IS Threatens To Kill American Hostage Next

By Dominic Waghorn, US Correspondent

Islamic State (IS) has threatened to kill American hostage Peter Kassig next, after releasing a video showing the murder of British aid convoy volunteer Alan Henning.

The former soldier appeared at the end of a YouTube clip which showed the killing of Mr Henning by IS, which is also known as ISIS or ISIL.

An IS fighter says in the video: "Obama, you have started your aerial bombardment in Sham. So it's only right we continue to strike the necks of your people."

Speaking after the video was released, President Barack Obama said: "The United States strongly condemns the brutal murder of United Kingdom citizen Alan Henning by the terrorist group ISIL.

"Mr Henning worked to help improve the lives of the Syrian people and his death is a great loss for them, for his family and the people of the United Kingdom.

"Standing together with our UK friends and allies, we will work to bring the perpetrators of Alan's murder - as well as the murders of Jim Foley, Steven Sotloff and David Haines - to justice.

Peter Kassig set up his own charity to deliver aid to Syrians

"Standing together with a broad coalition of allies and partners, we will continue taking decisive action to degrade and ultimately destroy ISIL."

Lisa Monaco, Homeland Security adviser to the White House, described Mr Henning's murder as "yet another clear example of the brutality of this group", which has previously killed two American journalists - James Foley and Steven Sotloff.

Video: 'Another Example Of IS Brutality'

Mr Kassig, who is in his mid-20s and from Indiana, went to the region to volunteer in hospitals in Lebanon after serving in Iraq.

After spending time in Lebanon, Mr Kassig then set up his own charity to deliver aid to Syrians - Special Emergency Response and Assistance (SERA).

Mr Kassig was undertaking a project for SERA when he was detained on 1 October 2013 on his way to Deir Ezzour in eastern Syria.

Video: IS Hostage Alan Henning Beheaded

His family say that Mr Kassig has converted to Islam since being captured and has taken on the first name Abdul-Rahman.

Former hostages have told them that his faith has given him comfort in captivity.

In a statement his parents, Ed and Paula Kassig, said: "The Kassig family extends our concern for the family of Alan Henning.

Video: Terry Waite: Beheading 'Tragic'

"We have read about his work and his generous character with great respect and admiration.

"We ask everyone around the world to pray for the Henning family, for our son, and for the release of all innocent people being held hostage in the Middle East and around the globe."

SERA has suspended operations while efforts continue to secure Mr Kassig's release.

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PM Vows Justice For Alan Henning's Killers

David Cameron has vowed to do "everything we can" to "hunt down" Alan Henning's killers and bring them to justice.

Mr Cameron, who arrived back in the UK on Friday night after visiting troops in Iraq, has been meeting with officials from the Foreign Office, intelligence agencies and the military at Chequers, his official country residence.

He said: "We must do everything we can to hunt down and find the people who are responsible for this."

And he added: "We will use all the assets we have as we have been up to now to try and find these hostages, to try and help these hostages, to help their families and do everything we can to defeat this organisation which is utterly ruthless, senseless and barbaric in the way it treats people."

The Prime Minister also paid tribute to Mr Henning for his "kindness, peacefulness and gentleness".

Video: Even Al Qaeda Could Not Free Alan

Labour leader Ed Miliband said: "We will do everything we can to support the efforts of the Government to bring those guilty of this terrible act to justice."

A video lasting one minute and 11 seconds and titled Another Message To America And Its Allies, was posted on YouTube on Friday evening.

It shows Mr Henning, a taxi-driver who was captured on an aid mission in Syria on Boxing Day, kneeling in front of a knife-wielding militant in a desert setting before being beheaded in front of the camera.

Video: Latest Analysis: Sky's Joey Jones

Mr Henning, who is dressed in red, says: "I am Alan Henning. Because of our Parliament's decision to attack the Islamic State, I, as a member of the British public, will now pay the price for that decision."

The masked killer, who speaks with a British accent and is believed to be the man responsible for previous beheadings, makes a direct statement to Mr Cameron: "The blood of David Haines was on your hands, Cameron. Alan Henning will also be slaughtered, but his blood is on the hands of the British Parliament."

Last week MPs voted by a majority of 481 to join the US-led coalition and take part in airstrikes against Islamic State fighters in Iraq.

Video: Eccles Pastor: 'It's Gut-wrenching'

At the end of the video another hostage, a former US soldier turned charity worker believed to be Peter Edward Kassig, is paraded in front of the cameras. The militant in the video says Mr Kassig will be the next victim.

French president Francois Hollande spoke of his "outrage" at the killing, US president Barack Obama condemned the "brutal murder", and the United Nations Security Council described it as "heinous and cowardly".

The UK Muslim community condemned Mr Henning's murder, which came on the eve of the Islamic festival Eid Al-Adha - the "great day of mercy".

Video: Terry Waite: Beheading 'Tragic'

Leaders said it was a "cowardly and criminal act" and called for action to be taken to bring the terrorists to justice. They say they are struggling to understand why disaffected young people born and brought up in Britain are travelling to Syria to join Islamic State fighters.

There are fears the beheadings could lead to a backlash against the Muslim community.

Mr Henning's wife Barbara had made a number of emotional appeals to her husband's captors urging them to release him - most recently after they issued footage of him begging for his life.

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1. Gallery: Profile: Alan Henning

   Alan Henning, 47, was born in Salford, Greater Manchester. Friends gave him the nickname "gadget" due to his love of technology

2. He was married for 23 years and he had a teenage son and daughter

3. He worked as a self-employed taxi driver

4. Mr Henning saw the plight of Syrian people and volunteered with a Muslim charity. He had been to the region at least three times

5. He drove life-saving medical equipment from the UK to Syria in old ambulances. He left in December 2013 to make the 4,000-mile trip

6. He was kidnapped by IS in Syria by masked men. He may have been held in Ad Dana near Aleppo, then Raqqa

In her appeal, Mrs Henning said: "Some say wrong time, wrong place. Alan was volunteering with his Muslim friends to help the people of Syria. He was in the right place doing the right thing."

Bill Green, a pastor in Mr Henning's home town of Eccles, said the news had been "gut-wrenching" for the close-knit community. 

Kasim Jameel, from Bolton, who was with Mr Henning on the convoys, said: "Everyone that knew him from the convoys just can't stop crying, grown men with beards. We keep expecting him to come round the corner, and say, 'I was only joking'."

Video: Wife Pleaded For Henning's Release

It comes as Bilal Abdul Kareem, who played part in the initial negotiations for Mr Henning's release when the father-of-two was first captured during an aid delivery in Syria, told Sky News even al Qaeda had tried to convince Islamic State fighters to release him.

He said the terrorist group had tried to negotiate with the jihadists and added that even they had thought taking British aid workers hostages was "not a good idea".

:: Full coverage now on Sky News – watch Sky 501, Virgin Media 602, Freesat 202, Freeview 132.

Video: UK Muslims 'Disgusted'

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IS Beheadings Provoke 'Clash Of Civilizations'

Twenty one years ago American historian Samuel Huntingdon famously argued that the world was heading towards a "Clash of Civilizations" between Islam and the Christian democratic West.

Some critics dismissed his argument as a fumbling towards a new enemy now that the Cold War was over.

But he had a good student living in the caves of Afghanistan and on 9/11 Osama bin Laden proved Huntingdon's point.

Within days the United States had come out with a "you're either with us or with the terrorists" slogan, announced the War on Terror, and began invasion plans not only for Afghanistan but Iraq too.

From the perspective of many followers of Islam the WoT very quickly began to look more like a War on Muslims - the clash was underway. 

Turkish soldiers on the Syrian border near the southeastern town of Suruc

Defence spending soared in the West. Spy agencies' budgets enjoyed a bonanza.

Rights preventing detention without trial were undermined, habeas corpus came under threat, America began using drones to conduct extrajudicial executions of alleged terrorist enemies (including of its own citizens) in Pakistan, the Yemen and Somalia.

Video: Alan Henning Beheaded In IS Video

The argument was, and remains, that al Qaeda and its franchise posed a strategic threat to American and European interests.

It did not, and is many decades from being in a position to do so.

Notwithstanding the mass killings in London on 7/7, the Madrid bombings and other atrocities, al Qaeda cannot cut fuel supplies, disrupt trade routes, and cripple economies.

That kind of war against the West could only conceivably be carried out by the Russian commonwealth, China, or both.

Indeed the WoT has exposed weaknesses in the West's combat potential and political structures that play into the hands of strategic rivals.

By the end of the noughties the war in Iraq was over. This year the Afghan campaign is due to end.

Video: Even Al Qaeda Could Not Free Alan

The WoT had gone out of fashion and the Clash of Civilizations caused by the Bush administration's overreaction to al Qaeda began to look like a tense standoff.

Then along came Islamic State. It's found a new way to cause overreaction - the televised beheading of Westerners.

Specifically, of those who had already risked their lives to expose the suffering of ordinary Muslims in Syria, who had in large part been abandoned by the West in the revolution against Bashar al Assad.

It's perfectly normal to feel a visceral rage at the murder of Alan Henning and his fellow hostages, to demand their killers and the structures behind them be annihilated.

But attack is precisely what IS wishes to provoke - to keep the Clash alive.

So far their tactic has had strategic effect. With no serious threat to the West, IS has provoked the US, and her allies into airstrikes across Iraq and Syria.

Video: IS Threatens To Kill US Hostage

In Iraq they may hold IS back - but in Syria they are little more than punishment raids that have resulted in new recruits to IS and a reinforcement of Mr Assad's military standing.

They have reinvigorated the Clash of Civilizations without any prospect of success. That will only come when the two civilizations comprehend mutual respect - a very distant prospect.

Rudyard Kipling wrote: "East is East and West is West and never the twain shall meet".

It's often forgotten that he added: "But there is neither East nor West, Border, nor Breed, nor Birth,

"When two strong men stand face to face, though they come from the end of the earth!"

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Even Al Qaeda Tried To Free Alan Henning

A filmmaker, who was involved in the early negotiations to free Alan Henning, has told Sky News how even al Qaeda thought holding him hostage was "not a good idea".

The terrorist group sent a member to bargain with the Islamic State fighters holding him but failed to secure his release.

The al Qaeda member, who was sent to bargain with the Manchester taxi driver's captors, said the jihadists were "difficult" and "tough".

Delivering aid to the suffering in Syria. Pic: Cage

Bilal Abdul Kareem told how Mr Henning, who was helping to make an aid delivery in Syria, was captured just an hour after arriving in al-Dana, around 30 minutes from the Turkish border, on Boxing Day.

He said Islamic State fighters had arrived in the town and detained all of those in the convoy but quickly released the Muslim members, holding only Mr Henning.

Video: Cameron Condemns Henning Murder

Mr Kareem said when Mr Henning was first taken he was set to be released later that day or even the next but when that did not happen people started to worry.

Then the jihadists claimed the 47-year-old, father-of-two as their prisoner and said they were planning to exchange him for people in British custody.

Mr Kareem said: "They had a course of action that they were going to take and nobody was going to be able to talk them out of it.

Video: PM Pledges 'All Assets' Against IS

"Even al Qaeda affiliates al Nusra went there to talk to them because nobody outside of ISIS thought this was a good idea, nobody thought that it was OK to do this, none of the other groups were doing that, nobody thought it was a good idea.

"When the al Qaeda representative went to go down and try to talk to them he returned, his face was different, he said something to the effect these guys are really being difficult, really being tough but they did say that they were going to release him.

"Everybody was anticipating that but that never happened."

Video: UK Muslims 'Disgusted'

On Friday the terrorists posted a video of Mr Henning's killing. In it he is pictured kneeling in front of a masked man, who speaks with a British accent and is believed to be the man responsible for previous beheadings.

The man makes a direct appeal to David Cameron saying: "The blood of David Haines was on your hands, Cameron. Alan Henning will also be slaughtered, but his blood is on the hands of the British Parliament."

Muslim leaders have condemned the beheading on the eve of the Muslim festival of Eid Al-Adha, which represents a day of mercy, and said they want to see justice done.

Video: Eccles Pastor: 'It's Gut-wrenching'

As the community of Eccles mourned, Mr Cameron said Britain would use all of its assets to destroy Islamic State.

:: Full coverage now on Sky News – watch Sky 501, Virgin Media 602, Freesat 202, Freeview 132.

Video: Shock At Murder Of Alan Henning

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1. Gallery: Profile: Alan Henning

   Alan Henning, 47, was born in Salford, Greater Manchester. Friends gave him the nickname "gadget" due to his love of technology

2. He was married for 23 years and he had a teenage son and daughter

3. He worked as a self-employed taxi driver

4. Mr Henning saw the plight of Syrian people and volunteered with a Muslim charity. He had been to the region at least three times

5. He drove life-saving medical equipment from the UK to Syria in old ambulances. He left in December 2013 to make the 4,000-mile trip

6. He was kidnapped by IS in Syria by masked men. He may have been held in Ad Dana near Aleppo, then Raqqa

Video: Wife Pleaded For Henning's Release

Video: Latest Analysis: Sky's Joey Jones

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Aids Pandemic From Kinshasa, Scientists Say

The Aids pandemic started in the city of Kinshasa - now the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo - in the 1920s, scientists have concluded.

A "perfect storm" of population growth, a rampant sex trade and railways allowed HIV to spread, according to the team from the journal Science.

They used archived samples of the virus's genetic code to trace its source and found the evidence pointed to Kinshasa, then known as Leopoldville, where unsterilised needles used in health clinics helped spread the disease.

The virus was helped by the large number of men in the city - where they outnumbered women by two to one - which lead to the growth of a massive sex trade.

Once the disease took hold in the city, it was spread to neighbouring regions by the Belgian-backed railway.

"Data from colonial archives tells us that by the end of 1940s over one million people were travelling through Kinshasa on the railways each year," Nuno Faria of Oxford University's Department of Zoology, one of the authors of the paper, said.

"We think it is likely that the social changes around the independence in 1960 saw the virus 'break out' from small groups of infected people to infect the wider population and eventually the world."

Kinshasa, capital of what is now the Democratic Republic of Congo

Over the following decades it spread throughout the world, but was only identified in 1981 before ballooning into the epidemic of the 1980s. It has infected nearly 75 million people.

As part of the research, scientists from the University of Oxford and the University of Leuven in Belgium tried to reconstruct HIV's "family tree" to trace its origin.

HIV is a mutated version of a chimpanzee virus which was probably passed to people through contact with infected blood while handling meat.

The virus jumped to humans on a number of occasions - once to a subgroup that infected tens of thousands of people in Cameroon. But only one jump went on to infect millions of people around the world.

Dr Andrew Freedman, a reader in infectious diseases at Cardiff University, said: "It does seem an interesting study demonstrating very elegantly how HIV spread in the Congo region long before the Aids epidemic was recognised in the early 80s.

"It was already known that HIV in humans arose by cross species transmission from chimpanzees in that region of Africa, but this study maps in great detail the spread of the virus from Kinshasa, it was fascinating to read."

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Ebola Patient's Apartment Watched By Police

By Sky News US Team

Police and armed security guards are keeping guard at the apartment where the first man to be diagnosed with ebola in the US had been staying.

Four people close to Thomas Duncan have been quarantined, and cannot leave their home in the apartment complex in Dallas.

They were hit with a confinement order after they failed to comply with a request to stay home, according to Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins.

The order aims to ensure the woman, her 13-year-old son and two nephews can be closely monitored for signs of the disease.

"Who wants to be locked up?" Louise Troh told the AP news agency, saying her family felt "stressed" at the situation.

The sheets and other items used by Mr Duncan, who flew from Liberia last month, were sealed in plastic bags. Maintenance workers scrubbed the area with high-pressure water and bleach.

The Red Cross delivered food to the quarantined people

Workers handed out flyers in multiple languages alerting residents to the situation, and the Red Cross delivered boxes of food in the evening.

The first Ebola diagnosis in the nation has raised concerns about whether the disease that has killed more than 3,000 people in West Africa could spread in the US.

Video: Guards Watch Ebola Patient's Home

Authorities are looking to trace some 100 people who may have been exposed to Mr Duncan directly or indirectly.

Some parents have temporarily removed their children from Dallas schools after learning that five students may have come into contact with him.

Federal health officials say they are confident they can keep it in check.

But Mr Duncan's case has put the public on alert and raised questions over the US authorities' response to ebola, as an American cameraman working in Liberia has been diagnosed with the virus and will be flown back.

Video: Ebola: Flight Route Of US Patient

Mr Duncan arrived in the US on 20 September after a 28-hour long journey via Brussels that spanned three flights and three continents.

Authorities stress there is no risk to fellow travellers because he did not show symptoms during his journey and because the virus spreads through contact with bodily fluids such as blood or saliva.

He first went to a Dallas emergency room on September 26 but was sent home with antibiotics even after he informed hospital staff that he had travelled from Liberia. The information apparently did not reach physicians.

He was then admitted on September 28.

Video: Ebola: Sky Reports From Liberia

In Liberia, authorities announced plans to prosecute Mr Duncan when he returns, accusing him of lying about not having any contact with an infected person.

The government said Mr Duncan failed to declare that he helped a neighbour after she fell critically ill on September 15.

The woman, who was pregnant, died.

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How Long Will China Tolerate Hong Kong Unrest?

The direction of Hong Kong's protests will now probably be determined by two factors: Beijing's patience and the protesters' continued cohesion.

It's important to remember that neither side is looking for trouble. The protest leaders have made that clear throughout with consistent and repeated reminders to their numbers to keep it peaceful.

And despite the miscalculated use of tear gas last weekend, the Hong Kong authorities (and by extension the central government in Beijing) don't want violence on Hong Kong's streets.

But against that, is the length of time that Beijing is willing to allow this 'disobedience' to continue. Other than offering talks, it's almost inconceivable that Beijing would yield to any of the protesters' demands.

So, will the protesters sit it out? And if they do, what happens then?

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1. Gallery: Hong Kong Protest Deadline Passes

   Protesters had warned they would occupy government buildings if Hong Kong's leader did not step down by 5pm BST on Thursday

2. Thousands had gathered outside his office to hear his last-minute news conference

3. CY Leung avoided potential clashes by offering talks between his government and pro-democracy protesters - but he refused to quit

4. Joshua Wong, leader of the student pro-democracy group scholarism, speaks to the crowds after the chief executive's speech

5. Demonstrators are angry over plans that will see them having to choose their leader from among approved Communist candidates. Continue on for more pictures

6. A protester holds an umbrella to protect the police from rain during a confrontation outside the legislative government complex

7. A pro-democracy demonstrator holds a placard

8. As the sun comes up, a protester reads a book at a sit-in blocking the entrance to the Chief Executive's office

9. Protesters sleep next to a barricade blocking the entrance to the office

10. Pro-democracy demonstrators recycle plastic bottles at a collection point in Hong Kong

11. A man jogs past plastic bottles collected by demonstrators

12. People look at messages of support displayed on a wall outside the government headquarters

14. Hong Kong police stand guard as protesters confront them outside the legislative government complex

16. Student protesters sleep as the stand-off continues

19. A man stands near umbrellas, which have become the symbol of this protest

Here are a few factors to consider as the protests continue:

:: Leadership and unity

Although dedicated and motivated, the protest movement has no single leader, which could become a problem.

The movement is made up of three groups, all of whom have their own leadership: Occupy Central (a broad pro-democracy movement lead by Benny Tai), Scholarism (representing high school students led by Joshua Wong) and Hong Kong Federation of Students (representing university students led by Alex Chao Yong-kang).

As the stalemate continues, different groups could call for different tactics. The lack of a singular leadership spanning all the groups increases the prospect of a split.

:: Beijing's patience

The Chinese government does not want trouble; it would no longer be able to get away with a crackdown of the like seen in Tiananmen Square in 1989.

Video: Hong Kong Leader Refuses To Resign

China is a global player these days and despite significant human rights abuses, it is (surely) not about to slaughter unarmed protesters in Hong Kong.

But weighed against that, China cannot tolerate open-ended unrest.

It undermines the Communist leadership, shows weakness and could give the ideas to elements of the mainland population.

For now, a concerted programme of censorship is keeping the Chinese population in the dark about what's really happening in Hong Kong.

But for how long can that succeed? And for how long will Beijing put up with the protests?

Remember, no form of protest is tolerated over the border on the mainland.

Chinese President Xi Jinping will sit it out for a while, but if the protesters stay united and stand firm, a crunch point will come: tear gas, pepper spray, water cannon, rubber bullets?

Video: Protest Talks Buy Time In Hong Kong

:: The financial sector

Hong Kong is a key financial hub. With the exception of a blip in the stock market, when it opened up at a two-month low last Monday, the impact of the protests on the business community has been minimal.

Despite Chinese state media claims that the city is in turmoil with markets crashing, business life has continued largely as normal.

However, most of this past week has been a holiday period.

A key test of the patience and tolerance of the business community, who hold huge influence over the politics of the city, will come on Monday when businesses re-open again.

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Hong Kong: Clashes Between Rival Groups

Supporters of Chinese rule in Hong Kong have clashed with democracy protesters in one of the city's busiest shopping districts.

A large group of people opposed to the protesters' pro-democracy sit-in, which has blocked parts of the city, stormed tents and ripped down banners.

Police were called to calm tensions between the two groups after reports that water bottles were thrown and some people spat at others in Mong Kok.

Officers formed a human chain to keep the two groups apart.

Police as the sit-in protest continues in Hong Kong

Some pro-democracy supporters held umbrellas for police - umbrellas having become a symbol of the protests - while Beijing supporters shouted at officers, demanding the protesters be removed.

The pro-China protesters were said to be visibly older than pro-democracy group and yelled, shoved and tried to drag the younger protesters away. Many shouted their anger that the protesters were preventing them from going to work and earning a living.

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1. Gallery: Hong Kong Clashes As Sit-In Drags On

   Pro-democracy protesters gather outside the government offices in Hong Kong

2. The umbrella has become a symbol of Hong Kong's pro-democracy movement

3. An anti-protester shouts at pro-democracy demonstrators in an occupied area of Hong Kong

4. Pro-democracy campaigners, mainly students, stand firm

5. Many of the anti-protesters are angry they have not been able to go to work during the protests

6. Police officers try to get a man to let go of a fence guarded by pro-democracy demonstrators

7. The protests are about to enter their second week

"Give us Mong Kok back, we Hong Kongers need to eat!" one man shouted as he attempted to remove the barricades. 

The students linked arms to stand their ground.

The clashes signalled the growing frustration of many in Hong Kong and revived the possibility that the standoff could turn violent as it enters its second week.

Tens of thousands took to the streets of Hong Kong a week ago to demand democracy in the former British colony, the main issue being a free voting system to choose their new leader in 2017.

Numbers have recently dwindled, however, as people returned to work following a two-day holiday.

Video: How Protesters Use Social Media

Hong Kong leader Leung Chun-ying agreed to open talks with pro-democracy protesters on Thursday but has refused the give in to their demands that he resign.

Police have warned protesters of serious consequences if they try to block off government buildings and were pictured unloading of what appeared to be tear gas canisters and rubber bullets on Thursday.

After the clashes on Friday, the protesters said they would not meet Mr Leung unless the "organised attacks" on their sit-in are stopped.

The protests are the biggest challenge to China's authority since Britain handed control of Hong Kong to Beijing in 1997.

While Leung may have made a concession in offering talks with the students, he gave no timeframe for when these might take place.

Video: Hong Kong Leader Offers Talks

Meanwhile, Beijing has signalled its opposition to the protests with a front-page commentary in the country's official People's Daily.

"For a few consecutive days, some people have been making trouble in Hong Kong, stirring up illegal assemblies in the name of seeking 'real universal suffrage'."

"Such acts have outrightly violated the Basic Law, Hong Kong's law, as well as the principle of the rule of law, and they are doomed to fail."

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Thai Murders: Man Admits Killing Britons

A Burmese man has confessed to the murders of British backpackers Hannah Witheridge and David Miller in Thailand, police have said.

Mr Miller, 24, from Jersey, died from drowning and a blow to the head, while Miss Witheridge, 23, from Great Yarmouth, died from head wounds on Sairee beach last month.

Their semi-naked bodies were found on the southern island of Koh Tao, near where they were staying, in the early hours of September 15.

A garden hoe with Miss Witheridge's blood on it was discovered nearby, and investigators have been searching for a blunt metal object used on Mr Miller.

"The investigation has advanced considerably," deputy national police chief Lieutenant General Jaktip Chaijinda said.

Video: David Miller Seen On CCTV

"Three Burmese workers were detained and we took their DNA for testing. During the investigation one of them admitted to killing the two foreigners."

He said the man who had confessed was being detained, but had not been arrested.

"We still have to wait for DNA tests results which we expect to have in 14 hours from now in order to confirm this," he added.

Reports suggested the man had been in detention since September 16 - the day after the killings.

Thursday's development came as the Phuket Gazette reported a Koh Tao taxi driver had accused police of trying to bribe him into giving a false testimony to frame members of a Thai football team whose DNA samples were also collected for tests.

Police had originally said they believed three men were involved in the attack.

On Wednesday, they revealed Miss Witheridge had been raped by her two killers, while a third man watched.

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1. Gallery: Thailand Beach Murders

   The family of Hannah Witheridge in Thailand. Miss Witheridge was killed alongside David Miller on a beach on Koh Tao

2. Police outside the Ware family home on Jersey. Christopher and James Ware, who were childhood friends of Mr Miller, have been questioned in Thailand as part of the investigation

3. The pair suffered "gruesome" injuries, according to police

4. The victims were staying in this hotel

5. Thai police at the scene of the beach attack

Two different semen samples were collected from her body.

Almost three weeks after the deaths police also announced they were offering a reward of more than £13,000 (700,000 baht) in an effort to catch the killers.

Thai authorities have been concerned the killings could lead to a further slump in tourism which has never recovered since the bloody protests on the streets of Bangkok that preceded a military coup in May.

On Tuesday, the country's tourism minister Kobkarn Wattanavrangkul announced plans to issue tourists with wristbands in the wake of the murders to help identify those who run into trouble.

Party curfews and restrictions on where they can be held are also being considered, as well as the idea of introducing a "buddy system" - pairing tourists with a local minder.

"The next step would be some sort of electronic tracking device, but this has not yet been discussed in detail," said the minister.

However, the Phuket Gazette reported the wristband idea had been dismissed by Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha.

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China May Be Using App To Spy On Protesters

A US security firm has claimed the Chinese government may be using smartphone apps to spy on pro-democracy protestors in Hong Kong.

The applications – disguised as tools created by activists – reportedly give an outside access to the phone's address book, call logs and other information.

Lacoon Mobile Security said the identities of the victims and the servers used "lead us to believe that the Chinese government are behind the attack".

The Chinese government has always denied carrying out cyber-espionage and insists it is one of the biggest victims of hacking attacks.

Lacoon said two similar "malicious and fake" apps were discovered – one targets Apple's iOS operating system, while the other targets Google's Android system.

Video: Hong Kong: One Country, Two Systems

It said the two apps appear to be related. Cross-platform attacks such as this are rare.

The company added that the "very advanced software" is "undoubtedly being backed by a nation state".

China is regarded as a leader in cyber warfare research.

Video: Hong Kong Protests: Chat App Is Key

In May, prosecutors in the US charged five Chinese military officers with cyberspying and stealing trade secrets from major American companies.

Meanwhile security firm Mandiant said last year it traced attacks on American companies to a military unit in Shanghai.

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RAF Tornados Take Out IS Truck Using Guided Bomb

RAF Tornados have helped Peshmerga forces destroy an Islamic State armed pick-up truck using a guided bomb in Iraq - as a UN report condemned "gross" human rights abuses by the terror group.

Two war planes provided air support to the Kurdish forces on the ground who were battling IS fighters in the north-west of the country.

The Ministry of Defence said the "successful precision attack" was carried out with a Paveway IV guided bomb overnight.

The strikes came as militants took control of most of the western Iraqi town of Hit in Anbar province.

IS has declared territories it controls in Iraq and Syria a 'caliphate'

"Ninety percent of the town of Hit has been overrun by militants," said Adnan al Fahdawi, a provincial council member.

The United Nations report, based on nearly 500 interviews, found the Islamist militant group had carried out mass executions, abducted women and girls as sex slaves, and used children as fighters.

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1. Gallery: The Moment RAF Jet Attacks IS Truck

   The RAF carried out its first airstrikes against Islamic State targets in Iraq on 1 October, 2014 (All pictures: MoD)

2. Tornados destroyed a heavy weapon position, which was attacking Kurdish forces, and an armed pick-up truck (pictured). The red circle shows the path of the missile fired at the vehicle

3. The strikes were the first since MPs voted to support aerial raids in Iraq last Friday

4. The targets were in the northwest of Iraq

5. The moment the truck, which had a mounted machine gun, was destroyed by a Brimstone missile

6. A plume of smoke rose above the area

7. The strike was successful, according to an initial assessment, said Defence Secretary Michael Fallon

8. The Tornados safely returned to their base at RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus after the sortie

9. Six of the GR4 fighter jets are based on the island in the Mediterranean

10. The aircraft began their combat missions on Saturday

"These include attacks directly targeting civilians and civilian infrastructure, executions and other targeted killings of civilians, abductions, rape and other forms of sexual and physical violence perpetrated against women and children, forced recruitment of children, destruction or desecration of places of religious or cultural significance, wanton destruction and looting of property, and denial of fundamental freedoms," the report said.

It also said the acts of violence over a nine-week period included the systematic targeting of diverse ethnic and religious communities - including Turkmen, Shabak, Christians and Yazidis - aimed at "destroying, suppressing or cleansing them" from areas under IS control.

IS, formerly known as ISIL, has declared the establishment of a "caliphate" - or Islamic state - on the territories it occupies in Iraq and Syria.

"The array of violations and abuses perpetrated by ISIL and associated armed groups is staggering, and many of their acts may amount to war crimes or crimes against humanity," said UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein.

The report also found airstrikes by Iraqi government forces had caused "significant civilian deaths and injuries".

The UK is supporting Iraqi and Kurdish forces battling Sunni Muslim extremists from IS, which has taken over large parts of Iraq in recent months.

Video: Tornado Returns From Strike Mission

Calls have been growing for strikes against the group's Syrian strongholds too.

However, a vote in Parliament last Friday did not include the authorisation of airstrikes over the country.

Turkey's parliament is currently considering whether to join the international coalition against IS and approve military action in Iraq and Syria - and allow forces to use its territory for possible operations.

"In the struggle against terrorism, we are open and ready for every kind of cooperation. However, Turkey is not a country that will allow itself to be used for temporary solutions," President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said.

Meanwhile, Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau dismissed Nigerian military claims of his death, and said the group was "running our... Islamic caliphate" in captured towns.

"Here I am, alive. I will only die the day Allah takes my breath," he said in a video obtained by the AFP news agency.

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Hong Kong Cops Seen With Ammo As Deadline Nears

Tensions are rising in Hong Kong after police were seen apparently restocking supplies of rubber bullets and riot gear as a deadline set by protesters looms.

Photographs show a number of officers carrying boxes apparently containing ammunition and tear gas into the government's headquarters, a source told the South China Morning Post.

It came after police warned of serious consequences if protesters charge or surround the region's government buildings.

The demonstrators have given Hong Kong chief executive CY Leung until the end of Thursday (local time) to step down or face a significant escalation in the standoff.

Officers carry boxes thought to contain more ammunition. Pic: SCMP/KY Cheng

Around 200 people gathered outside his office in the early hours as 50 police officers stood guard from behind metal barriers.

Police spokesman Steve Hui said urged the protesters to remain calm and restrained.

Video: Hong Kong Protests: Chat App Is Key

An occupation of buildings would mark a new stage in the peaceful demonstrations, raising fears police could again use tear gas to keep control.

China appears to be slowly losing patience with the protesters' refusal to move from the streets since late last week.

As the protesters gathered outside Mr Leung's office, the Communist Party-run newspaper People's Daily warned of "unimaginable consequences" if activists ignored calls to go home.

State TV, meanwhile, urged protesters to support efforts to "deploy police enforcement decisively" and "restore the social order in Hong Kong as soon as possible".

The demonstrators involved in the so-called "umbrella revolution" are railing against an order which means they will have to choose their leader, or chief executive, from among Communist Party loyalists chosen by Beijing.

Video: Hong Kong: One Country, Two Systems

Mr Leung has reportedly said he is willing to let the protests continue for weeks if necessary - but has refused to resign.

He was booed and heckled by hundreds of people on Wednesday as he arrived for a flag-raising event to mark China's National Day. People turned their back as the ceremony began.

Protester numbers swelled to the tens of thousands on the public holiday as many more people joined the student-dominated crowds.

A network of food and drink supply stations has formed as the demonstrators seemingly dig-in for the long haul.

Many are equipped with goggles, umbrellas and plastic macs in case police again resort to tear gas and baton charges, as they did at the weekend.

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1. Gallery: Peaceful Protests In Hong Kong

   Student protesters shine lights as they chant pro-democracy slogans on the streets in Hong Kong

2. Thousands of pro-democracy supporters continue to occupy the streets surrounding Hong Kong's financial district

3. Protest leaders have set a deadline for 1 October for their demands to be met and are calling for open elections and the resignation of Hong Kong's Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying

4. The demonstrators have demanded full universal suffrage after Beijing said it would allow elections for the semi-autonomous city's next leader in 2017 but would vet the candidates, a decision branded a "fake democracy"

5. Pro-democracy demonstrators check their smartphones in the central district

6. Protesters let an ambulance go through the crowd

7. Some walk past the People's Liberation Army Garrison headquarters

8. Student protesters sleep on the streets

9. A protester covers her mouth with tape that reads "democracy"

10. A pro-democracy protester argues with a pro-Beijing demonstrator

11. Buses covered with messages of support stop at a main street at Mongkok shopping district

12. People look at messages left on a stranded bus by pro-democracy protestors

13. Hong Kong students create protest signs

14. Student pro-democracy group Scholarism organiser Joshua Wong (C) makes a gesture at the flag-raising Ceremony in Golden Bauhinia Square as part of China's National Day celebrations

15. Protesters rest on the street with placards outside the Hong Kong government complex

16. A Hong Kong student catches up with his school work during a quiet moment at the protest site

17. Protesters join hands during the National Day flag-raising ceremony attended by Hong Kong Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying

18. A pro-democracy protester (R) makes a gesture as a pro-Bejing supporter speaks to the public at a rally in Causeway Bay

19. Pro-democracy demonstrators gather near a ceremony marking China's 65th National Day

20. A sign announces that an Infiniti car dealership is closed temporarily "due to social unrest"

21. Hong Kong residents provide musical entertainment at the protest site

22. Umbrellas, which have come to symbolise the so-called 'Umbrella Revolution' of pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong, are hung up together next to the central government offices

23. A woman stands in front of a water distribution point

24. An "Umbrella Movement" sign is seen outside the Hong Kong Government Complex

25. Protesters look at placards on a fence outside the Hong Kong government complex

26. A couple take wedding photogtaphs in front of protesters

27. Demonstrators relaxing on the streets

28. Hong Kong student protesters help with the clean up recycling of the garbage during a quiet moment at the protest site

29. People walk through a highway tunnel barricaded off to traffic by pro-democracy protestors

30. Demonstrators chant slogans as they gather near National day festivities

31. People walk through the empty streets, where double decker buses and taxis usually drive by, near the venue for the National Day flag-raising ceremony

32. A Hong Kong student catches up with his school work during a quiet moment

33. Policemen stand guard as helicopters fly by displaying the Hong Kong (L) and Chinese national flag (R), near a ceremony marking China's National Day

34. A father stands next to his son as he shouts pro-democracy slogans

35. Demonstrators display placards

36. A student protester sleeps under umbrellas

37. A pro-democracy demonstrator stretches at a protest site

US Secretary of State John Kerry said he had "high hopes" authorities would use restraint, while David Cameron told Sky News he was "deeply concerned" about the situation in the former British colony.

China has issued a stern warning to other countries not to meddle in its affairs.

"The Chinese government has very firmly and clearly stated its position. Hong Kong affairs are China's internal affairs," foreign minister Wang Yi told Mr Kerry ahead of talks.

Protesters also forced roads to be closed outside the Chinese embassy in London on Wednesday as a large crowd gathered peacefully to express their solidarity.

Around 5,000 people also massed in Taipei, the capital of Taiwan, a renegade province in the eyes of China's government.

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Kim Jong-Un Has Surgery On 'Fractured Ankles'

North Korean supreme leader Kim Jong-Un is in hospital after surgery on both his ankles, according to a South Korean newspaper.

The report from Chosun Ilbo quotes sources who say Mr Kim - who has not been seen in public for weeks - apparently sprained his ankles during a tour of military bases and factories while wearing Cuban heels.

The 31-year-old is considerably overweight and his non-appearance had previously been attributed to gout, brought on by excessive cheese eating and binge-drinking.

Latest reports say the North Korean leader is still staying at the Bonghwa Clinic, an exclusive hospital for high-ranking Workers' Party members.

Kim was until recently reportedly busy touring the country

A source, who recently visited the North, said: "I heard that Kim Jong-Un injured his right ankle in June after pushing ahead with on-site visits and ended up fracturing both ankles because he left the injury unattended."

The person said security at the hospital was tight and bodyguards had been posted around the ward.

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1. Gallery: Kim Jong-Un Inspecting Things

   North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un waves from a boat during a visit to the defence detachment on Ung Islet, which is defending an outpost in the East Sea of Korea.

2. Posing with soldiers during an inspection of the defence detachment on Ung Islet

3. Kim visits the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun at midnight on Tuesday on the 20th anniversary of the death of President Kim Il-Sung.

4. Kim during a visit to the Songdowon International Children's Camp.

5. Looking at a shark during his visit to the Songdowon International Children's Camp.

6. Looking at a water slide during at the camp.

7. Standing with a pair of binoculars during a landing drill of the Army Ground, Naval, Air and Anti-Air forces of the Korean People's Army.

8. Kim salutes during a landing drill of the Army Ground, Naval, Air and Anti-Air forces of the KPA.

"There's been a marked increase in the number of elite officials visiting the ward," the source said.

One intelligence official said Mr Kim's official car did not appear to have left Pyongyang, so it was likely he was still in the capital.

His non-appearance at last Thursday's regular session of the Supreme People's Assembly triggered rumours about his health.

A South Korean official said: "It's unlikely that a young man like Kim Jong-Un would have missed the Supreme People's Assembly just because he has gout."

State TV, in a rare admission, admitted its leader was ill and showed footage of him limping.

South Korean intelligence also learned that a team of doctors from Europe recently went to North Korea.

Separately, Mr Kim is reported to have sent a message to China, congratulating his neighbour on its national day, which marks the 65th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China and wishing the Chinese people continued happiness and success.

Mr Kim took power in North Korea following the death of his father, Kim Jong-Il, in December 2011.

1/7

1. Gallery: Profile: Kim Jong-Un

   Thought to have been born in 1983 or 1984. Youngest of three brothers, he wasn't expected to be the successor to his father Kim Jong-Il

2. Was reported to be the son of Kim's third wife, Ko Yong-Hi. Insiders describe him as tough and determined. Kim Jong-Il reportedly dismissed middle brother Kim Jong-Chul as too 'girlish' to lead

3. Reportedly studied at the International School of Berne in Switzerland. Some say he is multilingual in German, French, English. Apparently overweight, some reports suggest he is diabetic

4. Became supreme leader after death of his father in Dec 2011. Had little political, military or economic experience. But state TV said he was a military genius who completed his military thesis aged 16

5. State TV set about beefing up his image in a series of set pieces. Initially appeared on TV as shy and aloof. So television depicted him riding horses, driving tanks and visiting troops

6. His short rule has been marked by increased atomic rhetoric. N Korea held a third nuclear test in Feb 2013. In his first speech he warned that the time in which his nation could be threatened was "forever over"

7. Has played host to U.S. basketball star Dennis Rodman twice (in March and December 2013). Kim was a keen basketball player as a teenager. Rodman said Kim was "awesome" and Barack Obama should give him a call

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Mexico: 43 Students Still Missing After Shootings

Fears are growing for 43 students who vanished after shootings in Mexico that left six people dead and 25 wounded.

Some 57 students initially disappeared following a bout of violence in the town of Iguala in one of the country's poorest states last Friday and Saturday - but 14 have since turned up alive.

In one of the incidents, municipal police opened fire on three buses seized by the radical students, who are known to hijack buses, and had taken them to go home after a fundraising drive. Three students were killed.

State police officers armed with assault rifles guard Iguala's hospital

Survivors - some of whom are under armed guard in hospital - have claimed local police officers took away dozens of students in police cruisers and they have not been seen since, AFP reported.

Prosecutors said they were able to connect 22 officers who were detained to the six killings after ballistics tests linked their weapons to the shootings.

The officers are being investigated over the disappearances amid concerns the violence in one of Mexico's poorest states could be linked to organised crime, said state prosecutor Inaky Blanco. 

Student Andres Martinez recovers from his injuries in hospital

"Unfortunately most of Iguala's municipal police officers have links with organised crime," said Governor Angel Aguirre following reports unidentified masked gunmen were involved in some of the shootings.

He said street surveillance cameras captured officers taking away an unspecified number of students.

Francisco Ochoa, 18, told AFP he was among 14 students who managed to escape from a fourth bus stopped by police.

Troops check IDs against the list of those still missing

The group fled after the officers began to shoot in the air, he said. After hiding on the hills and other parts of town, they found other comrades in a marketplace.

"More patrol cars arrived from the right and the left, 12 to 13 of them," he said.

"I saw with my own eyes how they took away my comrades. I saw how they put 30-40 of them in patrol cars," he said at a wake attended by hundreds of people at the Raul Isidro teacher training school in Tixtla.

Students have held protests demanding justice over the deaths

Ramon Navarette, president of Guerrero's Human Rights Commission, raised hopes the 43 missing may still be alive, saying they could be hiding like the 14 students who reappeared.

"This tactic of dispersing to avoid harm or arrest is very frequent," he said.

Witnesses described a night of terror in Iguala.

Aureliano Garca Ceron, a 35-year-old taxi driver, had two passengers in his car in the early hours of Saturday when shots suddenly rang out.

"All I could see were the sparks of the guns," he said as he recovered from a broken leg shattered by a bullet.

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Twelve More Bodies Found On Deadly Japan Volcano

The death toll from the Mount Ontake eruption in Japan has risen to 48, after a dozen more bodies were discovered on the summit.

At least 12 people, some buried in ash, were found in a state of cardiac arrest – but could not be confirmed dead until seen by a doctor.

Military helicopters have been bringing the bodies to the foot of the mountain, where anxious relatives of those still missing have been waiting for updates.

The recovery operation is far from over and a crisis management official has warned: "We believe there are more people still missing, but we don't know how many there are."

The rescue effort has turned into a recovery operation since Saturday

Police have received scores of reports about missing people since the surprise eruption on Saturday, with some estimates suggesting hundreds remain unaccounted for.

"We don't know if there are people buried deep down under accumulated ash," a spokesperson added.

Tuesday's rescue efforts were hampered by treacherous conditions on Mount Ontake, with poisonous gas and rising volcanic activity forcing the military to call off their search for the day.

Confirmation of the 12 new bodies makes the volcanic eruption Japan's deadliest since 1926.

Prior to the Mount Ontake explosion, there had been no fatalities from seismic activity since 1991, when 43 people were killed on Mount Unzen in south-west Japan.

With 48 people dead, it is Japan's deadliest volcanic eruption since 1926

Sayuri Ogawa, a mountain guide who survived the latest eruption, has described how rocks the sizes of a fridge were hurtling past as she sought refuge from the ash cloud.

"I couldn't breathe, and rocks kept falling down like rain," she said. "I thought I was going to die."

In recent days, footage has emerged of Japanese hikers desperately trying to outrun plumes of volcanic ash from Mount Ontake.

The group were filmed rushing to an emergency hut as rock and ash showered down on them – but as the billowing clouds edged closer, they were forced to protect their mouths and wait for visibility to return.

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RAF Tornados Hit IS With Fresh Airstrikes

By Tom Parmenter, RAF Akrotiri, Cyprus

British jets have hit more Islamic State targets in Iraq as calls grow for further strikes against the group's Syrian strongholds.

The second round of airstrikes took place overnight west of Baghdad as RAF Tornado jets worked to support Iraqi Government forces below.

The Tornado crews identified a suspected Islamic state command and control position and fired four Brimstone missiles at two vehicles - one of which was an armed pick-up truck.

The Tornados landed safely at RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus before dawn.

The latest airstrikes were carried out by RAF Tornados based in Cyprus

A Ministry of Defence spokesman said: "Initial analysis indicates that the strikes were successful."

It is the second time RAF fighter jets have attacked IS positions, after a team took out a heavy weapon position and another armed truck on Tuesday.

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1. Gallery: The Moment RAF Jet Attacks IS Truck

   The RAF has carried out its first airstrikes against Islamic State targets in Iraq. (All pictures: MoD)

2. Tornados destroyed a heavy weapon position, which was attacking Kurdish forces, and an armed pick-up truck (pictured). The red circle shows the path of the missile fired at the vehicle

3. The strikes were the first since MPs voted to support aerial raids in Iraq last Friday

4. The targets were in the northwest of Iraq

5. The moment the truck, which had a mounted machine gun, was destroyed by a Brimstone missile

6. A plume of smoke rose above the area

7. The strike was successful, according to an initial assessment, said Defence Secretary Michael Fallon

8. The Tornados safely returned to their base at RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus after the sortie

9. Six of the GR4 fighter jets are based on the island in the Mediterranean

10. The aircraft began their combat missions on Saturday

The MoD released footage of the aerial raids in support of Kurdish troops who were being attacked by IS insurgents in the northwest of the country.

The Brimstone missiles are often used to hit moving targets such as vehicles and cost around £105,000 each.

Five Brimstones have now been deployed so far, along with one Paveway bomb, which costs around £22,000.

Video: Tornado Returns From Strike Mission

Unlike the first strikes, the MoD said images of the latest attack would not immediately be released.

Security has been stepped up across Cyprus now British airstrikes have begun from RAF Akrotiri and security teams have been making checks outside the base itself.

The UK is supporting Iraqi and Kurdish forces battling Sunni Muslim extremists from IS, also known as ISIL and ISIS, which has taken over large parts of Iraq in recent months.

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1. Gallery: RAF Tornados Pictured In Mission Over Iraq

   RAF Tornado GR4s were pictured over Iraq as they began their armed combat mission in support of Operation Shader

2. The images were taken as the Tornados were being refuelled in mid-air by a RAF Voyager aircraft

3. The Ministry of Defence says the Tornados are now flying daily over northern Iraq

4. They are supporting the US military in its efforts to target Islamic State militants

5. The RAF carried out two sorties over Iraq on Saturday

6. In both missions the fighter bombers did not use their weapons

7. But the Ministry of Defence said "invaluable intelligence" had been gathered using the planes' surveillance equipment

8. Click on to see more photos of the Tornados in action...

Despite IS also seizing territory in Syria, a vote in Parliament last Friday did not include the authorisation of airstrikes over the country.

But speaking at a fringe meeting at the Conservative conference in Birmingham, Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith said Cabinet ministers believe strikes against Syrian targets will also be necessary.

"I believe ultimately that is exactly what we will have to do ... The Prime Minister believes that. He said as much in his speech," he said.

Video: IS Threat: Baghdad 'Crisis Point'

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Kurds Plead For Western Troops To Battle IS

'Nothing Token' About Britain's Iraq Mission

Updated: 10:31pm UK, Sunday 28 September 2014

Defence Secretary Michael Fallon has rejected claims Britain's role in the fight against Islamic State (IS) is a "token" gesture, as he confirmed RAF Tornados are now flying daily over northern Iraq.

He told Sky's Murnaghan programme the United States welcomes the contribution of six aircraft to the mission.

Mr Fallon said: "There's nothing token about this. On the contrary, I spoke to the American Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel immediately after the vote and he welcomed the contribution that we're now able to make.

"They need our help, not simply with the Tornados, which are now flying daily from Cyprus, but also from the surveyance aircraft that we have overhead and very sophisticated surveyance and intelligence to add to the operations of Iraqi and Kurdish forces."

His comments come after Richard Williams, a former commanding officer of the SAS who served in Bosnia, Iraq and Afghanistan, wrote in the Independent on Sunday the deployment of RAF bombers was a "military sugar rush" that "risks looking fearful and half-cocked".

Lieutenant Colonel Williams said the sending in of RAF bombers had "taken on a military and political significance out of all proportion to their real military value".

Lord Richards of Herstmonceux, a former head of the UK military who stepped down as chief of the defence staff last year, also told The Sunday Times that a campaign involving ground troops would be needed to crush IS.

The RAF carried out two sorties over Iraq on Saturday, followed by a third mission on Sunday, after Parliament cleared the way for airstrikes on IS militants in a vote on Friday.

The jets, which fly in pairs, returned to their base at RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus at the end of their hours-long missions with their weapons payload intact.

Sky's Tom Parmenter, who is at the base, says that two Tornados flying on Sunday took off from the base at midday.

Prime Minister David Cameron has said he also wants to make the case for targeting Syria.

In an interview with the Sunday Times, the Prime Minister revealed he would argue that targeting Syria is both legal and appropriate.

"There are complications but there aren't legal difficulties," he said.

Mr Cameron said he would respond to the challenge thrown down by Ed Miliband to seek a UN resolution supporting attacks in Syria, if only to show that his request is impossible.

"We have to demonstrate to people that we'd like a UN security council resolution but it's very difficult to get one and to demonstrate that what we propose is legal. Attempts have been made but there's the existence of a Russian veto."

Ministers had cautioned not to expect a campaign of "shock and awe" and that after weeks of US airstrikes in the area it could take time to identify new targets.

Mr Cameron insisted the involvement of RAF combat aircraft showed Britain was there to "play our part" in the international coalition being assembled against IS.

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IS Fighters Smuggled Into Syria For Just £15

By Sherine Tadros, Middle East Correspondent

For tens of thousands of Syrians, the Kilis border crossing is the official way in and out of Turkey from Syria.

But if you're an Islamic State fighter, Kilis is not an option.

Abu Mustafa (not his real name) is a Syrian people smuggler. He says he's helped hundreds of IS fighters get into Syria.

He's also brought militants - some of them injured - back out.

He took us to the spot where the smuggling happens several times a day, he says, and it didn't take long to see it in action.  

We waited on the side of the road barely 10 minutes before we saw a white car speed across the open field towards the border.

The Kilis border crossing is the official way into Syria from Turkey

The car stopped halfway there and six men got out each holding a big bag. The car sped off and the men headed towards the fence.

We couldn't tell if they were fighters or Syrians without passports, but they were illegally crossing into Syria.

Moments later, more people appeared at the border. It looked like a family including a woman and child.

This time the military police saw them and chased one man, possibly the smuggler, along the fence. 

And the reward for taking such a risk? Abu Mustafa charges just £15 per fighter.

He said: "Last time they caught three people there were seven in total trying to get across among them Turks and Arabs.

A people smuggler talks to Sky's Sherine Tadros

"But the three that got caught were foreigners. They spoke English and the police took them away.

"They often cross with their families - their wives and children. They tell us we're coming to fight with Islamic State and live there.

"Some of them don't even know where exactly they're going, they just say, we are going to the Islamic State."

It's a common story. Abu Ahmed fought with IS for 10 months in northwestern Syria.

We met him in Turkey where he agreed to speak with us as long as we covered his face and changed his name.

He joined IS at the start because they were the most effective force fighting Syrian President Bashar al Assad.

But when they turned against the Free Syrian Army (FSA) he left the group.

He explained why so many foreign fighters join the group.

"They go to Syria to be martyred, they say their former lives are over and there is no going back. Most of them rip up and throw away their passports when they arrive."

Abu Ahmed also thinks US-led airstrikes against IS are backfiring, bringing extremist groups closer together.

"After the recent strikes, more fighters are joining IS - like the Nusra Front. I know some of them who have joined," he said.

Abu Ahmed doesn't have much hope for Syria's future, or his own.

He thinks the situation is out of hand and too many players have a vested interest in keeping the war going.

"What will happen next?" he said. "Only God knows."

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British 'Islamic State Recruiter' Arrested

A British man has been arrested in Bangladesh on suspicion of recruiting people to fight alongside Islamic State militants in Syria.

Samiun Rahman, who is from London, arrived in the country in February to find fighters for both IS and the al Qaeda-linked Nusra Front, according to Monirul Islam, joint commissioner of the Detective and Criminal Intelligence Division (DCID).

"He has plans to recruit and send a team from Bangladesh to fight in Syria," Commissioner Monirul said.

Islamic State fighters have seized large parts of Iraq and Syria

Rahman, whose parents are from a town northeast of the capital Dhaka, has confessed to trying to recruit fighters for the groups, police said, although it is not clear if his efforts were successful.

He told police he had joined the Nusra Front in Syria last September and fought with the group until December 2013.

Police say Rahman returned to Britain at some point and visited other countries to recruit jihadis before going to Bangladesh to do the same.

Foreigners have travelled to Iraq and Syria to fight with IS

IS has seized large parts of Iraq and Syria in recent months, and fighting is reportedly continuing around the capital, Baghdad.

An explosion at a makeshift IS hospital has killed at least three fighters in Baquba, Diyala province on Monday, according to Sky sources.

There has also been intense fighting between Kurdish rebels and IS militants close to the Turkish border.

The US has been conducting airstrikes in Iraq since last month in a bid to reverse IS gains, and recently expanded their campaign to neighbouring Syria.

Britain joined the mission last week when MPs approved military action against the Islamists in Iraq.

Although RAF Tornados have flown a number of missions over northern Iraq since then, they have yet to fire any missiles.

Kurdish peshmerga fighters in position in Jalawla

But, a former IS fighter has told Sky News the airstrikes are backfiring, bringing extremist groups closer together.

A key part of the effort against IS are the Kurdish peshmerga battling the group in the north.

A peshmerga commander has also told Sky's Stuart Ramsey that airstrikes alone will not be enough to defeat the group.

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Hong Kong: China Warns UK Not To 'Interfere'

Thousands of democracy protesters defied tear gas and police baton charges to remain on the streets of Hong Kong amid rising international tensions.

Demonstrators wore masks and wielded umbrellas to protect themselves against tear gas - prompting the phrase "umbrella revolution" to trend on social media.

The UK Foreign Office said it was "concerned" by the heavy response to the protests in its former colony - but China warned the international community not to "interfere".

Tear gas is used to disperse the crowds

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hua Chunying said: "Hong Kong is China's Hong Kong. Hong Kong is purely our internal affair.

"We are resolutely opposed to any foreign country using any method to interfere in China's internal affairs."

The Hong Kong government said it withdrew riot police on Monday as the protests began to calm.

A spokesman called on the activists to leave the protest areas peacefully - but many remain camped on a normally busy highway near the government headquarters.

Organisers estimate as many as 80,000 people have taken to the streets since Friday.

Police began throwing tear gas canisters on Sunday.

Demonstrators wield umbrellas to protect themselves against tear gas

The Hong Kong government said 26 people were taken to hospital.

Demonstrator Rick Chan was heard shouting "We're only carrying umbrellas" at police.

"I came last night and saw police fire many rounds of tear gas at the crowd, who were mostly young students and even included some old people," he said. "I feel it was extremely unnecessary."

A movement to occupy central Hong Kong, in protest at Chinese interference, was planned for National Day on Wednesday, but began early on the back of separate student protests.

Last month, the Communist Party's top political body ruled that while Hong Kongers could choose their next leader or chief executive in 2017, they must select from candidates picked by Beijing who must declare their "love" for China and its Communist system.

Thousands remain on the streets

Under the agreement of the 1997 handover from Britain to China, Hong Kong was allowed to have an independent legal and political framework.

Unlike mainland China, protests are allowed - but the current demonstrations are one of the biggest political challenges to Beijing since the Tiananmen Square crackdown 25 years ago.

China has endorsed the Hong Kong government's crackdown.

But a spokesman for the UK Foreign Office said: "The British government is concerned about the situation in Hong Kong and is monitoring events carefully.

More than 200 bus routes have been cancelled or diverted

"It is Britain's longstanding position, as a co-signatory of the Sino-British Joint Declaration, that Hong Kong's prosperity and security are underpinned by its fundamental rights and freedoms, including the right to demonstrate."

Occupy Central co-organiser Dr Chan Kin-man urged "fearless" protesters to remain on the streets until their calls were heeded.

In a statement, the group called on Hong Kong's Chief Executive, Leung Chun-ying, to resign, saying his "non-response to the people's demands has driven Hong Kong into a crisis of disorder".

The protests have affected Hong Kong's commercial hub, forcing bus routes to be cancelled or diverted and banks to temporarily close branches.

Meanwhile, clashes broke out in Taiwan when dozens of students gathered in the lobby of the Hong Kong Trade Office in Taipei in support of the democracy protests.

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Jordanians Fear IS Backlash After Airstrikes

By Tom Rayner, Middle East Reporter, in Amman

Jordan's involvement in the US-led airstrikes against Islamic State targets has led to growing concerns in the country of a potential backlash.

Reports of IS banners in areas like the eastern city of Ma'an have fuelled fears of destabilisation by a force wreaking havoc in neighbouring Syria and Iraq.

The installation of a public siren system in parts of capital Amman, days after Jordan confirmed it had carried out strikes, sparked panic on social media.

Fears the alert system was an indicator of an imminent retaliation forced authorities to reassure the public the installations were part of a long-planned programme.

Authorities say installation of new sirens are no cause for panic

Brigadier General Fareed Shariah of the Jordanian Civil Defence Authority said the sirens were part of a "comprehensive system for exceptional situations".

"We can use it to deliver all kinds of audio messages, to warn people of snow, floods or even terrorist attacks - any incident that could harm the Jordanian people," Mr Shariah said.

Information Minister Mohammed Momani also took to state television to dismiss rumours that US and French citizens were warned to avoid malls in the capital.

He said the revised travel advice notices simply called for "heightened vigilance".

Amman's tolerant atmosphere is a contrast to some areas of Jordan where more conservative attitudes prevail.

Asile Moussa says she believes airstrikes are the 'right thing to do'

The fact that it has been the target of terrorist attacks in the past, means some residents are wary it could be targeted once again.

Murad Faouri, a doctor in the city, said he believed Jordan's involvement in airstrikes made it an "obvious" focus for a potential backlash.

"We are more exposed now, to more attacks, because we just tried to attack Da'ash [Islamic State], so it's obvious they will now just be thinking how they can hit us back," he said.

However, Asile Moussa, an architecture student, said she backed her government.

"It's a good thing. After all, we're fighting terrorism, around the globe. It's attacking us now, it's near to our borders, so therefore I believe it's the right thing to do," she said.

Freed radical preacher Abu Qatada may influence opinions in Jordan

But it is not just the chaos in neighbouring Iraq and Syria that threatens the country's long-term stability.

Jordan's domestic Salafist Muslim community could also play a role in destabilisation, through its sympathies with jihadist movements.

The recent release from Jordanian prisons of radical preachers Abu Qatada and Abu Mohammed al Maqdisi may come to have a significant bearing on events.

Both have issued condemnations of IS which could stunt growth of support for the group.

But they also bitterly condemn the US-led coalition of which Jordan is a part, and support the al Qaeda-affiliated rebel group Jahbat al Nusra, fighting in Syria.

If they choose to voice their opposition to the airstrikes, more loudly than their opposition to Islamic State, their influence could yet disrupt the balance in Jordan.

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Iraq: Islamic State Threat Is World's Problem

Iraq's deputy prime minister has told Sky News that it is the "duty of the world" to stand up against Islamic State extremists.

Saleh al Mutlaq also said he welcomed the UK parliament's decision to back airstrikes against the militants in his country.

He said IS was "not just the problem of Iraq. It is the problem of all countries".

Iraq's deputy prime minister Saleh al Mutlaq speaks to Sky News

"Outsiders" from nations including Britain, Australia and the emirate countries were fighting for IS and the coalition aerial raids should target militias as well as the jihadist group, he said.

Mr al Mutlaq said: "It is an invitation for every country which can participate in this coalition to do what they can in order to get rid of IS forever.

"Iraq is now fighting on behalf of the world."

He added: "It's the duty of the world to stand against this danger which is coming, maybe now to Iraq, but it will separate everywhere if it is not going to be fixed in this country and ended."

And he said without also targeting militias who "facilitated the presence of IS" there would not be stability in Iraq.

The Sunni IS extremists have taken over large parts of Iraq and Syria in recent months and David Cameron said the group posed a direct threat to the UK.

RAF Tornado aircraft left Cyprus for their first combat mission over Iraq on Saturday morning, before returning to base at RAF Akrotiri in the afternoon.

A RAF Tornado GR4

The aircraft are poised to launch airstrikes against jihadists after Parliament on Friday gave the green light for military action in Iraq.

MPs voted by 524 to 43 - a majority of 481 - to endorse attacks on the insurgents in support of the US-led coalition, with Labour backing the Government motion.

Mr Cameron said the motion had been limited to Iraq in order to secure cross-party consensus.

And also to avoid a repeat of last year's damaging Commons defeat when Labour combined with Tory and Liberal Democrat rebels to block airstrikes against President Bashar Assad's regime in Syria.

The strikes, under Operation Shader, are expected to be carried out by six Tornado GR4s which have been based at RAF Akrotiri on Cyprus since last month where they have been deployed in a reconnaissance role.

Up to now, America and France have been conducting aerial strikes in Iraq in support of Iraqi forces and Kurdish Peshmerga fighters, while the US and Arab allies have attacked IS targets from the air in Syria.

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