Islamic State's Warning To Kurdish Fighters

Islamic State militants have released a video which appears to show a Kurdish man being beheaded in Iraq.

The six-minute video is titled "A Message in Blood" and shows men wearing orange jumpsuits who are said to be Kurdish fighters captured by IS.

One man is later seen kneeling outside a mosque in the city of Mosul before he is beheaded.

The jihadists have warned that the other fighters will be killed if Kurdish leaders continue to back the US.

One of the captured men said: "Any mistake or recklessness from you will lead to the (loss) of our life."

It comes after President Barack Obama called for a coalition of countries prepared to take military action against IS.

The new video shows captured Kurdish fighters wearing orange jump-suits

Mr Obama said the US was working to get more countries on board in order to strike at the jihadist group.

He said: "We are going to work politically and diplomatically with folks in the region, and we're going to cobble together the kind of coalition that we need for a long-term strategy as soon as we are able to fit together the military, political and economic components of that strategy."

Mr Obama played down the prospect of imminent US military action in Syria, saying "we don't have a strategy yet", but said it was time for Middle Eastern nations to "stop being ambivalent".

France has already ruled itself out. The UK has so far provided humanitarian assistance and Prime Minister David Cameron has said he does not want troops on the ground.

On Thursday, another IS video emerged showing hundreds of "executed" Syrian soldiers.

The soldiers were captured at the weekend when the Sunni militants seized an air base in the province of Raqqa, in northern Syria.

An earlier video showed Syrian men being made to march in their underwear

The Reuters news agency said the video, which was posted on YouTube and shows dozens of bodies, had been confirmed as genuine by an IS fighter.

"Yes we have executed them all," he said.

The video shows the bodies of scores of men wearing nothing but their underwear lying face down. The line of bodies appears to be dozens of metres long.

A caption written underneath says: "The 250 shabeeha taken captive by the Islamic State from Tabqa in Raqqa have been executed."

Shabeeha is the name of armed militia forces loyal to President Bashar al Assad. Tabqa is the location of the Syrian airbase captured by IS in the last few days.

The head of the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights later confirmed that Syrian soldiers had been "executed" at three different places, resulting in the deaths of at least 160.

Rami Abdel Rahman said it had happened after jihadists defeated the 1,400-strong garrison at Tabqa, of whom 200 were killed in fighting, 700 escaped and dozens of the remainder were captured as they fled.

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Nasa Approves Rocket To Take Humans To Mars

Nasa has approved construction of the world's most powerful rocket designed to take astronauts to Mars.

The $7bn (£4.2bn) Space Launch System (SLS) is scheduled to blast off for a test launch in November 2018.

It will potentially take humans to the red planet for the first time by the 2030s.

Nasa administrator Charles Bolden said: "We are on a journey of scientific and human exploration that leads to Mars.

"And we're firmly committed to building a launch vehicle and other supporting systems that will take us on that journey."

The SLS will have a lift capacity of up to 143-tonnes which means it can travel deep into the solar system.

Nasa's associate administrator Robert Lightfoot said: "Our nation is embarked on an ambitious space exploration programme, and we owe it to the American taxpayers to get it right.

"After rigorous review, we're committing today to a funding level and readiness date that will keep us on track to sending humans to Mars in the 2030s – and we're going to stand behind that commitment."

The funding was approved after a smaller model of the rocket passed an internal review.

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Fort Hood Gunman Wants To Become IS Citizen

The US Army psychiatrist convicted for the Fort Hood shooting rampage has reportedly written to the Islamic State leader saying he wants to become a "citizen" of the caliphate.

Major Nidal Hasan was sentenced to death last year for the shooting at the Texas military base that left 13 dead and 30 wounded.

In his letter to IS leader Abu Bakr al Baghdadi, Hasan wrote: "I formally and humbly request to be made a citizen of the Islamic State."

Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al Baghdadi

"It would be an honor for any believer to be an obedient citizen soldier to a people and its leader who don't compromise the religion of All-Mighty Allah to get along with the disbelievers," he wrote, according to Fox News and other reports.

The letter was released by his lawyer, John Galligan.

Hasan opened fire on troops who were getting final medical check-ups before deploying to Iraq and Afghanistan at Fort Hood in 2009.

He acknowledged during his trial that he pulled the trigger.

He called himself a soldier who had "switched sides" in a war and justified the shooting as necessary to protect insurgents against American aggression in the Afghanistan and Iraq wars.

IS has declared a caliphate, spanning across parts of Iraq and Syria

US and other Western officials have described the IS, an Islamist extremist group that broke away from al Qaeda, as the biggest threat to security since the September 11 attacks.

At least one American citizen, Douglas McCain, is believed to have died  fighting for the IS in Syria and officials are looking into reports that a second may also have been killed.

According to the New York Times, US intelligence has identified a dozen Americans who have travelled to the region to fight alongside the Sunni militant group.

The newspaper said IS was able to draw increasing number of recruits because it has seized large swathes of territory, where it imposes strict Islamic rule.

IS declared the establishment of a caliphate in June.

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Putin: Ukraine Assault Like Nazis In WW2

Russian President Vladimir Putin has said Ukraine's assault on cities in the east of the country is reminiscent of the Nazi siege of Leningrad.

"Small villages and large cities surrounded by the Ukrainian army which is directly hitting residential areas... It sadly reminds me the events of the Second World War, when German fascist... occupants surrounded our cities," he told a youth camp outside Moscow.

Mr Putin urged Kiev to begin "substantive" negotiations with the separatists to achieve peace, adding that Russians and Ukrainians are "practically one people".

"It is necessary to force the Ukrainian authorities to substantively begin these talks - not on technical issues… the talks must be substantive," Mr Putin said.

He also said Russia needed to strengthen its position in the Arctic, economically and militarily.

Mr Lavrov: 'No proof of Russian involvement'

Earlier Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov dismissed claims that its troops are fighting in eastern Ukraine as "conjecture".

"We're hearing various conjectures, not for the first time, but not once have any facts been presented to us," he said.

Mr Lavrov was speaking after the US accused Russia of lying about its involvement in Ukraine and warned of tougher economic sanctions.

Speaking at the White House, President Barack Obama said Russia has been supporting pro-Moscow separatists in eastern Ukraine "for months".

Russian arms seized in eastern Ukraine

He ruled out any direct US military intervention but said Russia would incur "more costs and consequences".

"The separatists are backed, trained, armed, financed by Russia. Russia determined that it had to be a little more overt in what it had already been doing, but it's not really a shift," Mr Obama said.

Nato has accused Russia of blatantly violating its international obligations, saying there is clear evidence its troops are moving across the border into Ukraine.

Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen condemned the action, re-iterating the organisation's unwaivering support for Kiev.

A satellite image allegedly showing a Russian military incursion in Ukraine

"Despite Moscow's hollow denials, it is now clear that Russian troops and equipment have illegally crossed the border into eastern and southeastern Ukraine," he said.

"This is not an isolated action but part of a dangerous pattern over many months to destabilise Ukraine as a sovereign nation."

Kiev said on Friday a call by Mr Putin for separatists to open a 'humanitarian corridor' to allow encircled Ukrainian troops to withdraw was further proof they were "led and controlled directly from the Kremlin".

"I'm calling on insurgents to open a humanitarian corridor for Ukrainian troops who were surrounded in order to avoid senseless deaths," Mr Putin said in a statement.

The rebels control the cities of Donetsk and Luhansk

He went on to praise the pro-Russian separatists for "undermining Kiev's military operation which threatened lives of the residents of Donbass and has already led to a colossal death toll among civilians".

A top insurgent in the rebel stronghold of Donetsk promptly reacted to Mr Putin's appeal but said the Ukrainian troops would have to lay down their arms before they were allowed to go.

"We are ready to open humanitarian corridors to the Ukrainian troops who were surrounded with the condition that they surrender heavy weaponry and ammunition so that this weaponry and ammunition will not be used against us in future," Alexander Zakharchenko said on Russia's state Rossiya 24 television.

A Ukrainian soldier exchanges fire with separatists

Ten Ukrainian soldiers have been killed and 30 wounded in fighting with pro-Russian separatists in the past 24 hours, Kiev's security and defence council said on Friday.

Fighting has intensified since the rebels - allegedly helped by Russian soldiers - opened a new front just as Ukraine's army had virtually surrounded Donetsk and another separatist stronghold, Luhansk.

The casualty figure was released after the UN revealed a total of 2,593 people have been killed in eastern Ukraine since the fighting erupted in mid-April.

It said the number included civilians as well as Ukrainian and separatist combatants, but not the 298 victims of the MH17 Malaysian Airlines plane crash.

Nato is due to hold an emergency meeting on the crisis later, while German Chancellor Angela Merkel said an EU summit on Saturday would discuss the prospect of further sanctions.

Fast food chain McDonalds has said 12 of its branches in Russia have been closed temporarily and that more than 100 inspections are under way. 

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Ukraine: Russia Has 'Entered' The Country

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko says Russian troops have entered the country in support of pro-Moscow separatists.

He has cancelled a working trip to Turkey and called an emergency meeting of Ukraine's security and defence council.

Mr Poroshenko said it followed "the rapidly deteriorating situation in Donetsk region, in particular in Amvrosiyivka and Starobesheve, as Russian troops have entered Ukraine".

Earlier the security and defence council said the border town of Novoazovsk and other parts of Ukraine's south-east had fallen under the control of Russian forces who were staging a counter-offensive with rebels.

Ukraine President Petro Poroshenko

"A counter-offensive by Russian troops and separatist units is continuing in south-east Ukraine," the council said in a post on Twitter.

It said Ukrainian government forces had withdrawn from Novoazovsk "to save their lives" and were now reinforcing troops in the port city of Mariupol.

It added that Russian forces and separatists were combining to launch attacks on Ilovaysk and Shakhtarsk, east of Donetsk.

A Ukrainian serviceman exchanges fire with rebels

Ukraine's Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of having "deliberately unleashed a war in Europe" and called for an emergency UN Security Council meeting.

He also appealed to the United States, European Union and G7 countries "to freeze Russian assets and finances until Russia withdraws armed forces, equipment and agents".

Russia denies arming the rebels and sending troops across the border, and has declined to comment on reports of Russian tanks in Novoazovsk.

Rebels show off damaged Ukrainian military equipment

"The Russian authorities clearly said many times there are no regular Russian troops there. Russia is not taking part in this armed conflict," said a Russian diplomatic source.

However, the US ambassador to Ukraine has said Russian troops have been directly involved in the fighting.

"An increasing number of Russian troops are intervening directly in fighting on Ukrainian territory," Geoffrey Pyatt wrote on Twitter.

Russian paratroopers captured in Ukraine on Monday

"Russia has also sent its newest air defence systems including the SA-22 into eastern Ukraine and is now directly involved in the fighting."

On Wednesday a top rebel leader, Alexander Zakharchenko, admitted Russian troops were fighting alongside his insurgents, but said they were on "holiday" after volunteering to join the battle.

Zakharchenko, prime minister of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic, told Reuters there were about 3,000 Russian volunteers serving in the rebel ranks.

Mr Putin and Mr Poroshenko at 'peace' talks in Minsk on Tuesday

Nato has said there could be well over 1,000 Russian soldiers operating inside Ukraine.

The spiralling tensions come two days after Mr Poroshenko and Mr Putin held their first talks in three months and agreed to work towards launching a peace process.

The day before Ukraine captured 10 Russian paratroopers around Amvrosiivka, a town about 12 miles (20km) from the border with Russia.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel has demanded an explanation from Mr Putin about the alleged involvement of Russian troops in Ukraine, while French President Francois Hollande has said it would be "intolerable and unacceptable".

The European security body OSCE had begun a special meeting to discuss "Russia violations in Ukraine" just hours before the latest developments. 

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UN Accuses Syria Over Chemical Weapons

A United Nations report has accused Syria of using chemical weapons eight times in April - and highlights mass atrocities by Islamic State militants.

The report by the independent Commission of Inquiry said it believed chlorine, dispatched in barrel bombs, was the agent used on multiple occasions.

It also highlighted mock crucifixions, public executions, amputations and the beheading of children by Islamic State militants in parts of Syria.

The accusations came amid reports that Syrian rebels had seized control of the Syrian crossing with the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said there had been heavy fighting between rebels - including the al Qaeda affiliated al Nusra Front - and the army.

An Israeli army officer stationed in the Golan Heights has been injured after errant fire, sources said.   

Islamic State fighters in northern Raqqa province

The UN's 45-page report accused the Syrian regime of dropping barrel bombs on residential areas and highlighted atrocities meted out by Islamic State members. 

"Reasonable grounds exist to believe that chemical agents, likely chlorine, were used on (northern Syrian villages) Kafr Zeita, al Tamana and Tal Minnis in eight incidents within a 10-day period in April," it said.

"Witnesses saw helicopters drop barrel bombs and smelled a scent akin to domestic chlorine immediately following impact," it pointed out.

President Assad was sworn in for another seven years in July

Victims suffered "symptoms compatible with exposure to chemical agents, namely vomiting, eye and skin irritation, choking and other respiratory problems".

It marks the first time the UN has assigned blame for the use of the chemical agent. 

Bashar al Assad and the opposition have accused each other of using chemical agents, including chlorine, in the bloody uprising, that began in March 2011.

The report also outlines atrocities being carried out by IS militants in Syria, including public executions, amputations, lashings and mock crucifixions.

The document describes beheadings of boys as young as 15 and men flogged for smoking or accompanying an "improperly dressed" female relative.

Women have been publicly lashed for not following the group's strict dress code, the report says.

IS is also recruiting and training children as young as 10, with teens being used in active combat and suicide-bombing missions, the report said.

"This is a continuation - and a geographic expansion - of the widespread and systematic attack on the civilian population," according to the report.

The four-member commission was created three years ago by the UN Human Rights Council to investigate abuses committed in the war.

Syria has said it is ready to cooperate with the international community in the fight against the militants who have taken over areas straddling both Iraq and Syria.

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Cops Kill TV Crew Member During Robbery

A crew member with the long-running TV show Cops has been shot dead by police while recording officers trying to foil a robbery.

Sound operator Bryce Dion, 38, died from a gunshot wound when police opened fire, hitting him by mistake.

The robbery suspect, 32-year-old Cortez Washington, was also shot dead by police.

The incident began when a police officer responded to a request for back up at a Wendy's store in Omaha, Nebraska.

Two Cops crew members were with the officer, and accompanied police as they entered the restaurant.

As police confronted the suspect, Mr Dion, who was wearing a bullet-proof vest, became separated from his cameraman.

Officers then fired upon Washington as he fled the restaurant. He collapsed and died of his injuries.

Police later discovered that Washington was armed with a pellet gun, which officers thought was a real handgun.

The robbery suspect, Cortez Washington, was also shot dead by police

Police Chief Todd Schmaderer told a press conference that during the gunfight, a single bullet also struck Mr Dion's arm, "slipped into a gap in the vest" and went into his chest.

Mr Schmaderer defended the actions of police, saying his officers reacted properly.

"My concern with my officers is that they are taking this very hard. Bryce was their friend," he said.

Cops is a Fox reality TV programme which shows law enforcement officers in action. It has been filmed in at least 140 US cities.

The executive producer of Langley Productions, which carries out work for the show, said the crew only had one week of filming left when the shooting occurred.

"Bryce has been with us for seven years. This is very hard for us," said Morgan Langley.

In 2010, a TV crew for the reality show The First 48 filmed a Detroit police raid in which a seven-year-old girl was accidentally killed by police.

The incident highlighted concerns about whether TV cameras influence the behaviour of police by encouraging showboating.

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Ebola Outbreak Could Infect 20,000 People

More than 20,000 people could become infected with the deadly ebola virus, the World Health Organisation has said.

The UN health agency warned the actual number of current ebola cases in hard-hit areas could be 12,000 - four times higher than the number confirmed at present.

In what amounted to be a bleak assessment of the disease, the WHO said it believed the virus was still being spread in a "substantial number of localities" and added that "the outbreak continues to accelerate".

It also expressed concern at the unprecedented number of health workers who have died after treating patients in West African countries including Liberia, Guinea, Nigeria and Sierra Leone.

The WHO's assistant director-general, Dr Bruce Aylward, said: "This far outstrips any historic ebola outbreak in numbers, as the largest outbreak in the past was about 400 cases.

The outbreak has put immense strain on medical resources in West Africa

"What we are seeing today, in contrast to previous ebola outbreaks, are multiple hotspots within these countries - not a single, remote forested area, the kind of environments that have been tackled in the past. And then not multiple hotspots within one country, but international disease."

Of the 3,069 cases reported since the outbreak began, 40% of them have emerged in the past three weeks, according to the latest figures.

Its update on the outbreak came shortly after GlaxoSmithKline announced it was forming a new consortium to accelerate development of a vaccine to treat ebola.

Developed in partnership with the US National Institute of Health, it is set to be tested on healthy human volunteers within the next couple of weeks to see if it is safe and effective.

As the trials take place, the pharmaceuticals giant is set to manufacture 10,000 extra doses of the vaccine which can be used by the WHO if the clinical tests are successful.

William Pooley, a health worker, was the first Briton to contract ebola

Speaking in Geneva, the agency said it hopes to stop the spread of ebola across West Africa in the next six to nine months, with a particular focus on ensuring the virus doesn't spread internationally.

Dr Aylward said its plan will cost £300m to implement, with 12,750 health workers needed around the globe to tend to patients.

"Response activities must be adapted in areas of very intense transmission and particular attention must be given to stopping transmission in capital cities and major ports, thereby facilitating the larger response and relief effort," he added.

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Ukraine: The Story On The Russian Soldiers

Russian Paratroopers 'Captured' In Ukraine

Updated: 4:49pm UK, Tuesday 26 August 2014

Ukraine's President Petro Poroshenko and Russian leader Vladimir Putin have sat down for talks - hours after video footage of captured Russian soldiers risked inflaming tensions between the two countries.

The two leaders met alongside senior EU officials in Belarus, where Mr Putin said the conflict in eastern Ukraine would not be solved by a military escalation in the region. 

Mr Poroshenko said the talks would decide "the fate of Europe and the world".

The Russian president's conciliatory words came after Ukraine presented fresh evidence suggesting Russian military activity within Ukraine.

Ukraine's security service (UBS) released video footage purportedly showing 10 Russian paratroopers who were captured by the army in the war-torn east of the country.

The UBS said it had opened a criminal probe after soldiers from the 98th airborne division based in central Russia were detained near the village of Dzerkalne, around 30 miles (50km) from rebel-held Donetsk.

A Ukrainian military spokesman said the men were on a "special mission".

But Russian military sources quoted by state news agencies have claimed the soldiers crossed the border by mistake.

In footage posted on the official Facebook page of the Ukrainian government's "anti-terrorist operation", the men were shown dressed in camouflage fatigues.

One of them, who identified himself as Ivan Melchyakov, listed his personal details, including the name of the paratroop regiment he said is based in the Russian town of Kostroma.

"I did not see where we crossed the border. They just told us we were going on a 70-kilometre march over three days," he said.

"Everything is different here, not like they show it on television. We've come as cannon fodder," he said in the video.

Ukraine's Defence Minister Valeriy Geletey said the soldiers were captured on Monday.

"Officially they are at exercises in various corners of Russia.

"In reality, they are participating in military aggression against Ukraine and their families know nothing about their true fate.

"I am addressing the relatives of Russian servicemen: find out immediately where your loved ones are. Take them out of Ukraine, where they are being forced to die."

US National Security Adviser Susan Rice slammed Russia over the incident, branding the latest apparent incursion "dangerous and inflammatory" on Twitter.

At the talks in Minsk, Mr Poroshenko said the only way to end the bloodshed in eastern Ukraine was through effective border controls with Russia, halting arms supplies to rebels and releasing prisoners of war.

Mr Putin said Moscow would retaliate if a trade pact between Ukraine and the EU gave European goods a back door to Russian markets - a move he said that would cost his economy 100bn roubles (£1.6bn)

Even as the Ukrainian president landed outside Minsk earlier on Tuesday, his country's military said an attack by Russian separatists on the town of Novoazovsk was ongoing.

A spokesman said a hospital was on fire and 12 Ukrainian service personnel had been killed in the last 24 hours - while government forces had destroyed 12 armoured infantry carriers in the area using artillery and aircraft.

Kiev has accused its neighbour of stoking the separatist insurgency but this is the first time authorities have claimed to have captured Russian soldiers.

Moscow continues to deny any involvement in the rebellion.

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Ukraine-Russia Talks Yield No Breakthrough

Talks between the leaders of Ukraine and Russia have ended without a major breakthrough towards ending fighting between government forces and pro-Moscow separatists.

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin sat down for one-on-one talks in Belarus, hours after Kiev said it had captured 10 Russian paratroopers on its territory.

Mr Poroshenko said there were "some results" but there seemed to be no significant compromises to help end four months of fighting in east Ukraine that has left more than 2,000 dead and forced more than 400,000 people from their homes.

Russia has long been accused by Kiev of backing the separatists, charges Moscow has repeatedly denied.

Mr Putin has faced criticism from Ukraine and the West over the crisis

Mr Putin said he would "do everything" to help a future peace process but did little to ease tensions when he shrugged off the claims about the paratroopers.

"I have not yet received a report from the defence ministry. But from what I have heard, they were patrolling the border and could have ended up on Ukrainian territory," Mr Putin said, adding that Ukrainian troops had previously crossed into Russia.

Mr Poroshenko (right) demanded action, not words, to end the fighting

"I am hoping that there won't be any problems with the Ukrainian side over this case."

Military sources in Moscow said they crossed over the border "by accident".

Ukraine's military released footage purporting to show the captured paratroopers, who were detained around 30 miles (50km) southeast of the rebel stronghold of Donetsk.

The two leaders also discussed aid to the east and the gas dispute

At the talks all sides "without exception" agreed to a Kiev peace plan, Mr Poroshenko said, but he demanded "decisive actions", not words, afterwards.

But Mr Putin said only Kiev can agree a ceasefire with the separatists, insisting: "This is not our business. This is Ukraine's business."

Moscow could only "create an atmosphere of trust for this important and necessary process", he claimed.

One of the Russian paratroopers Kiev claims to have captured

Russia's decision to send an aid convoy to east Ukraine last week also raised tensions, but Mr Putin claimed to have "reached certain" agreements at the talks on sending aid there.

Moscow announced on Monday it was planning to send a second convoy to the area this week.

Mr Putin also said the two countries agreed to restart gas talks after Moscow turned off the taps to Kiev over a pricing dispute.

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UN Accuses Syria Over Chemical Weapons

A United Nations report has accused Syria of using chemical weapons eight times in April - and highlights mass atrocities by Islamic State militants.

The report by the independent Commission of Inquiry said it believed chlorine, dispatched in barrel bombs, was the agent used on multiple occasions.

It also highlighted mock crucifixions, public executions, amputations and the beheading of children by Islamic State militants in parts of Syria.

The accusations came amid reports that Syrian rebels had seized control of the Syrian crossing with the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said there had been heavy fighting between rebels - including the al Qaeda affiliated al Nusra Front - and the army.

An Israeli army officer stationed in the Golan Heights has been injured after errant fire, sources said.   

Islamic State fighters in northern Raqqa province

The UN's 45-page report accused the Syrian regime of dropping barrel bombs on residential areas and highlighted atrocities meted out by Islamic State members. 

"Reasonable grounds exist to believe that chemical agents, likely chlorine, were used on (northern Syrian villages) Kafr Zeita, al Tamana and Tal Minnis in eight incidents within a 10-day period in April," it said.

"Witnesses saw helicopters drop barrel bombs and smelled a scent akin to domestic chlorine immediately following impact," it pointed out.

President Assad was sworn in for another seven years in July

Victims suffered "symptoms compatible with exposure to chemical agents, namely vomiting, eye and skin irritation, choking and other respiratory problems".

It marks the first time the UN has assigned blame for the use of the chemical agent. 

Bashar al Assad and the opposition have accused each other of using chemical agents, including chlorine, in the bloody uprising, that began in March 2011.

The report also outlines atrocities being carried out by IS militants in Syria, including public executions, amputations, lashings and mock crucifixions.

The document describes beheadings of boys as young as 15 and men flogged for smoking or accompanying an "improperly dressed" female relative.

Women have been publicly lashed for not following the group's strict dress code, the report says.

IS is also recruiting and training children as young as 10, with teens being used in active combat and suicide-bombing missions, the report said.

"This is a continuation - and a geographic expansion - of the widespread and systematic attack on the civilian population," according to the report.

The four-member commission was created three years ago by the UN Human Rights Council to investigate abuses committed in the war.

Syria has said it is ready to cooperate with the international community in the fight against the militants who have taken over areas straddling both Iraq and Syria.

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Oz Mid-Air Emergency: Passenger Charged

Pilot Hailed A Hero After Mid-Air Fight Drama

Updated: 12:41pm UK, Tuesday 26 August 2014

By Jonathan Samuels, Australia Correspondent

A young pilot is being described as a hero for landing a light aircraft in a field after fighting off a passenger who tried to cut the plane's engine and grab the controls.

The mid-air drama happened in the skies over New South Wales, Australia, during a flight in a twin-engine aircraft.

It is alleged that the 82-year-old passenger on the charter flight flicked a switch in the cockpit to shut down the engine and then seized the control column.

The quick-thinking 23-year-old pilot issued a Mayday call and wrestled the man back into his seat. He restrained him and then managed to land the plane safely.

The passenger had booked the flight with Australia By Air from Sydney to Cowra, with the plane departing Bankstown Airport about 2pm on Monday.

The man, who apparently did not know the pilot, said he had booked the flight because he needed to go to the rural town to sign some papers, reported the ABC.

He was sitting next to the pilot in the four-seater aircraft.

Australia By Air managing director David Trevelyan praised the pilot saying he had issued an emergency 'Pan-Pan' announcement before landing safely.

A pan call is when the pilot is in trouble but not in a life-threatening situation.

"I would like to praise the actions of the pilot. He showed fantastic skill," Mr Trevelyan said.

"He did an excellent job in an amazingly difficult scenario ... and under tremendous pressure."

It was the first time Australia By Air had conducted a flight for the elderly man.

"Nothing about the guy made us suspicious," Mr Trevelyan told Sky News. "He walked in and said he wanted to go to Cowra to sign some papers, that would take 15 minutes and then he'd fly back. It was a very normal request for us."

With the engine cut, the pilot managed to glide the plane into the field.

Emergency services arrived at the field where the plane landed and immediately attended the two men.

The pilot's efforts left the elderly man with head and facial injuries.

The passenger was taken to Sydney's Westmead Hospital while the pilot was taken to Oberon Hospital suffering from shock and was released on Monday night.

Police will get the elderly man's version of events once he is fit enough to be questioned.

It is understood the pilot has been fully qualified for only two years.

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Mid-Air Emergency: Hero Pilot Fights Passenger

By Jonathan Samuels, Australia Correspondent

A young pilot is being described as a hero for landing a light aircraft in a field after fighting off a passenger who tried to cut the plane's engine and grab the controls.

The mid-air drama happened in the skies over New South Wales, Australia, during a flight in a twin-engine aircraft.

It is alleged that the 82-year-old passenger on the charter flight flicked a switch in the cockpit to shut down the engine and then seized the control column.

The quick-thinking 23-year-old pilot issued a Mayday call and wrestled the man back into his seat. He restrained him and then managed to land the plane safely.

The passenger had booked the flight with Australia By Air from Sydney to Cowra, with the plane departing Bankstown Airport about 2pm on Monday.

The plane was forced into an emergency landing

The man, who apparently did not know the pilot, said he had booked the flight because he needed to go to the rural town to sign some papers, reported the ABC.

He was sitting next to the pilot in the four-seater aircraft.

Australia By Air managing director David Trevelyan praised the pilot saying he had issued an emergency 'Pan-Pan' announcement before landing safely.

A pan call is when the pilot is in trouble but not in a life-threatening situation.

"I would like to praise the actions of the pilot. He showed fantastic skill," Mr Trevelyan said.

"He did an excellent job in an amazingly difficult scenario ... and under tremendous pressure."

It was the first time Australia By Air had conducted a flight for the elderly man.

The controls that were allegedly grabbed by the passenger

"Nothing about the guy made us suspicious," Mr Trevelyan told Sky News. "He walked in and said he wanted to go to Cowra to sign some papers, that would take 15 minutes and then he'd fly back. It was a very normal request for us."

With the engine cut, the pilot managed to glide the plane into the field.

Emergency services arrived at the field where the plane landed and immediately attended the two men.

The pilot's efforts left the elderly man with head and facial injuries.

The passenger was taken to Sydney's Westmead Hospital while the pilot was taken to Oberon Hospital suffering from shock and was released on Monday night.

Police will get the elderly man's version of events once he is fit enough to be questioned.

It is understood the pilot has been fully qualified for only two years.

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US Launches Surveillance Flights Over Syria

The US has begun surveillance flights over Syria, a move that could pave the way for airstrikes against Islamic State militant targets there.

President Barack Obama has authorised the missions in order to garner reliable intelligence in Syria.

The intelligence and surveillance flights include drones, which are unmanned, as well as manned aircraft. The AP news agency said the flights got under way early on Tuesday.

The US had already run some surveillance missions over Syria, but the current wave appears to focus on IS sites as possible targets.

The White House has said that Mr Obama has not approved military action inside Syria, but Pentagon officials have been drafting potential options for the president, including airstrikes.

Mr Obama has been wary of any military intervention in Syria

Mr Obama has long resisted taking military action in Syria, even as the US began strikes against the Islamist group inside Iraq earlier this month.

He is wary of involvement in a country ravaged by a protracted civil war.

Mr Obama is also concerned launching airstrikes against the militants could unintentionally help embattled Syrian President Bashar Assad, whose regime the US has denounced.

Syria said on Monday any US airstrikes without consent from Damascus would be considered an aggression.

But Mr Obama's resolve to go after IS, the militant group formerly known as ISIS and ISIL, appears to have strengthened in recent weeks.

He has cited the threat to American personnel in the country and a humanitarian crisis.

The US has also been shaken by the beheading of American journalist James Foley by an IS militant.

James Foley, 40, was remembered in a memorial service on Monday

The group is also threatening to kill Steven Sotloff, another American journalist, and other US citizens held captive in Syria.

General Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said last week IS would eventually need to be addressed on "both sides of what is essentially at this point a non-existent border" between Syria and Iraq.

White House spokesman Josh Earnest insisted on Monday the president has demonstrated his willingness to order military action when necessary to protect American citizens.

"That is true without regard to international boundaries," he said.

The US ran surveillance missions over Syria ahead of an attempted mission to rescue Mr Foley and other US hostages this summer.

That mission failed, possibly due to imprecise intelligence, as the hostages had already been transferred by the time the special forces launched the raid.

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Ukraine: The Story On The Russian Soldiers

Russian Paratroopers 'Captured' In Ukraine

Updated: 1:11pm UK, Tuesday 26 August 2014

Ukraine's security service has released video footage purportedly showing 10 Russian paratroopers who were captured by the army in the war-torn east of the country.

The UBS said it had opened a criminal probe after soldiers from the 98th airborne division based in central Russia were detained near the village of Dzerkalne, around 30 miles (50km) from rebel-held Donetsk.

A Ukrainian military spokesman said the men were on a "special mission".

But Russian military sources quoted by state news agencies have claimed the soldiers crossed the border by mistake.

The videos emerged as Ukranian President Petro Poroshenko and Russian leader Vladimir Putin met for the first time in months and shook hands ahead of a meeting with top EU officials in Belarus.

In footage posted on the official Facebook page of the Ukrainian government's "anti-terrorist operation," the men were shown dressed in camouflage fatigues.

One of them, who identified himself as Ivan Melchyakov, listed his personal details, including the name of the paratroop regiment he said is based in the Russian town of Kostroma.

"I did not see where we crossed the border. They just told us we were going on a 70-kilometre march over three days," he said.

"Everything is different here, not like they show it on television. We've come as cannon fodder," he said in the video.

Ukraine's Defence Minister Valeriy Geletey said the soldiers were captured on Monday.

"Officially they are at exercises in various corners of Russia.

"In reality, they are participating in military aggression against Ukraine and their families know nothing about their true fate.

"I am addressing the relatives of Russian servicemen: find out immediately where your loved ones are. Take them out of Ukraine, where they are being forced to die."

Alexander Lukashenko, president of host nation Belarus, said a major breakthrough in today's talks was unlikely, but the talks could help to kickstart a peace process.

Even as the Ukrainian president landed outside Minsk, his country's military said an attack by Russian separatists on the town of Novoazovsk was ongoing.

A spokesman said a hospital was on fire and 12 Ukrainian service personnel had been killed in the last 24 hours - while government forces had destroyed 12 armoured infantry carriers in the area using artillery and aircraft.

Kiev also claimed four guards were killed in an attack on a border post by Russian MI-24 helicopters on Monday.

Mr Poroshenko has pledged to "talk peace" with President Putin, but insists the withdrawal of pro-Kremlin forces is the only way to end the conflict.

Kiev has accused its neighbour of stoking the separatist insurgency but this is the first time authorities have claimed to have captured Russian soldiers.

Moscow continues to deny any involvement in the rebellion.

Russian tanks and armoured vehicles are reported to have crossed the border near the towns of Shcherbak and Novoazovsk.

Associated Press reporters say they saw three similar military convoys driving through the town of Krasnodon last week, coming from the direction of Russia.

Mr Poroshneko has dissolved Ukraine's parliament and called early elections, accusing some politicians of supporting the rebels in the conflict, which has left more than 2,000 dead.

"Snap parliament polls are part of my peace plan," he said, adding a change of leadership was vital to stop the fighting.

Meanwhile, Moscow has announced plans to send another aid convoy into eastern Ukraine "this week".

Russia unilaterally sent about 230 lorries carrying what it claimed was 1,800 tonnes of humanitarian aid to the rebel-held city of Luhansk on Friday.

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Putin And Poroshenko Handshake At 'Peace Talks'

Ukraine's security service has released video footage purportedly showing 10 Russian paratroopers who were captured by the army in the war-torn east of the country.

The UBS said it had opened a criminal probe after soldiers from the 98th airborne division based in central Russia were detained near the village of Dzerkalne, around 30 miles (50km) from rebel-held Donetsk.

A Ukrainian military spokesman said the men were on a "special mission".

But Russian military sources quoted by state news agencies have claimed the soldiers crossed the border by mistake.

Ukraine's President Poroshenko arrives in Belarus for crucial talks

The videos emerged as Ukranian President Petro Poroshenko and Russian leader Vladimir Putin met for the first time in months and shook hands ahead of a meeting with top EU officials in Belarus.

In footage posted on the official Facebook page of the Ukrainian government's "anti-terrorist operation," the men were shown dressed in camouflage fatigues.

One of them, who identified himself as Ivan Melchyakov, listed his personal details, including the name of the paratroop regiment he said is based in the Russian town of Kostroma.

Vladimir Putin disembarks from his plane in Belarus

"I did not see where we crossed the border. They just told us we were going on a 70-kilometre march over three days," he said.

"Everything is different here, not like they show it on television. We've come as cannon fodder," he said in the video.

Ukraine's Defence Minister Valeriy Geletey said the soldiers were captured on Monday.

"Officially they are at exercises in various corners of Russia.

"In reality, they are participating in military aggression against Ukraine and their families know nothing about their true fate.

"I am addressing the relatives of Russian servicemen: find out immediately where your loved ones are. Take them out of Ukraine, where they are being forced to die."

Alexander Lukashenko, president of host nation Belarus, said a major breakthrough in today's talks was unlikely, but the talks could help to kickstart a peace process.

Separatists walk in front of garages set ablaze by shelling in Donetsk

Even as the Ukrainian president landed outside Minsk, his country's military said an attack by Russian separatists on the town of Novoazovsk was ongoing.

A spokesman said a hospital was on fire and 12 Ukrainian service personnel had been killed in the last 24 hours - while government forces had destroyed 12 armoured infantry carriers in the area using artillery and aircraft.

Kiev also claimed four guards were killed in an attack on a border post by Russian MI-24 helicopters on Monday.

Mr Poroshenko has pledged to "talk peace" with President Putin, but insists the withdrawal of pro-Kremlin forces is the only way to end the conflict.

Kiev has accused its neighbour of stoking the separatist insurgency but this is the first time authorities have claimed to have captured Russian soldiers.

Ukrainian soldiers inspect their bus, which was destroyed in fighting

Moscow continues to deny any involvement in the rebellion.

Russian tanks and armoured vehicles are reported to have crossed the border near the towns of Shcherbak and Novoazovsk.

Associated Press reporters say they saw three similar military convoys driving through the town of Krasnodon last week, coming from the direction of Russia.

Mr Poroshneko has dissolved Ukraine's parliament and called early elections, accusing some politicians of supporting the rebels in the conflict, which has left more than 2,000 dead.

"Snap parliament polls are part of my peace plan," he said, adding a change of leadership was vital to stop the fighting.

Meanwhile, Moscow has announced plans to send another aid convoy into eastern Ukraine "this week".

Russia unilaterally sent about 230 lorries carrying what it claimed was 1,800 tonnes of humanitarian aid to the rebel-held city of Luhansk on Friday.

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California Quake Damaged Wine-Making Industry

Authorities are cleaning up after a powerful earthquake shook California at the weekend, as wine makers assess the damage to their industry.

The 6.0-magnitude quake early Sunday morning left 130 people hurt and damaged homes and roads across northern California.

No deaths were reported but three people were seriously injured, including a child who is fighting for life after being crushed by a falling fireplace.

Governor Jerry Brown has declared a state of emergency as the quake sparked fires, burst water mains, caused gas leaks and cracked roads.

Napa is California's best-known wine-making region

The earthquake came at a bad time for the wine-producing Napa Valley region, which has just started harvesting the 2014 crop.

"It's devastating. I've never seen anything like this," said Tom Montgomery, a wine-maker for BR Cohn Winery in Glen Ellen.

The winery - which focuses on high-end wines that retail between $40 and $100 a bottle - may have lost up to 50% of its wine.

"It's not just good wine we lost, it's our best wine," Mr Montgomery told the AP news agency.

The quake epicentre was just six miles southwest of Napa, a city of 77,000 that has become a major tourist destination thanks to the wine industry.

The earthquake started several fires

Many residents of the area were roused from sleep in a state of panic.

Brick facades gave way in the historic section of downtown Napa, and on the main street masonry collapsed onto a car.

Portions of the city's downtown were cordoned off with yellow tape.

One building housing winery tasting rooms had to be closed to tourists, and the floors of many wine stores were stained red from the contents of broken wine bottles.

Tyler Paradise, general manager of Cult 24 wine bar in Napa, estimated his business lost $50,000 worth of bottles that spilled out of cabinets and littered the floor.

The tremor was the largest in the area for 25 years

As dawn broke, merchants were on the streets sweeping up debris and boarding up windows.

Authorities are still adding up the damage to the industry, but it is expected to be significant.

Even the wine in barrels that was not damaged by the quake may have problems, because the barrels are supposed to be kept as still as possible.

Napa produces only 4% of California's total wine crop, but is credited with $50bn in economic activity per year and its wines are considered among the best in the world, selling for a premium price.

Across northern California, fire destroyed four mobile homes and damaged two others at a trailer park, while crews extinguished blazes in two other residential neighbourhoods.

A large crack in the road in Napa Valley

Sixty water-main breaks occurred following the quake, which struck near American Canyon some 40 miles (64km) northeast of San Francisco.

The US Geological Survey said the earthquake was the most powerful to hit the San Francisco Bay area since the 1989 6.9-magnitude Loma Prieta earthquake.

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Teen's Dad Calls For Peace Ahead Of Funeral

Timeline Of Missouri Unrest

Updated: 11:47am UK, Monday 25 August 2014

Sky News looks at crucial events in the wake of the shooting death of Michael Brown, which sparked protests in Ferguson, Missouri.

Here is a timeline:

:: August 9: Michael Brown is shot to death by police in Ferguson, a predominantly black suburb of St Louis, Missouri.

Police say the shooting took place during a scuffle where Mr Brown was shot multiple times. 

At least two witnesses say Mr Brown had his hands raised when the officer fired at him repeatedly.

:: August 10: St Louis County Police Chief Joe Belmar says Mr Brown was unarmed.

Violence erupts in the streets of Ferguson after a peaceful candlelight vigil. Several businesses are vandalised and looted.

:: August 11: Protests continue, with demonstrators demanding justice for Mr Brown.

The Justice Department announces an investigation.

Twitter users complain of alleged racial bias in the media portrayal of Mr Brown, and the hashtag "IfTheyGunnedMeDown" goes viral.

The teen's family appeal for calm and demand justice for their son. The family hire lawyer Benjamin Crump, who also represented the family of Trayvon Martin, the unarmed black teen who was shot dead in 2012 in Florida.

:: August 12: Police say death threats have been received and they withhold releasing the name of the officer who shot at Mr Brown.

President Barack Obama appeals for calm in his first statement on the case.

Protests continue.

:: August 13: Police say the officer involved in the shooting was injured in the confrontation.

Police chief Tom Jackson says "race relations are our top priority".

At violent protests during the night, two reporters are briefly detained by police. They are later released without any charges.

:: August 14: Mr Obama addresses the nation and urges calm, saying there is "no excuse" for "excessive force" by Missouri police.

The Missouri governor, Jay Nixon, names a State Highway Patrol captain to assume control of security in Ferguson. Captain Ron Johnson is an African-American who was born and raised in the area.

Peaceful demonstrations return to Ferguson as thousands of Americans hold rallies in 90 cities, including New York and Los Angeles, in memory of Mr Brown.

:: August 15: Police name Darren Wilson as the officer who shot Mr Brown. Mr Wilson is a six-year police veteran who had no previous complaints against him.

Police also give details of a robbery at a local convenience store that took place moments before the shooting. Documents distributed by police name Mr Brown as a suspect.

Violent protests resume.

:: August 16: Mr Nixon declares a state of emergency and imposes a curfew. But that fails to quell demonstrators, who clash with police in riot gear.

:: August 17: Attorney General Eric Holder orders a separate federal autopsy on the teen.

Mr Nixon tells CBS' Face The Nation that releasing CCTV video of the robbery "had an incendiary effect".

A private autopsy performed at the request of Mr Brown's family finds that the teen was shot at least six times, including twice in the head, according to the New York Times.

As protests continue, Mr Nixon announces the deployment of the National Guard.

:: August 18: Police clash with protesters overnight yet again, leading to 31 arrests.

Capt Johnson says bottles and Molotov cocktails were thrown from the crowd and two guns were confiscated from protesters. At least two people were shot.

Some of those arrested came from as far away as New York and California.

:: August 19: Tensions rise after "knife-wielding" suspect is been shot dead by police in north St Louis, some four miles from Ferguson, 

Despite fewer protesters in Missouri than in previous nights, police charge crowds and arrest 47 people.

:: August 20: Attorney General Eric Holder visits Ferguson, where he holds a private meeting with Mr Brown's parents.

He delivers a briefing on the Justice Department investigation into the killing and tells community leaders he understands why black people do not trust police, recalling being pulled over twice while in his car and accused of speeding.

:: August 22: As protests calm down, the National Guard begins a partial withdrawal.

:: August 25: Mr Brown's funeral in St Louis.

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Ukraine Troops Battle Rebel Armoured Convoy

Ukraine says its forces have clashed with a rebel armoured column it claims crossed the border from Russia.

The military said border guards were engaged in a battle with around 50 vehicles, including tanks, near the southeastern town of Novoazovsk, as it headed toward the port city of Mariupol.

The latest violence came as Moscow announced plans to send a second controversial aid convoy to rebel-held eastern Ukraine in a move which threatens to further escalate the bloody conflict.

There was heavy criticism of an earlier unauthorised Russian convoy

An earlier column of more than 200 trucks sent across the border by Moscow, with a cargo of what was said to be aid, without permission was branded by the government in Kiev as a "direct invasion", and was heavily criticised by the West.

There are concerns the aid convoy is a move to assist the insurgency or be used as a pretext to invade, but Russia insists it is to help the stricken region.

The continuing unrest comes on the eve of crucial talks between the Russian and Ukrainian presidents on Tuesday in a bid to find a diplomatic solution to defuse tensions, and end the deadly crisis.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said the aim was to "help Ukrainians agree among themselves".

But at the same time he ramped up tensions with plans to send a second aid convoy to eastern Ukraine.

Ukrainian prisoners were displayed in Donetsk in mockery of a Kiev parade

Mr Lavrov said: "The humanitarian situation is not improving but deteriorating."

Kiev is also likely to have been antagonised by Mr Lavrov's comments that there was nothing demeaning about parading Ukrainian prisoners through the rebel-held city of Donetsk.

There was condemnation after pro-Russian separatists displayed captives before baying crowds in mockery of the country's Independence Day celebrations in Kiev.

The captives were followed by rubbish trucks to "clean" where they had walked.

Germany has said it was quite likely a war crime.

A foreign ministry spokesman said: "It is completely distasteful and it's just not done."

But Mr Lavrov said: "I saw images of that parade and I didn't see anything close to what could be considered as humiliating."

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Zimbabwe: Mugabe Makes State Visit To China

Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe has been welcomed with full military honours on a five-day state visit to China, during which he hopes to secure more investment in his country's ailing economy.

Africa's oldest leader was greeted by his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping at the Great Hall of the People fronting Tiananmen Square in the heart of Beijing.

A military band played the two countries' national anthems as a 21-gun salute was fired and the two presidents inspected a military honour guard.

Zimbabwe's state-owned Sunday Mail newspaper at the weekend quoted his spokesman George Charamba saying he was "largely looking for investment of an infrastructure nature", with the focus on energy and transport.

The country's links with China and the Communist Party date back to the liberation struggle of the 1970s, when Beijing provided arms and trained some of the top guerrilla leaders.

It is Mr Mugabe's 13th trip to China.

President Xi hailed Mr Mugabe a "renowned leader of the African national liberation movement" and "an old friend of the Chinese people".

He said: "The traditional friendship between China and Zimbabwe was forged in the glorious years when we stood shoulder to shoulder against imperialism, colonialism and hegemony.

"The Chinese people value friendship and we will never forget those good friends and good brothers who have shown mutual understanding and support vis-a-vis China and who have come through thick and thin with us."

The remarks by the head of the world's second-largest economy were unusually effusive compared to the usual Chinese diplomatic formality.

Mr Mugabe said he felt "very much at home", and thanked President Xi for the invitation which reminded him of the past and "brings our past to the present".

The 90-year-old has led Zimbabwe since it gained independence from Britain in 1980.

But his rule has become synonymous with corruption and mismanagement, leading to hyperinflation and economic stagnation, along with brutal crackdowns against political opponents.

There was a partial recovery during a power-sharing agreement with the Movement for Democratic Change, but this ended last year when Mr Mugabe's Zanu-PF party won the disputed election amid claims of vote-rigging.

Independent economists estimate unemployment, in what was once known as the breadbasket of Africa, stands at 80%.

The EU and US imposed sanctions against Mr Mugabe and his allies as he turned into a Western pariah, while he adopted a "look east" policy, forging closer ties with east Asian countries including China.

Chinese investment in Zimbabwe in non-financial sectors was more than $602m (£363m) last year, according to the official Xinhua news agency - more than any other African country.

Chinese companies are active in mining, construction, telecommunication and agriculture in Zimbabwe.

Mr Mugabe was behind Zimbabwe's controversial seizure of white-owned land, and the country has a law requiring foreign firms to hand over 51% of their shares to black Zimbabweans, although it is not known how this affects Chinese investors.

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Video Shows Collapse Of 12-Storey Gaza Tower

Amateur video footage has emerged of the moment an apartment building in downtown Gaza City was hit by Israeli missiles.

Huge fireballs can be seen erupting after the missiles strike the 12-storey Zafer Tower, part of a group of high rises in the Tel al Hawa neighbourhood.

The building collapses in a cloud of smoke shortly afterwards.

Some 100,000 Gazans have become homeless, with more than 17,000 homes destroyed or damaged beyond repair so far during the conflict, says the UN.

However, Saturday's incident is the first time an entire apartment building has been destroyed.

Smoke billows from the collapsed apartments

The Israeli military said the target was a Hamas operations room in the building, but did not say why the whole tower with 44 apartments was brought down.

Police in Gaza said a warning missile was fired five minutes before impact and some residents were able to get out of the building in time.

Gaza hospital officials said 22 people were wounded, including 11 children and five women.

Resident Maher Abu Sedo said two strikes came within seconds of each other.

"People started shouting Allahu Akbar, and women and kids were screaming," he said.

A warning missile was fired by Israel five minutes before impact

"This is crazy. The state of Israel has resorted to madness.

"In less than a minute, 44 families have become displaced... They lost everything, their house, their money, their memories and their security."

Elsewhere in Gaza, an Israeli airstrike killed two Palestinians in the enclave on Sunday as militants in Gaza kept up rocket fire.

The pace of Israeli raids was slower than Saturday when at least 60 strikes pounded Gaza.

They came after a shell from the territory hit a farming village in southern Israel and killed a four-year-old boy.

Firemen at the scene of the mortar attack that killed a four-year-old boy

Israeli media reported that many residents of communities near the Gaza border were leaving their homes to head for safer areas following the death in the Nahal Oz kibbutz.

Since the fighting began on July 8, Israel has launched some 5,000 airstrikes on Gaza, while militants have fired almost 4,000 rockets and mortars, according to Israel.

More than 2,100 Palestinians, the majority of them civilians, have been killed, according to the UN and Palestinian health officials.

Sixty-four Israeli soldiers and four civilians have also died.

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Ukraine Military Parade On Independence Day

Ukraine is marking 23 years of independence from the Soviet Union with a military parade in Kiev - as fighting continues to rage in the east of the country between government forces and pro-Russian separatists.

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has told a crowd of thousands in the capital Kiev that the country would face a military threat "for the foreseeable future", and pledged $3bn (£1.8bn) to re-equip his nation's forces.

"It is clear that in the foreseeable future, unfortunately, a constant military threat will hang over Ukraine," he said.

President Petro Poroshenko has pledged to re-equip his nation's military

"And we need to learn not only to live with this, but also to be always prepared to defend the independence of our country."

He added: "I am convinced that the battle for Ukraine, for independence, will be our success.

"War has come to us from over the horizon where it was never expected.

"In the 21st century, in the centre of Europe, there is a flagrant attempt to breach the border of a sovereign state without declaring war.

Wreaths were laid to those killed in the winter protests in Kiev

"It is as if the world has returned to the 1930s, the eve of World War II."

Wreaths were also laid to those killed in the winter protests which forced former pro-Moscow president Viktor Yanukovych from power.

His overthrow led to the Russian invasion of Crimea, and triggered the current unrest in the east.

Many of those attending the event in Kiev wore the national colours of blue and yellow and sang the national anthem as the country's flag was raised.

The bloody conflict in eastern Ukraine has killed an estimated 2,000 people

Oleksandr Kaplya said: "It is a demonstration of the unity and independence of Ukraine. We want to show the world that we are one."

Shortly before the parade got under way, shelling struck a hospital in the rebel-held eastern city of Donetsk.

The morgue bore the brunt of the attack, taking a direct hit.

Stunned patients, being treated in nearby buildings, looked on as separatist fighters inspected the scene.

Rocket attacks on Donetsk have become common as government troops seek to drive out rebel forces, causing several hundred thousand civilians to flee.

A hospital building in the rebel-held city of Donetsk was hit by shell fire

German Chancellor Angela Merkel visited Kiev on Saturday and pushed for a new ceasefire in crisis talks with Mr Poroshenko.

During her trip, Ms Merkel called for a "bilateral ceasefire and effective border controls" to help stop four months of fighting in Ukraine.

Her visit came ahead of crucial talks on Tuesday between Mr Poroshenko and Russian President Vladimir Putin alongside top EU officials.

Tensions surged on Friday when Russia sent a convoy of trucks it said was carrying aid to the rebel-held city Luhansk in an unauthorised move Kiev described as a "direct invasion".

The West sharply rebuked Russia over the convoy, which left on Saturday, with Washington describing it as a "dangerous escalation".

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UK Steps Up Help For Kurds Amid Massacre Fears

Britain will supply Kurdish forces with "non-lethal" equipment, including night-vision goggles and body armour, in their fight against militants in northern Iraq.

No 10 said the Government was stepping up its efforts to help defeat Islamic State (IS) by also appointing a special representative to the country's Kurdistan region.

Security envoy Lieutenant General Sir Simon Mayall will support Kurdish and wider Iraqi efforts to counter IS and work with Iraq's leaders as they try to establish a unity government.

He will travel to the country next week to meet political chiefs in Baghdad and the Kurdistan regional government in Irbil to encourage all sides to unite against IS, formerly known as ISIS or ISIL.

Some of the Kurdish forces who are taking on Islamic State

Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond has said the Government was investing "significant resources" to tackle "a barbaric ideology".

And he warned that if the IS militants are not stopped in Iraq and Syria "sooner or later they will seek to strike us on British soil".

It comes as the United Nations warned of a "possible massacre" in an Iraqi town which has been besieged by IS insurgents.

The UN's special envoy to the country said immediate action was needed to protect 17,000 people in Amerli.

Nickolay Mladenov said reports "confirm that people are surviving in desperate conditions" and there is "unspeakable suffering".

Shia Turkmen residents of the town, in the Salaheddin province north of Baghdad, have been cut off from food and water supplies by IS for months.

An IS fighter in the city of Mosul

Sky's Stuart Ramsay, reporting from Kalar, about 25 miles from Amerli, said: "We understand the Iraqi military is north and south of the town and it is claimed they are attempting to get in to try and relieve the people who are in pretty terrible conditions.

"No food, no water and running very low on ammunition. How they have been holding out against IS I simply cannot imagine. I suspect IS have not tried to go in with any great force because they are well-organised and extremely well-armed."

Thousands of Kurdish peshmerga forces have been fighting Sunni extremists around northeastern towns including Jalula and Sa'dya, which have been controlled by IS for weeks.

Meanwhile, at least 30 people were killed on Saturday in explosions in Baghdad and the northern city of Kirkuk, where three blasts went off in a crowded commercial area.

In the capital, a suicide bomber drove a car full of explosives into the gate of the intelligence headquarters in the Karrada district - killing civilians and security personnel.

In Irbil, the capital of the Kurdistan region, local media said a car bomb had exploded.

After pouring in from Syria across a desert border that it does not recognise, IS has taken over large parts of both countries and declared its own caliphate.

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Iceland: Bardarbunga Risk Level Lowered

Iceland has lowered the aviation risk from the Bardarbunga volcano from the highest to the second-highest level.

The Civil Protection Department says there is no immediate threat of an eruption.

However, seismic activity continues at the subglacial volcano, which has been hit by thousands of earthquakes over the past week.

On Saturday Iceland raised the alert level from orange to red, warning an ash-emitting eruption could be imminent.

It followed an eruption under a glacier about 15 miles (25km) from the Bardarbunga range.

The decision to lower the alert level comes after two more earthquakes shook the Bardarbunga volcano overnight.

Iceland's Met Office said in a statement a magnitude 5.3 quake at a depth of three miles (5km) struck after midnight.

Another, with a magnitude of about 5, followed about five hours later.

"These are the strongest events measured since the onset of the seismic crisis at Bardarbunga and the strongest since 1996,"

the Met Office said on its website.

But there was no sign of any eruption at Bardarbunga, it insisted.

It added: "Probably, earthquakes near the Bardarbunga caldera are a consequence of adjustment to changes in pressure because of the flow of magma from under the caldera into the dyke which stretches to Dyngjujokull."

There have been thousands of small earthquakes over the past week at Bardarbunga, which is Iceland's largest volcanic system and located under the ice cap of a glacier.

It is in a different range to Eyjafjallajokull, which erupted in 2010, throwing up a huge cloud of ash which caused massive disruption to airlines.

More follows...

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