Branson Vow To Continue Space Race After Crash

Sir Richard Branson has vowed to continue his space tourism venture despite a Virgin Galactic spacecraft crashing during a test flight over California's Mojave Desert.

The Virgin Group founder arrived in the desert today, and has described the journey to the crash site as "one of the most difficult trips I have ever had to make".

In a post on his website, Sir Richard said: "Space is hard - but worth it. We will persevere and move forward together."

"We've always known that the road to space is extremely difficult - and that every new transportation system has to deal with bad days early in their history," he added.

One pilot died in the crash and another was seriously injured when he ejected from the rocket plane and parachuted to the ground.

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1. Gallery: Images Showing Wreckage Of SpaceshipTwo In The Mojave Desert

   SpaceShipTwo and its mother ship WhiteKnightTwo are pictured before the test flight. Pic: Virgin Galactic/Scaled Composites/Jason DiVenere

2. Part of the wreckage from the Virgin Galactic SpaceshipTwo lies in California's Mojave Desert after it crashed

3. Photographer Ken Brown said the craft was released from the plane that carries it to high altitude, ignited its rocket motor and then exploded

4. Two pilots were on board. California authorities said one died and the other was badly hurt

5. A witness said the space tourism craft exploded during a test flight over the desert

6. The aim of such flights was to assess SpaceShipTwo in preparation for suborbital trips to the edge of space about 62 miles above the Earth

7. Hundreds of people have already reserved seats and paid a deposit on the $250,000 (£156,000) ticket price for the flights. Pic: Virgin Galactic

8. After several delays, Sir Richard Branson's company had hoped to start taking passengers to the edge of space in 2015

9. But space expert Marco Caceres said: "You are not going to see any commercial space tourism flight next year or probably several years after that."

The fatality is the project's fourth, with three killed in an explosion in 2007 while working for Scaled Composites, the company working with Virgin Galactic to build the rocket plane SpaceShipTwo.

Virgin Galactic, part of British billionaire Sir Richard's Virgin Group, had been aiming to begin tourist flights to the edge of space next year.

SpaceShipTwo has been under development at the Mojave Air and Spaceport.

The tragedy occurred after SpaceShipTwo fired up its rocket following a high-altitude drop from Virgin Galactic's WhiteKnightTwo mothership.

Stuart Witt, chief executive of the space port, said the cause of the crash remains unclear.

Video: Deadly Crash May Hit Space Tourism

Virgin Galactic said it will work with authorities to determine the cause of the accident. The Federal Aviation Administration is also investigating.

It is the second disaster involving a US spacecraft this week.

On Tuesday, another private company's unmanned rocket exploded six seconds after launch on a resupply mission to the International Space Station.

Virgin Galactic's 60ft (18 metre) long SpaceShipTwo was testing a redesigned rocket motor as it made its first powered flight since January.

The rocket plane, which was attached to the underside of WhiteKnightTwo, took off at 9.19am local time (4.19pm GMT) on Friday in California.

Video: Space Crash 'An Incredible Tragedy'

It is not the first accident involving SpaceShipTwo.

During testing for the development of its rocket motor in July 2007, an explosion at the Mojave spaceport killed three workers and critically injured three others.

Virgin Galactic aims to become the world's first commercial "spaceline", sending customers willing to pay up to $250,000 (£156,000) for a short journey into zero gravity and a glimpse of the planet from the edge of space.

The company previously said it has accepted more than $80m (£50m) in deposits from hundreds of people who hope to be among the first space tourists.

British physicist Stephen Hawking, comedian Russell Brand, actors Leonardo DiCaprio and Ashton Kutcher, and singer Justin Bieber are said to have signed up.

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Two Soldiers Fight For Burkina Faso Presidency

Doubt has emerged over who is leading Burkina Faso, after a second soldier announced that he was replacing Blaise Compaore, the impoverished nation's long-serving president.

Gen Honore Traore, the joint chief of staff, had declared he was taking charge at a packed press conference on Friday – sparking renewed protests and sending him into hiding.

His standing is now being threatened by Col Issaac Zida, who has confirmed that he will serve as acting leader because his rival's bid was null and void.

Col Issaac Zida has said his rival's presidential bid is 'null and void'

In a televised address, the colonel said that the nation's borders had been closed and its constitution suspended indefinitely.

Compaore had demanded presidential elections commence within 90 days, but Zida is yet to confirm when a vote will take place.

"I salute the memory of the martyrs of this uprising and bow to the sacrifices made by our people," the soldier said.

"This is not a coup d'etat but a popular uprising. The people have hopes and expectations, and we believe we have understood them."

Gen Honore Traore first declared he was leader, but hasn't re-emerged since

Compaore, who was Burkina Faso's president since 1987, had been seeking to secure a fifth term as leader. In mass protests outside parliament, dozens of demonstrators were shot and three people were killed.

Protesters cheered as they heard news of his resignation on their handheld radios.

"This is a new revolution and a chance to get it right," one shopkeeper said. "At least tomorrow, we are not going to wake up with the same face of the same president."

One law student referred to Compaore's departure as the start of a "sub-Saharan Spring", and insisted that the movement "must continue with all the presidents who are trying to hang on to power in Africa".

According to Zida, Compaore has been "in a safe place" since he left office, but his exact location remains unknown.

Blaise Compaore had been Burkina Faso's president since 1987

The uncertain situation in Burkina Faso is being monitored closely by the US and France, which have become close military allies of the nation in recent years.

Ranked 183rd out of the 186 countries on the UN human development index, poverty is endemic amongst Burkina Faso's 18 million people. Its economic prosperity fluctuates wildly, as it hinges upon gold and cotton prices.

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Islamic State Fighters Kill 85 From Iraqi Tribe

At least 50 tribesmen and women were lined up and shot dead in Iraq by Islamic State (IS), according to officials in Anbar province.

Another 35 bodies belonging to the Albu Nimr tribe have been found in a mass grave elsewhere, one of the tribe's leaders told Reuters.

It comes as Iraqi Kurdish peshmerga fighters crossed into Syria from Turkey to help defend the embattled town of Kobani from IS militants.

The fighters will reinforce Syrian Kurds battling IS in Kobani

Around 150 fighters cheered and brandished rifles as they made the short trip across the border. They were applauded by fellow Kurds who lined the road leading to Syria.

The fighters will join Syrian Kurds in Kobani who - backed by US-led airstrikes - have been engaged in fierce clashes against IS.

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1. Gallery: Kurds Celebrate Peshmerga's Kobani Mission

   Air strikes have been taking place ahead of the peshmerga's arrival to take part in the battle for Kobani

2. A series of explosions took place in Kobani on Wednesday morning

5. A Turkish army vehicle is seen in the foreground as smoke rises from Kobani following the air strikes

6. A Kurdish boy in Turkey welcomes the peshmerga with a US and Kurdistan flag painted face

7. Kurdish people in Turkey welcome fellow Kurdish fighters from Iraq

8. A peshmerga fighter makes the V for victory sign as their convoy arrives at the Habur crossing along the Turkey-Iraq border

9. The peshmerga appeared upbeat after receiving the authority of both Turkey and Iraq to travel to the under seige town

10. Crowds along the Kurdish section of the road lined the route to wish them well

11. About 150 peshmerga entered Turkey from Iraq, where they were due to travel on to Syria

12. A senior official in the Kurdistan Democratic Party said that a number of others were due to fly to Turkey and then travel on overland

13. The fighters were expected to reach Kobani late on Tuesday night

14. Many in Arbil, capital of Iraqi Kurdistan, celebrated late into the night

15. Kurdistan's Minister of Peshmerga, Mustafa Sayyid Qader, said there was no limit on how long the forces would remain in Kobani

16. Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu had said earlier that airstrikes alone would not be enough to push back the insurgents

Turkey finally gave in to US pressure to allow the Iraqi Kurdish forces to join the battle last week.

Ankara's decision was condemned by Damascus, which called it a "flagrant violation of Syrian sovereignty".

The battle for Kobani, which has been under siege for six weeks, has left an estimated 800 people dead and forced over 200,000 people to flee into Turkey. 

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1. Gallery: US-Led Airstrikes on Kobani

   Smoke and flames rise over a hill near the Syrian town of Kobani after an airstrike, as seen from the Mursitpinar crossing on the Turkish-Syrian border in Sanliurfa province

2. US military forces again focused airstrikes on the area near the Syrian city in their campaign to turn back Islamic State forces and also hit oil facilities held by the militant group

7. Three IS fighters pray as others inspect a hill in the outskirts of Kobani

9. A Kurdish fighters position in the outskirts of the Syrian town

11. Members of media watch Kobani from a hill near the Mursitpinar border crossing

13. Syrians wait to cross to the northern Syrian city of Tal Abyad at the Akcakale border gate in Sanliurfa province, southeastern Turkey

14. Kurdish refugee children from Kobani in a camp in the southeastern town of Suruc

16. A Turkish army tank drives downhill, in front of ruins of Kobani

17. A Turkish flag flutters on the top of a silo in the Syrian town

18. Turkish Kurds watch Kobani from a hill near the Mursitpinar border crossing

Further fighting was reported by the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights on Friday, which said coalition airstrikes had destroyed IS artillery pieces and left a number of militants dead. 

"Kurdish fighters were able to advance towards an IS position in the north of the town after an operation that killed dozens of jihadists," it said.

Britain has so far limited its involvement in the US-led operation against IS to airstrikes in Iraq.

Video: IS Hostage Appears In New Video

The Foreign Office (FCO) has warned that in light of the UK's contribution, Britons abroad could be targeted by possible revenge attacks.

It updated its travel advice to reflect a "heightened threat" of attacks across the globe from "groups or individuals motivated by the conflict in Iraq and Syria".

The FCO urged all Britons living or travelling overseas to remain "vigilant," but specified that the move was not a response to a specific threat.

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1. Gallery: Human Cost Of Battle For Kobani

   A Syrian Kurdish woman and her children at a refugee camp at Suruc, Turkey. These images have emerged as Islamic State (IS) continues to fight for control of the border town of Kobani in Syria

2. Turkey dropped its refusal to allow Kurdish fighters over the border to defend besieged Kobani, saying it was now helping Iraqi peshmerga to cross the frontier in a major policy shift

3. A woman boils a kettle of tea as her children gather around in Suruc

4. Children try to get warm around the fire

5. Children look out from their tent

6. A Kurdish refugee child from the Syrian town of Kobani sits on a makeshift swing

7. A woman boils a pot of tea in front of her tent

8. The centre of Kobani is seen from near the Mursitpinar border crossing

9. A US-led coalition aircraft flies over Kobani

10. Smoke rises as bullets with tracers fly through the air after an explosion in Kobani during a reported suicide car bomb attack by IS militants

The latest deaths in Iraq come after Iraqi government troops and Shia militia members recaptured a strategically important town near Baghdad. 

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Boko Haram Leader: Schoolgirls 'Married Off'

More than 200 schoolgirls kidnapped by the Nigerian terror group Boko Haram have all converted to Islam and been "married off", according to its leader.

The video message by Abubakar Shekau contradicts claims by Nigeria's government that the students would soon be freed.

He also denied agreeing to any ceasefire with the authorities.

The mass kidnap in April promoted a high-profile social media campaign

Laughing, he said: "The issue of the girls is long forgotten because I have long ago married them off.

"In this war, there is no going back."

Video: 12 May, 2014: Taken Girls On Show

More than 270 students were taken from a boarding school in the in the remote northeastern town of Chibok in April, prompting a high-profile political and social media campaign using the hashtag #Bring Back Our Girls.

Dozens of the girls escaped on their own in the first couple of days, but 219 remain missing.

Those who managed to flee have have described the physical torture, rape and forced marriage that many endure in the group's secret forest camps.

Video: 20 June 2014: Fighting Boko Haram

Shekau's denial of the ceasefire appears supported by the violence that has continued since the government announced it two weeks ago.

As well as raising doubts about the actual influence of Danladi Ahmadu - the man with whom the government has been negotiating - and will further undermine the authority of President Goodluck Jonathan, who is seeking re-election in February.

The five-year-old insurgency by Boko Haram has killed thousands of people and driven hundreds of thousands from their homes in northeast Nigeria.

Video: Life in Boko Haram Captivity

The group poses the biggest threat to the security of Africa's biggest economy and top oil producer.

Boko Haram has attacked targets almost every day for weeks and recently seized control of Mubi, the home town of Nigeria's defence chief Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh, who had announced the ceasefire.

The government has blamed the violence on Boko Haram's allied criminal networks that the group cannot control.

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1. Gallery: Profile: Boko Haram Leader

   Abubakar Shekau is the leader of Boko Haram. He took control of the Islamist group after the death of founder Mohammed Yusuf in 2009.

2. Little is known about him, although he was born in Shekau village in the northeastern state of Yobe and is now thought to be in his early 40s.

3. Shekau is Nigeria's most-wanted man and was designated a terrorist by the U.S. government in 2012. A reward of $7m (£4.6m) and 50m Nigerian naira (£182,000) has been issued for information leading to his location.

4. Shekau is also known as "Darul Tawheed", a reference to his knowledge of an orthodox doctrine of Islam centred on the oneness of Allah.

5. Nigerian authorities thought he had been killed in 2009 during clashes with security forces, but he reappeared in a video in 2010 to claim leadership of Boko Haram.

6. Shekau is believed to have been behind the August 2011 bombing of the UN compound in the capital Abuja, which killed at least 21 people.

7. In a video released after the abduction of 276 girls from a boarding school in the village of Chibok on April 14, he described the youngsters as "slaves" and threatened to "sell them in the market".

There are believed to be several competing factions within the group.

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Burkina Faso President Defies Violent 'Coup'

Burkina Faso's long-time leader has refused to step down despite violent unrest which saw anti-government protesters set the country's parliament building ablaze.

President Blaise Compaore has appeared on television to confirm he will stay in power as the head of a transitional government until elections are held, defying opposition calls for his immediate resignation.

Opposition leader Benewende Sankara said the president's departure was "non-negotiable" following what he said had amounted to a "coup".

Burkina Faso's parliament was stormed, ransacked and set ablaze

The head of the country's armed forces, General Honore Traore, intervened to dissolve parliament on Thursday after violent protests spread across the country.

Hundreds of people stormed the National Assembly building in the capital Ouagadougou, setting it ablaze, in protest against plans to allow the president to run for a fifth term in office.

Video: Thousands Riot In Burkina Faso

Three people were reportedly killed and scores injured in the ensuing chaos, in which tens of thousands of people were reported to have taken to the streets.

Government offices were ransacked, cars set alight and Ouagadougou's national television headquarters attacked.

The city hall and ruling party headquarters were in flames and the city's airport was closed.

Crowds at the presidential palace have been held back by troops from the presidential guard, who fired warning shots into the air.

Protests have been reported in a number of towns across the country, including Burkina Faso's second-largest city Bobo Dioulasso.

News agency AFP put the death toll as high as 30 people nationwide.

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1. Gallery: Deadly Violence In Burkina Faso Protests

   Thousands of protesters have taken to the streets in Burkina Faso forcing President Blaise Compaore to scrap a plan to extend his 27-year rule

2. At least three protesters have been shot dead and several others wounded in the violence

3. The unrest has seen the parliament building set on fire and and state television offices ransacked

4. The government had proposed to change the law so that the president can be re-elected twice, sparking concerns other leaders in the region could follow suit

5. An anti-government protester suffered a gunshot wound in the capital Ouagadougou

6. The state television offices were taken over by demonstrators

7. The parliament building was also occupied before being torched

8. Demonstrators are demanding the president steps down

The riots took place just before the country's politicians were due to vote on a law that would allow President Compaore, who took power in the coup of 1987, to run for election next year.

With a very young population - 60% are aged under 25 - many of the country's 17 million citizens have spent their entire lives under the rule of Mr Compaore.

Constitutional limits were brought in during 2005 and Mr Compaore, who has already been re-elected four times, is coming to the end of his second five-year term. The other two terms were for seven years.

The vote, which has since been scrapped, could have allowed him to stay in power for another 15 years.

President Compaore said elections would now be held within 12 months and he was open to discussions with other parties over forming a unity transitional government.

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Shares Soar As Japan Boosts Economic Stimulus

Japan's Nikkei stock market climbed to a seven-year high after the country's central bank surprised investors by expanding stimulus to boost economic growth.

The Bank of Japan (BoJ) said it would increase its asset purchases by between 10 trillion yen and 20 trillion yen (£57bn to £114bn) to about 80 trillion yen (£454bn) annually.

The bank also announced it would triple its purchases of exchange-traded funds and real estate investment trusts, saying the loosening of monetary policy would continue as long as was needed to attain an inflation target of 2%.

Its governor, Haruhiko Kuroda, said: "We can say the Japanese economy is now at a critical moment in its process of getting out of deflation.

"The measures this time show the Bank of Japan's unwavering determination to exit deflation."

Deflation has dogged Japan's economy for two decades.

The measures followed the publication of the country's key economic indicators for September, which showed inflation and household spending both falling with unemployment rising.

Japan's central bank was under pressure to increase stimulus to support growth as Prime Minister Shinzo Abe weighs approval of another sales tax hike next year.

He and the central bank have sought to spur inflation as a way of encouraging consumers and businesses to spend more and thus support faster growth.

But a sales tax hike in April, from 5% to 8%, slowed a recovery that began in late 2012.

He is due to decide before the end of the year whether to raise the tax to 10% in 2105.

Economists say Japan needs to counter a huge public debt mountain of more than one quadrillion yen (£6.5trn) but increases have proved deeply unpopular.

The bank's action helped the yen weaken further against the dollar - to a seven-year low - with a gradual weakening of the currency a crucial factor in a return to recent profits growth among many Japanese exporters.

The stimulus stoked investor confidence in Europe, with the FTSE 100 rising 1.25% in early trading.

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Internet Tax Scrapped In Hungary After Protests

A controversial proposal for an internet tax in Hungary has been scrapped following mass demonstrations.

Prime Minister Viktor Orban said he was dropping a draft internet tax law that would have seen service providers charged by the gigabyte.

Mr Orban said in a radio interview: "The internet tax cannot be introduced in its current form."

He added that the demonstrations meant the introduction of the planned tax was now "impossible".

He said a "national consultation" would instead take place next year on whether the internet should be taxed, which would take "a long time".

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1. Gallery: Thousands March In Hungary Over Internet Tax

   Thousands of people have marched on Hungary's economy ministry over plans to impose a tax on internet usage

2. A woman sits in front of a police line in the centre of Budapest

3. A man prepares to the throw part of a computer

4. The budget plans have provoked widespread opposition

On Sunday evening, more than 10,000 people marched through the centre of Budapest while chanting and waving signs.

Members of the crowd held up banners outside the economy ministry with messages including: "Free Wifi! Free internet! Free Hungary!"

Earlier this month economy minister Mihaly Varga announced a proposed tax of 150 forints (38 pence) for every gigabyte of traffic handled by internet service providers.

But within hours thousands of people had signed petitions demanding the plan be scrapped.

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Hillary Clinton Heckled During Campaign Stop

By Sky News US Team

Hillary Clinton has been heckled during a campaign stop in Maryland, with protesters interrupting much of her speech.

Ms Clinton, a potential 2016 presidential candidate, was at a rally at the University of Maryland for Democratic gubernatorial hopeful Anthony Brown.

Hillary Clinton will decide on a White House run next year

A group of activists from the group United We Dream started putting up signs and shouted at Ms Clinton before being escorted out by police.

The group is angry at President Barack Obama's delay in taking executive action on immigration reforms.

Video: Close Call: Clinton Dodges Shoe

They started targeting Ms Clinton as she took a more prominent role on the campaign trail ahead of the midterm elections due to be held next Tuesday.

Last week, activists from the same group interrupted the former secretary of state's speech in North Carolina.

Ms Clinton, a former first lady and senator, has said she will decide on a White House bid early next year.

Video: Midterms: The Hillary Factor

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Reports: 150 Bodies Found In Iraq Mass Grave

The bodies of 150 members of an Iraqi Sunni tribe opposed to Islamic State (IS) have reportedly been found in a mass grave.

The Reuters news agency quoted a security official saying 150 men from the Albu Nimr tribe had been taken from their villages near Ramadi on Wednesday night and then killed.

There are claims of a separate incident in which 70 more members of the Albu Nimr tribe were found dead in another mass grave near the city of Hit.

Those killed near Hit are believed to have been members of the police and an anti-IS militia called Sahwa, or Awakening.

A witness was quoted as saying: "Early this morning we found those corpses and we have been told by some Islamic State militants that 'those people are from Sahwa, who fought your brothers the Islamic State, and this is the punishment of anybody fighting Islamic State'."

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1. Gallery: Kurds Celebrate Peshmerga's Kobani Mission

   Air strikes have been taking place ahead of the peshmerga's arrival to take part in the battle for Kobani

2. A series of explosions took place in Kobani on Wednesday morning

5. A Turkish army vehicle is seen in the foreground as smoke rises from Kobani following the air strikes

6. A Kurdish boy in Turkey welcomes the peshmerga with a US and Kurdistan flag painted face

7. Kurdish people in Turkey welcome fellow Kurdish fighters from Iraq

8. A peshmerga fighter makes the V for victory sign as their convoy arrives at the Habur crossing along the Turkey-Iraq border

9. The peshmerga appeared upbeat after receiving the authority of both Turkey and Iraq to travel to the under seige town

10. Crowds along the Kurdish section of the road lined the route to wish them well

11. About 150 peshmerga entered Turkey from Iraq, where they were due to travel on to Syria

12. A senior official in the Kurdistan Democratic Party said that a number of others were due to fly to Turkey and then travel on overland

13. The fighters were expected to reach Kobani late on Tuesday night

14. Many in Arbil, capital of Iraqi Kurdistan, celebrated late into the night

15. Kurdistan's Minister of Peshmerga, Mustafa Sayyid Qader, said there was no limit on how long the forces would remain in Kobani

16. Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu had said earlier that airstrikes alone would not be enough to push back the insurgents

More follows ...

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1. Gallery: Shia Militia Rescue Villagers From IS In Iraq

   Members of a Shia militia prepare to take part in a battle to liberate the town of Jurf al Sakhar, south of Baghdad, from militants fighting for Islamic State, who hold the area

2. The militia members were fighting alongside Iraqi government forces

3. The battle to recapture Jurf al Sakhar took months of fighting

4. The IS militants had occupied the area after moving rapidly across Iraq from their stronghold in Syria

5. Villagers living in the area had to wave white flags to make sure they were not fired on as they tried to escape the occupied area

6. They were allowed to leave the militant-held areas if they surrendered to the army to be transported to safe areas

7. Dozens made their way across the front line to reach safety

8. They were corralled and searched to make sure they were not carrying weapons

9. This man was searched as he crossed no man's land

10. Once the fighters were sure they were not combatants, they were allowed to travel elsewhere

11. The men were ordered to sit separately while the checks were made

12. Some sufffered an anxious time as they waited to see what would happen next

13. Government forces and the militia made it into Jurf al Sakhar, about 40 miles south of the capital, on Saturday, but took several more days to gain complete control

14. It represents a significant victory for Iraqi forces, which had been pushed back into retreat by IS. Officials said 67 members of the Iraqi security forces and Shia militias and 300 IS fighters were killed in the fighting

15. This man is taking an IS flag down from a tower and replacing it with an Iraqi flag. There were reports (Reuters) that some of the militia took revenge on the captured IS fighters, attacking them

16. Shia fighters pose with a captured black IS flag. Some reported that innocent people had been killed by IS during the occupation. The danger is not over - a suicide bomber in Jurf al Sakhar killed 27 militia men on Monday

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Ebola: Better Maps Could Have Helped Fight Virus

By Tom Cheshire, Technology Correspondent

Better maps could have helped contain the deadly Ebola virus, according to Medecins Sans Frontieres.

Ivan Gaytan, technology advisor to MSF, told Sky News the disease is "preventable" and could have been "easier to contain" if there was more knowledge of the region.

He said: "In any country where Ebola or any other infectious disease arrives, if you already have a good map which actually reflects the way people describe geography, you set up your clinical activities to take that data in the first place in the right way."

MSF, also known as Doctors Without Borders, will launch a project next month called Missing Maps, which lets anyone, anywhere in the world, annotate maps to show dwellings and infrastructure.

Volunteers are mapping regions within the Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan in the hope that, if an outbreak occurs, more accurate maps will help health workers respond quicker.

Video: Using Phone Tech To Map Movement

Knowing where people live and what infrastructure they use is vital to dealing with public health emergencies.

These maps will provide important information for NGOs and public health officials.

Liz Hughes, the CEO of MapAction, told Sky News: "You could look at Ebola and say it's an emergency that is a geographic emergency.

Video: Day 4: UK Aid Worker Diary

"It's really important to stop the transmission of disease, and you do that by identifying where the highest infection rates are - so being able to map that picture.

"Where people have contracted Ebola, where they're moving to, where the treatment centres are, whether they're in the right places - all of that can be mapped to help decision makers work out where to put resources."

Mobile phone data is also helping to create new types of maps.

Video: DEC launches appeal

This week, IBM Research unveiled a system to let people in Sierra Leone report Ebola-related issues and to track the disease.

Swedish NGO Flowminder has also been analysing the movements of thousands of mobile phone users.

Video: Ebola: Busting The Myths

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Sri Lanka Mudslide: Tragic Stories Emerge

A hugely destructive mudslide at Sri Lanka's Koslanda tea plantation is thought to have left no survivors.

There were widely conflicting reports about how many people had been buried alive under the rubble and mud, with initial estimates saying more than 250 people have died.

Government minister Mahinda Amaraweera said the number was less than 100, adding: "I have visited the scene and from what I saw I don't think there will be any survivors."

However, villagers say the figure is likely to be higher.

A woman sit nexts to her baby in a displacement centre

The landslide was caused by heavy monsoon rains, which destroyed 120 workers' homes at the tea plantation, located about 140 miles east of Colombo.

The plantation was one of many in the higher altitudes of the former Ceylon, one of the world's leading producers of tea.

Scores of children who had left for school early in the morning returned to see their homes had vanished without a trace, along with their parents.

One woman, who gave her name as Saroja, said she had lost her only daughter in the mudslide when a boy asked her to leave the house after they all heard a loud noise.

"There was a loud noise, like a helicopter, and a boy asked my daughter to come and out and see (what was happening)," she said.

"Then soil came and buried them almost immediately. A woman saw the two children buried. We managed to remove them but I lost my only daughter."

A 48-year-old truck driver said he lost all five members of his household - his wife, two sons, daughter-in-law and his six-month-old grandchild.

"I left for work early morning and got a call asking me to rush back because there is an earth slip near my home," the man said.

"I came back and there is no trace of my home, everyone was buried."

The monsoon season in Sri Lanka runs from October through December.

Most of Sri Lanka has experienced heavy rain over the past few weeks, and the Disaster Management Centre (DMC) had issued warnings of mudslides and falling rocks.

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Mosque Closure A 'Declaration Of War' - Abbas

Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas has condemned the closure of Jerusalem's Al-Aqsa mosque as a "declaration of war".

The mosque, in the Al-Aqsa complex which contains sites holy to Muslims and Jews, was closed by Israel following the shooting of a Jewish activist.

Speaking hours after the closure, Mr Abbas said: "This dangerous Israeli escalation is a declaration of war on the Palestinian people and its sacred places and on the Arab and Islamic nation.

"We hold the Israeli government responsible for this dangerous escalation in Jerusalem that has reached its peak through the closure of the Al-Aqsa mosque this morning.

Protesters throw fireworks at police in east Jerusalem

"This decision is a dangerous act and a blatant challenge that will lead to more tension and instability and will create a negative and dangerous atmosphere.

"The state of Palestine will take all legal measures to hold Israel accountable and to stop these ongoing attacks."

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1. Gallery: Jerusalem Unrest Sparks Fears Of New Uprising

   Israeli security forces have clashed with Palestinian youths in Jerusalem

2. The unrest comes after Israeli police killed Muataz Hijazi, who was suspected of shooting Israeli right-wing activist Yehuda Glick

3. The assassination attempt led to the closure of the Al-Aqsa mosque, which Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas branded a "declaration of war"

4. Palestinian protesters lit fires and threw stones

5. Israeli police fired tear gas and rubber bullets

6. The latest unrest has sparked fears of a new Palestinian uprising

7. The family of the 32-year-old Palestinian suspect shot dead by the Israelis mourn his death

8. A Palestinian woman gestures towards an Israeli policeman

9. Click through for more pictures

Minutes after the comments, Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered a hike in police numbers.

He said: "I have ordered a significant increase in forces as well as in means (available to them) so we can both ensure security in Jerusalem and also maintain the status quo in the holy places."

American-born activist Yehuda Glick was in a serious condition in hospital after being shot by a gunman on a motorbike as he left a conference, in an incident that has seen tensions rise in Jerusalem.

He is a well-known ultranationalist and advocate of greater Jewish prayer access at the Al-Aqsa complex.

Police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said police surrounded the home of a man suspected of the shooting on Thursday. The suspect, identified as Muataz Hijazi, 32, then opened fire before police shot back and killed him.

Sky News Middle East reporter Tom Rayner said: "This is a very explosive situation and there will be great concern about whether or not the security forces here can keep a lid on this."

Video: Violence In Jerusalem Over Mosque

He said the closure at Al-Aqsa was the first in 14 years, adding: "It sits right at the heart not just of arguments and conflict in Jerusalem but at the very heart of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict altogether because sovereignty of that area defines what could be a two-state solution.

"Any attempts to block off access to that holy site are inevitably read as attempts to take sovereignty over the wider area of Jerusalem. That is why it is such an explosive issue when it comes to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict as a whole."

Meanwhile, Sweden has become the first Western member of the European Union to recognise the state of Palestine.

The new left-leaning government's move reflects growing international impatience with Israel's nearly half-century control of the West Bank, east Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip.

Foreign Minister Margot Wallstrom said: "There is a territory, a people and government."

It comes after British MPs voted 274-12 in favour of recognising the Palestinian state, although the ballot was not binding and the government has refused to act in line with the vote.

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Rocket Blast 'Catastrophe' Is Not The First

The "catastophic" Antares explosion off the US east coast is not the first failure of a rocket used in a NASA mission.

Most pass off without any serious glitches, but a few infamous missions, such as the Challenger disaster and Apollo 13, have given the space agency some its darkest days - and even threatened to bring a halt to America's space programme.

The Columbia crew were killed after their shuttle's wing was damaged

:: Apollo 1 - 27 January, 1967

Three astronauts died when a fire broke out during a launch-pad test.

NASA eased up in its space race with the Soviets after the deaths of Virgil "Gus" Grissom, Ed White and Roger Chaffee and made crucial design and safety changes.

:: Apollo 13 - 13 April, 1970

Immortalised in the Hollywood blockbuster starring Tom Hanks, the spacecraft was crippled when a tank carrying liquid oxygen exploded and cut off its power.

Apollo 13 was heading for the moon on America's third landing mission.

The three astronauts survived by decamping to the lunar module until they were able to fly the main craft back to earth.

:: Challenger - 2 January, 1986

One of the most iconic news events of the 1980s - the shuttle violently broke up 73 seconds after lift-off at Florida's Cape Canaveral.

The devastating images were broadcast around the world.

Seven crew, including teacher Christa McAuliffe, were killed and the shuttle programme was shelved for nearly three years.

An investigation found the explosion was caused when an O-ring seal in one of the rocket boosters failed, allowing pressurised hot gas to escape.

:: Columbia - 1 February, 2003

Seven more astronauts died when the shuttle disintegrated on re-entry, spewing debris over Texas and Louisiana.

The shuttle's left wing was damaged during launch, said investigators, when foam insulation on the fuel tank broke off.

The damage meant gases from the atmosphere were able to penetrate and destroy the wing as it made its approach back to Earth.

:: Wallops Island - 22 August, 2008

Nasa destroyed another unmanned rocket by remote control just 27 seconds into its flight when it veered off course - again at Virginia's Wallops Island.

Carrying research satellites, it was downed to protect the public at a height of around 12,000ft (3,657m).

Experts said they did not know why it strayed from its flight path.

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Rocket Explosion: 'Hazardous Materials' Warning

People have been warned to keep away from any hazardous debris they might find after an unmanned rocket carrying supplies to the International Space Station exploded seconds after lift-off.

NASA footage showed the Antares rocket, built and launched by Orbital Sciences Corp, bolting off its coastal launch pad at the Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia and exploding in a huge fireball seconds later.

Enveloped in flames, the rocket collapsed to the ground, as a cloud of dark grey smoke rose from the wreckage.

No one was injured and the damage so far appears to be limited to the facilities, according to the company.

Ronda Miller, manager of the Ocean Deli in Wallops Island, told the Reuters news agency she felt the force of the blast from five miles (8km) away.

Video: 'Holy Cow': Plane Captures Fireball

Investigators quickly secured the perimeter of the area and blocked any outside interviews of witnesses or staff, citing classified equipment that had been aboard.

The cause is not yet known, and NASA mission control in Houston, Texas, called it a "catastrophic anomaly".

Engineers said the countdown had gone according to plan and there were no issues apparent with the machinery.

Video: Beware 'Hazardous' Rocket Debris

Speaking at a news conference, Orbital Sciences executive vice president Frank Culbertson warned of the dangers of debris around the site.

He said: "I do want to caution the public…This is an accident site and it is a rocket. It had a lot of hazardous equipment, hazardous materials on board, that people should not be looking for or wanting to collect souvenirs over."

Anyone who finds anything should not touch it, keep others away from it and contact the local authorities, Mr Culbertson added.

Video: 'Launch Failures Do Happen'

The rocket was carrying a Cygnus spacecraft packed with nearly 5,000lb (2,200kg) of food, supplies and materials for space experiments.

One of the items on board was a nitrogen tank to manage the ISS' air supply, said Tariq Malik, managing editor of Space.com, who also added that some scientists had been waiting years to get their hardware on board.

Also among its payload were some Maryland crab cakes for the space station crew.

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1. Gallery: Antares Rocket Explodes In Huge Fireball

   These images capture the moment a rocket carrying supplies to the International Space Station exploded seconds after lift-off from Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia

2. The rocket was unmanned and no one is thought to have been injured

3. The cause of the explosion is unknown but authorities have warned people not to touch any of the debris as it could be "hazardous"

4. NASA confirmed that the crew of the ISS is not in danger because of the failed mission

5. The Cygnus spacecraft was carrying nearly 5,000lb (2,200kg) of food, supplies and materials for space experiments

6. A picture of the craft docking with the International Space Station on a previous mission. Continue through for more pictures

12. A map showing where the launch could be viewed from on the US east coast

The launch was postponed on Monday after a boat ventured into a restricted zone within 10 minutes of take-off.

NASA is paying Virginia-based Orbital Sciences and California-based SpaceX to keep the space station stocked after the space agency retired its own space shuttles.

Orbital has a $1.9bn (£1.1bn) contract with NASA for a total of eight supply missions. The rocket itself and the cargo ship were valued at $200m (£123m).

Video: What Was On Board Rocket?

The mission, known as CRS-3, was to be Orbital's fourth trip to the ISS.

After the launch, Cygnus was meant to remain in orbit until 2 November, then fly itself to the station so astronauts could use a robotic crane to snare the capsule and attach it to a berthing port.

NASA spokesman Rob Navias said there was nothing on the rocket that was urgently needed by the six people living on the station.

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President Sata Of Zambia Dies In London

Zambian president Michael Sata has died in hospital in London, the country's government has announced.

The 77-year-old died shortly after 11pm on Tuesday at the King Edward VII hospital where he was being treated.

His wife, Christine Kaseba, and his son, Mulenga Sata, the mayor of the Zambian capital Lusaka, were at his side.

In a statement Zambian cabinet secretary Roland Msiska urged Zambians "to remain calm, united and peaceful during this very difficult period".

The cabinet has already discussed plans for a political handover, it has been reported.

Rumours that Mr Sata was terminally ill have abounded since he disappeared from public view some time ago, fuelled by the government's refusal to discuss his health.

To scotch the rumours he joked about his health in an address at the opening of parliament on 9 September, saying: "I haven't died yet."

Earlier this year Mr Sata flew to Israel on what officials called a "working holiday" although many believed it was to receive medical treatment.

On 20 October the Zambian government revealed he had left for a "medical check-up abroad" without mentioning he had gone to London.

Mr Sata was elected president in 2011 and was nicknamed 'Mr King Cobra' for his sharp tongue.

Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond said he was saddened to hear of Mr Sata's death, adding: "He played a commanding role in the public life of his country over three decades.

"I would like to offer my condolences to his family and to the Zambian people at this time."

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Free Syrian Army Rebels Join Fight For Kobani

Rebels from the Free Syrian Army have joined Kurdish fighters in their battle to defend Kobani from Islamic State militants, officials have confirmed.

As many as 150 men travelled to the embattled town, on the Turkey-Syria border, in the early hours of Wednesday. They were escorted in an eight-vehicle convoy.

But the British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said it believed just 50 Free Syrian Army fighters have been deployed to the town.

US and allied airstrikes have continued to target IS positions near Kobani

Their arrival came at the same time as that of Iraqi Kurdish peshmerga troops, who were sent to Kobani with the blessing of the Turkish and Iraqi governments.

It is thought that the group are equipped with anti-armour and anti-tank weapons to help defend themselves from IS fighters.

Video: I.S. Hostage Appears In New Video

The US State Department has said it "certainly encourages" the deployment of Iraqi Kurds to the embattled region.

Since IS launched its assault on Kobani and surrounding villages, more than 800 people have died, with an estimated 200,000 people fleeing across the border into Turkey for refuge.

On Tuesday, a video purporting to show British hostage John Cantlie in Kobani was released by IS.

Video: US Airdrops Allegedly Intercepted

In the footage, Mr Cantlie discounted claims that IS militants had been driven out of the town and said US-led airstrikes were not halting their advances.

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Rob Ford: Era Of Crack-Smoking Mayor At An End

The brother of Rob Ford, the Toronto mayor notorious for his public drinking and illegal drug abuse while in office, has failed in his attempt to take over the job.

John Tory, a moderate conservative, claimed victory instead, with 40% of the vote - ahead of Doug Ford who took 33%.

Rob Ford's four-year tenure as mayor of Canada's largest city was marred by his drinking and crack cocaine use.

He announced last month that he would not seek re-election as he battles a rare form of cancer. His brother, a city councillor, ran in his place.

Conservative John Tory beat Doug Ford to become Toronto's new mayor

Doug Ford's supporters booed when he congratulated Mr Tory on his victory. Doug Ford later said the scandals played a part in the loss but said he was "super proud" of his brother.

"I still believe he's the best mayor ever," Doug Ford said.

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1. Gallery: A Look Back As Rob Ford Era Ends

   May 2013: The Toronto Star and the Gawker website say Toronto Mayor Rob Ford has been seen on video smoking what appears to be crack cocaine. Mr Ford calls the allegations "ridiculous"

2. May 2013: Late-night TV comedians begin skewering the mayor. Daily Show host Jon Stewart says: "Don't judge him: Maybe he's cleaning up the city by smoking all the crack in it"

3. 26 May 2013: Mr Ford says the media are "a bunch of maggots" amid calls for him to resign - including on a cake presented to him on his 44th birthday by members of the public.

4. 9 August 2013: YouTube videos show him slurring his speech at a street fair. Mr Ford eventually acknowledges he was "hammered". Here, he arm wrestles Hulk Hogan at the Fan Expo that month

5. 31 October 2013: Mr Ford yells at journalists to get off of his property after Toronto police say they have obtained a video that depicts Mr Ford smoking crack cocaine

6. 31 October 2013: Police Chief Bill Blair also announces the drug probe led to charges against Mr Ford's friend and occasional driver Alexander Lisi

7. 3 November 2013: Mr Ford apologises on his weekly radio show for making mistakes, including texting while driving

8. 5 November 2013: After months of denials, Mr Ford admits to smoking crack cocaine in one of his "drunken stupors". He vows to remain in office and insists: "No, I'm not an addict."

9. 7 November 2013: A video on the Toronto Star's website shows Mr Ford spewing obscenities and threatening to "kill" someone. He says he was "extremely, extremely inebriated". Pic: Toronto Sun

10. 12 November 2013: Hundreds of people line up at City Hall to buy a limited-edition bobblehead doll of Mr Ford, which quickly sold out. Mr Ford was on hand to sign the figurines

11. 13 November 2013: Mr Ford admits during a heated council debate that he bought illegal drugs while in office, but refuses to step down and insists he has zero tolerance for drugs and gangs

12. 13 November 2013: Outside City Hall, protests calling for Mr Ford to resign continue

13. 14 November 2013: City councillors turn their backs to the mayor as a symbolic gesture

14. 14 November 2013: Using obscene language, Mr Ford denies allegations that he told a female staffer he wanted to have oral sex

15. 14 November 2013: The Canadian Football League slams Mr Ford for making the offensive statement while wearing a Toronto Argonauts jersey

16. 14 November 2013: The mayor later appears before cameras to apologise for his language, with his wife Renata by his side

17. 15 November 2013: City councillors step up their efforts to force the mayor out of office despite lacking a legal path to do so. They vote overwhelmingly to strip Mr Ford of some of his powers

18. 16-17 November 2013: Mr Ford launches a media offensive and attends a Toronto Argonauts football game where fans cheer him on

19. 18 November 2013: Toronto City Council strip Mr Ford of the last of his substantive powers after a heated debate - during which he knocks over a female councillor

20. 18 November 2013: Mr Ford remains defiant, again refusing to step down, and denounces the council motion as a coup d'etat

21. 18 November 2013: After the council motion, Rob Ford and his brother Doug, a city councillor, make their debut on their new TV show, Ford Nation

22. December 4, 2013: Allegations emerge that Mr Ford offered to buy footage of himself smoking crack cocaine. He laughed off the suggestion and ignored questions

23. 22 January 2014: Mr Ford admits to drinking a "little bit" after he was caught on camera swearing and slurring his words

24. April 2014: Mr Ford launches his campaign for re-election

25. June 2014. Mr Ford remains popular and auditions get under way for Rob Ford The Musical: Birth Of A Nation

26. May 2014: Mr Ford takes a leave of absence to go to rehab but insists his campaign remains on track. Pic: The Globe And Mail

27. July 2014: Mr Ford reemerges after two months of rehab, saying staff saved his life

28. 10 September 2014: Mr Ford goes to a Toronto hospital complaining of abdominal pains for suspected cancer

29. 12 September 2014: Mr Ford withdraws from the mayoral race after being diagnosed with a rare and difficult cancer in his abdomen. His brother Doug takes his place

30. 28 October 2014: Mr Ford had been hoping his brother Doug, pictured in the back, could win the election but he was defeated by John Tory, a moderate conservative

On winning, Mr Tory told his supporters: "The people have spoken and tonight we begin the work of building one Toronto.

"Torontonians want to see an end to the divisions that have paralysed city hall for the last few years. I hear you."

But Rob Ford is not disappearing from Toronto politics. He won his old city council seat, held by his brother, in a landslide on Monday night and pledged to return to reclaim the mayor's office in 2018.

Video: Ford: 'You Name It, I've Abused It'

"We (Fords) never ever give up," he told his supporters. "In four more years, you're going to see another example of the Ford family never ever giving up."

Rob Ford has previously said the doctors have told him he has a 50-50 chance of surviving the rare cancer in his abdomen, malignant liposarcoma.

His drug abuse was first revealed last year when an alleged drug dealer tried to sell a video of him smoking crack to the media.

Video: Rob Ford On Going To Rehab

At first, Rob Ford denied using the illegal drug, but later acknowledged he had smoked crack while in a "drunken stupor".

Since then, the 45-year-old has been filmed numerous times in public behaving erratically and once smoking crack with his sister. He began rehab for his drugs and alcohol problems earlier this year.  

The City Council stripped him of most of his powers but lacked the authority to force him out of office because he was not convicted of a crime.

Video: Toronto Mayor 'A Little Bit' Drunk

Rob Ford won the last mayoral election in 2010 with 47% of the votes cast.

Mr Tory, 60, is a long-time moderate conservative politician and adviser. He formerly was chief executive of a major cable company Rogers Communications, and also served as commissioner of the Canadian Football League. More recently, he hosted a radio talk show. He ran for mayor in 2003 and lost.

A record 53.4% of voters turned out in the latest mayoral race. 

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IS Claims New Video Shows Cantlie In Kobani

Islamic State has released a new video purporting to show British hostage John Cantlie in the embattled Syrian border town of Kobani.

Narrating the video in the style of a news report, Mr Cantlie counters media claims that IS fighters are being driven out of the town.

He says IS has in fact gained control of large areas of Kobani, despite continual US-led airstrikes.

He adds that IS militants are "mopping up" against Kurdish fighters defending the town and that the weeks-long battle is "coming to an end".

"Contrary to what the Western media would have you believe, it is not an all-out battle here now. It is nearly over," he says.

Video: Analysis: Latest IS Hostage Video

"As you can hear, it is very quiet, just the occasional gunfire."

The 43-year-old photojournalist claims to be in an area of Kobani reported to be held by Kurdish forces, but says they are nowhere to be seen.

"Urban warfare is about as nasty and tough as it gets," he says.

"And it is something of a speciality of the mujahideen."

Video: Hostage Families' 'Mental Torture'

The Foreign Office says it is aware of the tape and is analysing its content.

Sky News cannot independently verify the authenticity of the video or whether the British hostage is in Kobani.

The five-minute, 32-second video, entitled "Inside 'Ayn al-Islam'", opens with what IS claims is an aerial shot of the town. 

It then shows Mr Cantlie purportedly walking through the war-torn streets, addressing the camera.

Video: Hostage's Family In Video Appeal

He refers to several Western media reports published within the last two weeks. 

IS has now released seven videos  featuring the British hostage since August.

In the latest footage, Mr Cantlie is dressed entirely in black. In previous videos, Mr Cantlie speaks from behind a desk wearing an orange jumpsuit.

He appears to be in good health.

Video: Dad Of John Cantlie Appeals To IS

Mr Cantlie was captured in northern Syria in late 2012 while working as an independent photojournalist.

Family members have issued numerous impassioned appeals for his release. 

His father Paul, 80, died last week, shortly after recording a final video message for his son's captors from his hospital bed.

IS, also known as ISIS and ISIL, controls large swathes of Iraq and Syria. 

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1. Gallery: US-Led Airstrikes on Kobani

   Smoke and flames rise over a hill near the Syrian town of Kobani after an airstrike, as seen from the Mursitpinar crossing on the Turkish-Syrian border in Sanliurfa province

2. US military forces again focused airstrikes on the area near the Syrian city in their campaign to turn back Islamic State forces and also hit oil facilities held by the militant group

7. Three IS fighters pray as others inspect a hill in the outskirts of Kobani

9. A Kurdish fighters position in the outskirts of the Syrian town

11. Members of media watch Kobani from a hill near the Mursitpinar border crossing

13. Syrians wait to cross to the northern Syrian city of Tal Abyad at the Akcakale border gate in Sanliurfa province, southeastern Turkey

14. Kurdish refugee children from Kobani in a camp in the southeastern town of Suruc

16. A Turkish army tank drives downhill, in front of ruins of Kobani

17. A Turkish flag flutters on the top of a silo in the Syrian town

18. Turkish Kurds watch Kobani from a hill near the Mursitpinar border crossing

Since August it has published a number of videos showing the beheadings of four Western hostages.

They include British aid workers Alan Henning and David Haines and US journalists Steven Sotloff and James Foley.

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Cantlie Video Aims To Divert Allied Strikes

It is early morning. Shadows slant in from the east. Militants on patrol wear thick coats.

Even John Cantlie, the hostage-reporter, is wearing a sweater under his black shirt.

In the latest piece of agitprop from the studios of Islamic State Mr Cantlie, 42, is reporting under duress from the front line in Kobani.

If he was casting a wary eye to the skies to look for incoming allied air strikes, it's not in the seventh of his videos.

His "report" is intended to dispel claims that a combination of allied airstrikes and Kurdish militia have driven IS from the town that sits on the border with Turkey.

Video: I.S. Hostage Appears In New Video

In it, he says: "Despite continual American airstrikes which so far have cost nearly half a billion dollars the mujahedeen have pushed deep into the heart of the city, they now control the eastern and southern sectors."

Mr Cantlie's previous internet broadcasts have been from an echoing room with him reading from a prepared script and wearing the orange prison suit now familiar from the beheading videos of his fellow captors.

He has been held by Islamic State for the longest.

His last lecture, before the Kobani report, focussed on how European countries had succeeded at negotiating the release of their hostages while the US and UK had "abandoned" their citizens.

The Kobani report from Mr Cantlie is peppered with contemporary references from the media to prove that it has been recently filmed.

Video: Hostage Families' 'Mental Torture'

But it is revealing for what is not in it.

There are no interviews with anyone on the street. Indeed, Mr Cantlie is moved between several locations but we do not see these moves.

His is the only voice in the report, which also appears to have been heavily pre-scripted.

He says: "It's going to be difficult with just airpower to prevent the Islamic State from taking the town."

He, or rather Islamic State, is right in this assertion. But why make it?

Video: Hostage's Family In Video Appeal

It's a taunt. Consistent with previous goads scripted for Mr Cantlie, aimed at drawing western troops back into a Middle East maelstrom from which, like the invasion of Iraq, they would emerge with no credit but a huge expenditure on blood and treasure.

Kobani doesn't matter to Islamic State. The US-led coalition has also said the whole of Syria is a lower military priority than first securing the government in Iraq from IS attack.

The Americans have said that they want to concentrate on breaking up IS logistics chains that supply forces in Iraq - like Syrian refineries and Syrian roads in IS controlled areas.

But the focus of the media on the Kurdish fight to save their city has forced the Pentagon to make a tactical switch to airstrikes in and around Kobani.

This suits Islamic State as it draws its enemies' assets away from attacking it in more important strategic locations - and buys it time to get essential equipment hidden from the eyes in the skies.

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1. Gallery: US-Led Airstrikes on Kobani

   Smoke and flames rise over a hill near the Syrian town of Kobani after an airstrike, as seen from the Mursitpinar crossing on the Turkish-Syrian border in Sanliurfa province

2. US military forces again focused airstrikes on the area near the Syrian city in their campaign to turn back Islamic State forces and also hit oil facilities held by the militant group

7. Three IS fighters pray as others inspect a hill in the outskirts of Kobani

9. A Kurdish fighters position in the outskirts of the Syrian town

11. Members of media watch Kobani from a hill near the Mursitpinar border crossing

13. Syrians wait to cross to the northern Syrian city of Tal Abyad at the Akcakale border gate in Sanliurfa province, southeastern Turkey

14. Kurdish refugee children from Kobani in a camp in the southeastern town of Suruc

16. A Turkish army tank drives downhill, in front of ruins of Kobani

17. A Turkish flag flutters on the top of a silo in the Syrian town

18. Turkish Kurds watch Kobani from a hill near the Mursitpinar border crossing

This is why the Cantlie report on Kobani matters.

By insisting that the IS is poised to capture the city the terror group is maintaining the need to keep a focus on a location that sucks resources from allied air power that could be focussed elsewhere.

For Mr Cantlie it's an opportunity to get some sunlight and fresh air - albeit on the front line of somebody else's war.

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Kim Jong-Un Disappearance Puzzle 'Solved'

By Mark Stone, Asia Correspondent

South Korea's spy agency has revealed details of what it believes were the reasons behind the 40-day disappearance of North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un.

In a closed-door hearing, officials from South Korea's National Intelligence Service (NIS) told parliamentarians he was suffering from Tarsal Tunnel Syndrome, which is the compression of the tibial nerve in the foot.

In Mr Kim's case, the compression is understood to have been caused by a cyst in his right ankle - said to be the result of obesity, smoking and his busy work schedule.

The intelligence agency officials claimed Mr Kim had been operated on by European doctors in September or October.

Handout photo of Mr Kim visiting a baby home and orphanage

The spy officials also claimed that about 200 military officers had been demoted for "underperformance" and 50 executions had been carried out in North Korea so far this year, including officials associated with Mr Kim's executed uncle Jang Song-Thaek.

Discussing North Korea's widely-condemned labour camps, the officials said that intelligence suggested they were growing in size.

Video: The Defectors: A Special Programme

The revelations come as North Korean officials at the United Nations hinted they could allow a UN human rights inspector into the country.

At an unprecedented meeting in New York, North Korean diplomats met Marzuki Darusman, a UN special investigator on human rights.

Following discussions, the North Korean delegation told the AP news agency that they "envisaged" a visit by Mr Darusman to the country.

In theory, the visit could represent a breakthrough in international efforts to establish, first-hand, the reality of human rights abuses in North Korea.

However, reports from South Korea suggest the North is secretly moving inmates out of one its prison camps.

According to South Korea's Chosun Ilbo newspaper, prisoners at Yodok camp are being moved in "apparent preparation for a PR exercise showing conditions are not as bad as reported".

In February, a UN Commission of Inquiry published testimonies from North Koreans who have escaped the country.

The report was the culmination of public hearings with more than 80 victims in Seoul, Tokyo, London and Washington. It outlined a litany of crimes including murder, enslavement, torture, imprisonment and rape amounting to "crimes against humanity".

Video: Feb: Surviving N Korea Prison Camps

However, the report authors, led by retired Australian judge Michael Kirby, were refused access to North Korea itself. Officials there have repeatedly dismissed its findings as "fabrications" and described the witnesses as "human scum".

The Chosun Ilbo newspaper is also suggesting North Korea might now try to improve the appearance of one of its camps.

"The regime is transferring the inmates one by one during the night so that their movement can't be detected by satellites," the newspaper quoted a source as saying.

The UN Commission of Inquiry called for North Korea to be referred to the International Criminal Court, a procedure which must be actioned by the UN Security Council.

However, North Korea's closest ally, China, holds a permanent seat on the council and has the power of veto, making any ICC referral unlikely.

:: In a separate development, Japanese and North Korean officials have begun two days of talks in Pyongyang about the abduction of Japanese citizens in the 1970s and 80s.

The issue has long been a major obstacle in relations between the two nations, and the talks are the first in the capital in 10 years.

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Nigeria Girls Detail Horrific Boko Haram Abuse

Girls who escaped Nigerian terror group Boko Haram have described the physical torture, rape and forced marriage that many endure in their secret forest camps.

Some victims are also forced to take part in attacks and carry ammunition for fighters during battle. Others have been used as 'bait' to lure Christian men to their deaths.

The abuse is detailed in a Human Rights Watch report, which includes first-hand accounts from some of the schoolgirls who escaped after April's Chibok kidnappings.

The group has waged war with a long-running bombing campaign

More than 270 were taken from a boarding school in the north-east of the country, prompting a high-profile political and social media campaign using the hashtag #Bring Back Our Girls.

It comes after a weekend during which another 30 youngsters - some of them girls aged as young as 11 - were abducted in northeast Nigeria by suspected Boko Haram rebels, according to a local village chief.

Video: 12 May, 2014: Taken Girls On Show

In a video released after the abduction the group's leader, Abubakar Shekau, said the girls were "slaves" and threatened to "sell them in the market".

The Nigerian government has said a ceasefire deal with the militant Islamist group is on the verge of freeing the group, but last week more were kidnapped.

Human Rights Watch says new "shocking details" emerged from its interviews.

It reports that the group targets students and Christians, threatening them with whipping, beating, or death unless they convert to Islam, stop attending school, and wear the veil or hijab.

Forced marriage, forced labour, physical torture and rape are also common.

Video: 20 June 2014: Fighting Boko Haram

A 19-year-old student, from Borno State, described how militants ambushed her and five friends and threatened to kill them for going to school.

One of the men shouted: "Aha! These are the people we are looking for, so you are the ones with strong heads who insist on attending school when we have said 'boko' is 'haram.' We will kill you here today."

The girls were held for several days in the Sambisa forest and only released after they promised to convert to Islam and give up school.

Boko Haram translates roughly from the Hausa language as "Western education is forbidden" and has carried out a campaign of bombings in Nigeria over the past five years, killing 7,000 people, according to Human Rights Watch.

More than 500 girls and woman are said to have been been kidnapped by the group since 2009.

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1. Gallery: Profile: Boko Haram Leader

   Abubakar Shekau is the leader of Boko Haram. He took control of the Islamist group after the death of founder Mohammed Yusuf in 2009.

2. Little is known about him, although he was born in Shekau village in the northeastern state of Yobe and is now thought to be in his early 40s.

3. Shekau is Nigeria's most-wanted man and was designated a terrorist by the U.S. government in 2012. A reward of $7m (£4.6m) and 50m Nigerian naira (£182,000) has been issued for information leading to his location.

4. Shekau is also known as "Darul Tawheed", a reference to his knowledge of an orthodox doctrine of Islam centred on the oneness of Allah.

5. Nigerian authorities thought he had been killed in 2009 during clashes with security forces, but he reappeared in a video in 2010 to claim leadership of Boko Haram.

6. Shekau is believed to have been behind the August 2011 bombing of the UN compound in the capital Abuja, which killed at least 21 people.

7. In a video released after the abduction of 276 girls from a boarding school in the village of Chibok on April 14, he described the youngsters as "slaves" and threatened to "sell them in the market".

Girls who escape the group's clutches are often ignored despite having vital intelligence about Boko Haram's inner workings, says the report.

For example, they often have information on chain of command, ammunition, and how the fighters keep tabs on Nigeria's military.

But Human Rights Watch claims the government "rarely, if ever" interviews the girls.

The report - called Those Terrible Weeks in Their Camp: Boko Haram Violence against Women and Girls in Northeast Nigeria - includes evidence from 46 witnesses and victims of the group.

Daniel Bekele, Africa Director at Human Rights Watch, says the Nigerian government must do more to protect and rehabilitate the girls, and also to track down those behind the abuse.

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Prosecutors To Appeal Oscar Pistorius Verdict

South Africa's state prosecutors say they will appeal against the conviction and sentence handed to Oscar Pistorius.

They say they are not happy with the five-year jail sentence that he was handed last Wednesday, or the culpable homicide offence which he was convicted for.

National Prosecuting Authority spokesman Nathi Mncube said on his Twitter feed: "Oscar Pistorius judgement, NPA will be appealing both the conviction and sentence."

Mr Mncube said the next step was to file papers in court.

More follows...

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US Ebola Nurse To Sue Over Quarantine 'Ordeal'

An American nurse who treated Ebola patients in Sierra Leone is to sue over being forced into quarantine, despite testing negative for the disease.

Doctors Without Borders worker Kaci Hickox returned to the US on Friday and was promptly put into isolation at a New Jersey hospital.

She has tested free of the deadly virus, but was told she would be unable to leave for another 21 days - when the disease's incubation period ends.

Her lawyer said the order violated her constitutional rights.

Writing in The Dallas Morning News, Ms Hickox said: "This is not a situation I would wish on anyone, and I am scared for those who will follow me.

Video: Ebola Nurse To Sue Over Quarantine

"I am scared that, like me, they will arrive and see a frenzy of disorganisation, fear and, most frightening, quarantine."

She said that upon telling a border official she had just returned from West Africa, she was immediately ushered into a private room before having questions "barked" at her.

She said she was made to wait hours with little to eat.

"I... thought of many colleagues who will return home to America and face the same ordeal. Will they be made to feel like criminals and prisoners?" Ms Hickox said.

"The US must treat returning health care workers with dignity and humanity," said the nurse, who has a bed, a portable toilet and a sink, but no shower.

Three states - New York, New Jersey and Illinois - introduced the mandatory 21-day quarantine period for anyone who has been involved in treating victims in West Africa.

Video: Ebola: The Politics Of Quarantine

Other states, including Virginia and Georgia, are also considering whether to impose the same regime.

However, Ms Hickox's treatment has been widely criticised.

Under mounting pressure, the governors of New York and New Jersey said on Sunday evening that quarantined medical workers who did not show symptoms could be allowed to remain at home.

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said: "We're doing everything possible. Some people say we're being too cautious - I'll take that criticism."

Under the protocols, New York state will also pay compensation if quarantined workers are not paid by a volunteer organisation.

On Sunday, a top US health official warned that the quarantines could discourage qualified doctors from volunteering in West Africa.

Video: Video Diary: Ebola Aid Worker

Dr Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said: "We do not want to put them in a position where it makes it very, very uncomfortable for them to even volunteer to go.

"If we don't have our people volunteering to go over there, then you're going to have other countries that are not going to do it and then the epidemic will continue to roar."

The number of Ebola cases worldwide has now exceeded 10,000, with nearly 5,000 deaths, according to the World Health Organisation.

The US quarantines followed the positive diagnosis of doctor Craig Spencer, who fell ill days after returning to his New York City home from treating Ebola patients in Guinea.

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