting, in some cases because ballot papers had not been delivered because of security concerns after at least 20 people were killed in the region during fighting over recent days.

UDAR party leader Vitali Klitschko with wife Natalia and brother Vladimir

Mr Poroshenko's closest rival is former prime minister Yulia Tymoshenko who remains a divisive figure to many as she is more closely linked with the economic failures that have blighted post-Soviet Ukraine.

"It is time to hold a referendum on joining Nato to restore peace in Ukraine," said Ms Tymoshenko after voting in her native city of Dnipropetrovsk in central Ukraine.

As ousted president Viktor Yanukovich's fiercest rival, Ms Tymoshenko may benefit from the fact that few of the five million voters in his eastern power base regions of Donetsk and Luhansk may be able to cast ballots for any of the candidates.

The voting took place a day after an Italian journalist and his Russian interpreter were killed in eastern Ukraine.

Photojournalist Andrea Rocchelli, 30, and Andrey Mironov, 60, who was also a human rights activist, reportedly died during shelling close to Slavyansk. With them was French photographer William Roguelon, who was injured.

The Italian foreign ministry said the exact circumstances of Mr Rocchelli's death remained unclear because the situation on the ground was "difficult to verify" even for the Ukrainian authorities.

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