Deadly Indian Landslide Wipes Out Village

By Neville Lazarus, India Producer

At least 30 people have been killed after a landslide buried a remote village in western India.

It is feared the number of dead will grow as more than 150 people are believed to be buried under the debris in Malin, in the foothills of the Sahyadri mountains.

Rescue workers and villagers have been digging through deep mud and rocks, some using their bare hands, in a frantic bid to find survivors.

Rescuers use their bare hands in the frantic search for survivors

Two days of torrential rain triggered the landslide on Wednesday while many were asleep in their homes, but emergency teams could not reach the area for several hours due to poor communications and dangerous roads.

More than 40 houses lie buried under almost 15ft of debris.

The alarm was only raised when a passing bus driver saw the village, in Pune district of Maharashtra state, had been wiped out.

Suresh Jadhav, a district official, said: "The driver returned to a nearby city and alerted authorities. Everything on the mountain came down."

A National Disaster Response Force commander, Alok Avasthy, said there was a very small chance of finding any more survivors, but added: "Miracles do happen."

Distraught villagers in the wake of the disaster

Heavy rain also continued to hamper relief efforts, which continued throughout the night with flood lights mounted on jeeps used to illuminate the area.

Pravin Sadhale of the state's Emergency Medical Services said: "As we remove the mud from one place, more is flowing in since the rains have been incessant."

Around 250 disaster response workers and at least 100 ambulances are involved in the rescue.

Care is being taken to not endanger those trapped who may still be alive, but it is a race against time to find survivors.

Heavy rain has been hampering rescue efforts in the remote area

Hospitals in the region have been put on standby.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has mourned the loss of life and said every effort must be made to help the victims.

He has sent Home Minister Rajnath Singh to the scene.

Landslides are common in the area during the monsoon season, which runs from June until September.

The area around the village has been deforested extensively, increasing the threat of landslides.

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International Experts Reach MH17 Crash Site

International observers have reached the crash site of the downed Malaysia Airlines plane in eastern Ukraine.

It is the first time experts have been able to visit the scene in almost a week due to fierce fighting between Ukrainian forces and pro-Russian rebels.

Dutch PM Mark Rutte said the pain of the tragedy was 'almost unbearable'

The ongoing violence has frustrated efforts by investigators to reach the site to recover the remains of victims and examine the scene of the disaster, which claimed the lives of 298 people.

The Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe's monitoring mission tweeted: "Monitors reach MH17 crash site for first time in almost week, accompanied by four Dutch, Australian experts. Used new route to access."

However, as observers arrived there were reports of loud explosions close to the crash site with black smoke seen coming from a nearby village.

Observers used a new route to gain access to the area

A statement from the Dutch mission said a small team would carry out initial checks.

It said: "They will now only do initial reconnaissance, so that they can start searching as soon as possible during a later visit."

Shortly before they reached the area, Malaysia's Prime Minister called on the warring sides to agree to a ceasefire around the site.

Najib Razak said: "The conflict in eastern Ukraine may not be easily resolved, but the people on board that plane had no part in it."

The Malaysian PM's message in the book of condolence for MH17 victims

Speaking at a joint press conference with Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte in The Hague, Mr Razak added: "We ask there be an immediate cessation of hostilities in and around the crash site by both Ukrainian and separatist forces.

"We ask that all sides respect the lives lost and the integrity of the crash site so that the investigation may proceed."

Mr Rutte said: "The pain of the terrible accident is almost unbearable."

Earlier, Ukraine claimed it had suspended military operations to allow monitors to reach the site, but separatists were continuing to attack its troops.

But the rebels have accused Ukraine forces of breaching a ceasefire in the crash area, and so preventing monitors from carrying out their work.

Meanwhile, Russia's aviation authorities said a team of their own experts had arrived in Kiev and were hoping to reach the crash site.

Western countries blame rebels for allegedly shooting down the airliner with a missile, mistaking it for a Ukrainian plane, but the separatists deny any involvement.

More follows...

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UN 'Completely Overwhelmed' By Gaza Refugees

The United Nations says it is "completely overwhelmed" by the number of Palestinians seeking refuge in its Gaza camps.

Chris Gunness, spokesman for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), told Sky News its shelters were "overflowing" and that "Gaza is being destroyed".

"Eight of my colleagues have been killed. We simply can't cope," said Mr Gunness.

"The Israeli army has been dropping leaflets over Gaza telling people to leave their homes.

"We may well soon be in a position where there are tens of thousands stranded in the streets of Gaza with missiles flying in, rockets flying out.

"These people will be without food, shelter, blankets, mattresses, without water.

Palestinians survey the rubble of a house in Gaza

"The parties to this conflict need to realise that UNRWA does not have an infinite capacity to absorb the consequences of their military campaign."

Some 245,000 Palestinians have fled to 80 UN-run schools and other public buildings as their homes have been destroyed by Israeli rockets, or are under threat of being hit.

Children in the Jebalya camp, home to more than 3,000 refugees

A rocket which hit a camp in Jebalya on Wednesday morning as families slept killed at least 16 people and has been widely condemned.

Israel has said it is investigating the incident and reiterated it does not intentionally target civilians.

It blames Hamas for embedding itself among the civilian population and points to the fact that the group's rockets have been found in three UN schools.

The Jebalya camp was hit - but Israel says it does not target civilians

Mr Gunness conceded that Hamas fighters had infiltrated three of its facilities but said that militants had taken advantage of empty schools "mothballed" for the summer.

"As soon as we found out about this ... we proactively told the parties about them, we issued a public condemnation.

"Were we expected to chuck these weapons in the back of a pick-up and drive them through a warzone and somehow disable them? Or drive them across the confrontation line and give them to Israel?"

Chris Gunness admitted militants had stored rockets at three schools

The UN says nearly 1,300 Palestinians have been killed since Israeli began rocket attacks early in July.

"Gaza is being destroyed," said Mr Gunness.

"On the ground, the effort to rebuild Gaza is going to be very long and very expensive and the people who are stranded ... what is going to happen to them?"

"When this war is over they will have nowhere to go. We cannot have a situation where these people are left in these totally overcrowded UNRWA schools."

Israel's prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has said the country will not agree a ceasefire until all of Hamas' cross-border "terror tunnels" are destroyed.

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Ebola Crisis: Two US Volunteers In Isolation

Two American volunteers have been placed in isolation amid fears they could have contracted the virus in West Africa.

The pair - working for America's Peace Corps movement  - have not displayed symptoms but are under observation after coming into contact with an ebola sufferer, who later died.

The Peace Corps said it was evacuating 340 volunteers from Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone, the three countries worst affected in the outbreak.

The virus - which has no vaccine, no specific treatment and a fatality rate of up to 90% - has now killed more than 670 in west Africa.

Liberia has closed schools and is considering quarantining some communities and closing markets in areas bordering Guinea and Sierra Leone.

Health workers' clothing and equipment have to be sterilised

Many civil servants have also been told to stay at home for 30 days.

The measures were announced after an isolation unit treating people in the capital Monrovia was revealed to be overrun with cases.

It has forced health workers to treat up to 20 new patients in their homes.

Liberia's Information minister Lewis Brown told Reuters: "This is a major public health emergency.

"It's fierce, deadly and many of our countrymen are dying and we need to act to stop the spread

"We need the support of the international community now more than ever. We desperately need all the help we can get."

Dozens of flights come into Europe from the affected countries

A lack of effective communication has led to misinformation about the virus spreading in Liberia, with rural communities accusing foreign aid workers of bringing in the deadly virus.

Others blamed the government with one man setting fire to the health ministry building in Monrovia after his teenage brother reportedly died of ebola.

The concerns prompted Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf to issue an urgent warning.

She said: "My fellow Liberians, ebola is real, ebola is contagious and ebola kills.

"Denying that the disease exists is not doing your part, so keep yourselves and your loved ones safe."

Two airlines have suspended flights to some of the affected countries.

Dr Kent Brantly is said to be improving after being in a serious condition

So far, one US citizen has died from ebola, in Nigeria, after he took a flight from Liberia.

Two other American aid workers infected with ebola, Dr Kent Brantly and missionary Nancy Writebol, are in a serious condition but are said to have improved overnight.

Dozens of health workers are said to have died while treating patients.

The EU allocated an additional €2m (£1.58m) to fight the outbreak on Wednesday, bringing total funding to €3.9m (£3.08m).

Hong Kong said it was quarantining all people from Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia who showed ebola-like symptoms arriving in the city.

In Britain, Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond said "precautionary measures" had been put in place amid fears the virus could spread globally.

Doctors have been put on alert to spot symptoms of the deadly disease.

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Israel's PM 'To Finish Job' As Troops Boosted

Thousands more Israeli troops are to join the fight in Gaza, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu promising to destroy Hamas tunnels "with or without a ceasefire".

Some 16,000 additional troops are joining the operation in Gaza "to allow troops on the ground to rest", said an army spokeswoman.

The boost takes the number of reservists involved to 86,000.

It comes as the Commissioner General for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) warned that Gaza is on a "precipice".

Israel says it is close to destroying all Hamas cross-border attack tunnels

Pierre Krahenbuhl told the UN Security Council he had witnessed the "catastrophic human cost" of the conflict, in which more than 1,300 Palestinians have been killed.

He said the estimated 240,000 people who have sought refuge in UN shelters are facing "dire conditions" as a result of the "extensive and often disproportionate use of force."

Strikes on Gaza continued on Thursday

UN humanitarian chief Valerie Amos told the Council the total number of displaced people now stands at 440,000, roughly 25% of Gaza's population.

Israel launched Operation Protective Edge on July 8 with the stated intention of ending Hamas rocket attacks.

It later ordered its ground forces to locate and destroy a warren of cross-border tunnels which it says Hamas has used to infiltrate southern towns and army bases.

The school where Palestine officials say at least 16 died in shelling

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told a cabinet meeting on Thursday he was determined to finish the job "with or without a ceasefire," as attacks on both sides continued.

He said: "I wont agree to any proposal that will not enable the Israeli military to complete this important task for the sake of Israel's security."

The army said 32 secret passages had been found so far and half of them blown up, with the end of the operation apparently just days away.

Three Israeli soldiers were killed on Wednesday by a booby trap detonated as they uncovered a tunnel shaft, the army said, bringing the total military death toll to 56.

Three civilians have also been killed in Israeli, including a Thai national.

The locations of refugee camps in the Gaza Strip

Hamas' military leader Mohammed Deif has said the militants will not cease firing until their demands are met.

They want Israel and Egypt to lift a crippling border blockade imposed after Hamas took control of Gaza in 2007.

Meanwhile investigations continue into Wednesday's shelling of a market and a UN-run school housing more than 3,000 refugees.

The school attack left 16 people dead, including children.

Israel has said it is looking into the case, but has repeated it does not have a policy of targeting civilians.

It was the second attack on one of the UN's 80 schools, which are designated safe zones.

The strike on the Shejaiza market is said to have killed at least 17 people

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said the school shelling was "outrageous" and "unjustifiable".

He said: "Nothing is more shameful than attacking sleeping children."

A carefully-worded White House statement also "condemned the shelling," but did not mention Israel explicitly.

The Pentagon later confirmed it had agreed to an "emergency" Israeli request to stock up on grenades and mortar rounds from a store it has kept in the country for several years.

Pentagon spokesman Admiral John Kirby said the request was received on July 20 and approved three days later, without needing White House approval.

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Canada Cyber Attack 'May Take One Year To Fix'

A "highly sophisticated" Chinese hacking attack on Canada's National Research Council (NRC) has caused major disruption, the Canadian government says.

The council - which carries out high-level scientific research - has been isolated from the rest of the government network as a precaution, after being compromised by a "state-sponsored actor".

The attack - which temporarily shut down the NRC's computer systems - was revealed by the country's information officer, Corinne Charette.

In a statement her office said: "The government takes this issue very seriously and we are addressing it at the highest levels in both Beijing and Ottawa."

Canada's foreign affairs minister John Baird

Foreign affairs minister John Baird was in Beijing as the news became public, and said a "full and frank exchange of views" had taken place.

It is unclear what type of information may have been compromised.

The NRC says it is trying to rebuild its computer infrastructure and that the process could take up to a year.

It is known to have been working with university and private sector teams on a number of recent projects.

It is the first time the Canadian government has unequivocally blamed China for a cyber attack.

But the Chinese embassy has said it does not accept the "groundless accusation".

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Guinea Concert Stampede Kills 'At Least 24'

At least 24 people have reportedly been killed in a stampede at a rap concert on a beach in Guinea.

The government declared a week of national mourning following the tragedy, which came after Guineans celebrated the Eid al-Fitr holiday, ending the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan.

It was not immediately clear what caused the stampede in the capital Conakry's northern Ratoma suburb, where the Guinean rap group Instinct Killers were among the headliners.

The victims, including 13 girls, were taken to Conakry's Donka hospital

Medics took at least 24 bodies including 13 girls to a hospital morgue, an official told the AFP news agency, while dozens of music fans were injured.

The president's office said in a statement that it was "shocked by the tragedy caused by (crowd) movements at a cultural event".

Guinea has been battling a deadly ebola outbreak

An investigation has been launched to determine what caused the stampede, while the official in charge of organising public concerts has been suspended.

The disaster came as Guinea battles a deadly ebola epidemic, which has killed more than 670 people there and in Sierra Leone, Liberia and Nigeria.

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Hamas Leader Defiant Over Gaza In Rare Speech

Gaza Conflict 'Like A Never-Ending Horror Film'

Updated: 2:53pm UK, Tuesday 29 July 2014

By Sherine Tadros, Middle East Correspondent, in Gaza City

"Stay safe," people keep telling us.

"Where?" I always reply.

One of the harsh realities of this war is that there seem to be no red lines or boundaries.

People here are locked inside a tiny, cramped territory while the Israeli army bombs their homes, businesses, schools and hospitals.

Some 23,160 buildings have been damaged in the past three weeks, including 560 houses that were specifically targeted, according to the Health Ministry.

Most of the time there is no electricity, so at night you can only listen to what's happening around you in the dark.

Parents watch as their children die, children watch as their parents die - it's like a horror film.

The hardest part is how to convey the emotion and explain the events you are witnessing to people who live thousands of miles away and have likely never been to Gaza.

How do you do the story justice, remaining calm and fair?

Journalists are obsessed with the idea of balance, but what throws us off is that this is not an equal battle.

Israel says it is defending its civilians from rockets indiscriminately fired at them and underground tunnels used to infiltrate and kill soldiers.

Hamas says it is defending their civilians from an Israeli imposed siege that has strangled Gaza and affects every part of daily life.

The sad reality is that this war will likely end with Israel keeping Gaza under a blockade, which means Hamas will continue to resist - if not with rockets then tunnels, if not with tunnels then something else.

And if it's not Hamas it will be another group. The violence will continue as long as there is a cause.

Covering this war has been just as devastating as in 2008/9, the last time Israel launched a ground assault and I was inside Gaza.

Back then, people felt they were paying the price for a battle between Hamas and Israel.

This time, after seven years of living under siege, many sound hopeless and support Hamas (they call it "the resistance") because they feel there is no other way to end the misery they are living in.

My parents tell me stories of going on holiday to Gaza when they were young.

It has a beautiful coastline and when the drones and jets are quiet you can hear the waves crashing on the beach.

But the last few years of the blockade have been especially tough and Gaza is now a ghetto of 1.8 million people with many living in refugee camps surrounded by bombed out buildings.

Yesterday, at a UN school turned shelter, a woman asked me where I was from.

"Egypt," I replied, expecting her to lecture me about the country's complicity in the siege and how much she hates Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al Sisi.

But instead she said in a strong, sad voice: "Take me back with you."

It's simple really: people in Gaza, like elsewhere in the world, just want a chance to live with dignity.

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Top Ebola Doctor Falls Victim To Deadly Virus

A doctor who was hailed as a national hero in Sierra Leone after risking his life to treat dozens of ebola patients has himself died from the disease.

Dr Sheik Humarr Khan had been hospitalised in quarantine but died on Tuesday, officials said.

Health workers are particularly vulnerable to ebola, which has killed more than 670 people since February.

Foreign development organisation Plan International has said the outbreak is a "health crisis with global dimensions", while the European Union has increased its funding to fight the disease to 3.9m euros (£3m).

Two Americans are currently being treated for the disease in Liberia, where all football activities have been stopped in a bid to halt the spread of the deadly virus.

Texan GP, Kent Brantly, who also contracted ebola while treating patients with the virus, is said to be in a grave condition in Monrovia and "terrified" he will not survive.

Jeremy Writebol, whose mother Nancy has been diagnosed with ebola in Liberia, told the US TV network NBC that his mother is able to move around the home where she is being isolated and is drinking plenty of fluids.

The family of Patrick Sawyer, Nigeria's first Ebola virus victim

He added that his father David, who was exposed before finding out his wife had ebola, is feeling fine and is checking his temperature every six hours.

A Canadian doctor has also put himself in quarantine in Liberia as a precaution after spending several weeks in the region treating ebola patients.

Azaria Marthyman of Victoria, British Columbia, was working with the Christian relief organisation Samaritan's Purse.

Samaritan's Purse and SIM USA have now decided to evacuate all non-essential personnel from Liberia as a result.

The US Center for Disease Control and Prevention has issued a Level Two travel alert, warning travellers to Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea to avoid contact with body fluids of people who might be affected.

The symptoms of the severe acute viral illness include sudden fever, intense weakness, muscle pain, headache and a sore throat.

Kent Brantly with his wife Amber and children

This is followed by vomiting, diarrhoea, rash, impaired kidney and liver function, and internal and external bleeding. 

The major West African carrier, ASKY, has stopped its flights to Liberian capital Monrovia and Freetown, Sierra Leone, because of outbreak.

The airline's decision came after Patrick Sawyer, a 40-year-old American of Liberian descent, died of ebola in Nigeria after taking several ASKY flights, travelling through an international hub.

Mr Sawyer, a top official for Liberia's finance ministry, had travelled to Nigeria from Liberia, via Ghana and Togo. He collapsed on arrival at Lagos airport.

It was the first record case of ebola in Nigeria, Africa's most populous country.

At the ministry where he worked, several senior officials have been placed under observation for three weeks.

Passengers at ASKY's hub in Lome, Togo, will also be screened by medical teams.

Arik Air had already cancelled flights in the region.

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Israeli Military 'Intensifies Gaza Attacks'

Israeli media has reported that the military is intensifying aerial attacks on Gaza ahead of a possible deepening of its ground operation.

Israel's Haaretz newspaper cited an unnamed military in its report.

It comes shortly before a four-hour partial humanitarian ceasefire, announced by Israel, was due to expire.

Israel said it would halt assaults in certain areas of the coastal strip until 7pm local time (5pm UK time).

Damage to the school in Jebalya that doubles up as a shelter for refugees

Hamas responded by saying the lull had "no value", and continued firing rockets into Israel.

Israel agreed to hold fire in Gaza after a night of heavy shelling left at least 43 people dead, including many at a UN school.

The school in Jebalya refugee camp, where aid workers say they are at "breaking point" helping some of the 200,000 people who have been displaced by the war, was hit around dawn.

At least 19 people, including a young child, were killed, many of them as they slept.

Jebalya is one of eight UN refugee camps in Gaza

Adbel Karim al Masamha, who came to Jebalya with his family to seek refuge, said: "People were martyred before our eyes. They were dismembered."

Another refugee, Haleema Ghabin, added: "No place is safe, neither homes nor schools. We are defenceless."

Jebalya was the second UN-run school to be hit in the past week, with a complex in Beit Hanoun struck last Thursday, killing at least 15 people.

An Israeli defence spokesman said militants near the school fired mortars at soldiers before the attack.

Sky's Sherine Tadros saw the aftermath of a rocket attack in Gaza City

The UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) said it told Israel "17 times" the building was being used by refugees, although it also confirmed other schools had been used to store weapons.

On the 23rd day of the conflict, Israeli TV said progress was being made to achieve a peace deal, with a Palestinian delegation expected to arrive in Egypt for discussions.

Earlier, thick, black smoke could be seen rising from blazing fuel tanks at Gaza's only power station, which was knocked out on the bloodiest day of the conflict so far.

At least 128 Palestinians were killed as Israel sought to destroy what it called Hamas "terror sites" with heavy fire from the air, land and sea.

Hundreds of homes have been razed to the ground in Gaza

It says its ongoing operation is meant to stop Hamas rocket fire and demolish a sophisticated network of tunnels.

More than 2,600 missiles have been fired from Gaza in the past three weeks, the Israeli army said.

Meanwhile, the leader of Hamas' military wing, Mohammed Deif, issued a rare statement, saying there will be no end to the fighting until the blockade of Gaza is lifted.

According to UNRWA, about 10% of Palestinians - more than 200,000 people - have been displaced by fighting.

The figure is triple that seen at the peak of the 2008/9 conflict, with the organisation warning all of its camps are now full.

Justine Greening, the international development secretary, described the situation as "dire", as the UK pledged an extra £3m to provide a month of emergency food for more than 300,000 people.

More than 1,200 Palestinians, most of them civilians, have been killed since the start of the offensive on July 8.

On the Israeli side, 53 soldiers and three civilians have died.

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EU Sanctions Target Russian Oil Industry

European governments have agreed new sanctions against Russia over the Ukraine crisis, targeting its oil and defence industries.

Moscow's sensitive technologies and dual-use goods are also being targeted as part of the fresh action which will be reviewed after three months, a diplomat said.

The capitals of all 28 nations will now look at and rubber-stamp what has been agreed.

The move is seen as an extension of existing US and EU sanctions and will focus on 11 individuals and other "entities" - the so-called 'cronies' of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

It also comes after the other leaders of the Group of Seven (G7) warned in a statement earlier this week that they were prepared to move to broader sanctions on Russia, including "sectoral measures".

Sky's Europe Correspondent Robert Nisbet said eight of the people to be added to the list by the EU were expected to be much closer to the inner-circle of Mr Putin to "hit right at the centre of the Russian government".

He added: "What you may notice is not in the list is the finance sector which is obviously something that people have been pushing for - trying to restrict state-owned Russian banks from seeking extra capital from within the EU."

Moments after the announcement, US Secretary John Kerry said the US "was in the process of preparing additional sanctions".

He said Mr Putin still "had a choice going forward, with respect to his ability to be able to have an impact on the separatists".

More follows...

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No Peace With Israeli PM's Short-Term Tactics

Charismatic, enigmatic, he's Israel's longest serving prime minister and faces no serious political challenger.

Yet Benjamin Netanyahu has rarely shown any signs that he has strategic vision.

Rather, his longevity at the top of Israeli politics can be put down to his focus on short term tactical issues.

The latest sign of this is his announcement that Israel should prepare itself for a longer running conflict in Gaza.

He has been told by his generals that they need more time, and more depth of penetration into Gaza's landscape, to find and destroy Hamas' network of tunnels which reach into Israeli territory, and have been used to deadly effect.

They will also have told him that they need more time to destroy Hamas rocket stockpiles and production warehouses.

Mr Netanyahu says Israel should prepare for a longer running conflict

So a push will most likely go ahead.

The Israeli Prime Minister has weathered international condemnation of both his leadership and that of Hamas over the huge civilian death toll.

He has endured an increasingly bitter relationship with Israel's main ally and aid Sugar Daddy, the USA.

And he may even be risking a fully-fledged third intifada on the West Bank.

These are tactical problems with long-term effects on Israel's strategic alliances with the US, but also with the tougher talking Europeans, and risk plunging Israel back into the mire of a full-scale occupation of the Palestinian territories.

'Bibi', as he is usually known even to his opponents, had until mid-July publicly supported the idea of a two-state solution to the conflict with the Palestinians.

His ministers were part of talks with the Palestinians brokered by John Kerry, the US Secretary of State.

But they went nowhere and collapsed in the first quarter of this year.

He'd never shown much actual enthusiasm for a final settlement.

He'd preferred to manage the tactical problem of expanding illegal Jewish settlements into Palestinians lands and maintaining a status quo.

The Europeans warned that this was unsustainable - occasionally suggesting Israel risked being labelled an "apartheid state", and spelling out that it cannot claim to be a democracy while occupying another nation for almost 50 years.

On July 12, Mr Netanyahu said: "There cannot be a situation, under any agreement in which we relinquish security control of the territory west of the River Jordan."

Meaning that while he's the PM there cannot be an end to Israel military control of the West Bank - therefore no two-state solution.

It proves his preference for managing tactical problems rather than solving strategic issues.

So Israel's operation in Gaza should be seen through the same lens.

It's officially aimed at destroying the military capabilities of Hamas. It doesn't have any grander end game than that.

It may succeed in its short-term tactical mission. That would suit Mr Netanyahu.

But it won't do anything to advance peace and therefore make the region safer for Israelis and guarantee their country's strategic longevity.

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Brazil President Condemns Gaza 'Massacre'

Israel's military offensive in Gaza has been condemned as a "massacre" by Brazil's President Dilma Rousseff, adding to international pressure for an end to the bloodshed.

She branded the Israeli campaign against rocket-firing Hamas militants in the coastal enclave, which has left more than a thousand Palestinians dead, as "disproportionate", and backed the United Nations' call for an immediate ceasefire.

Her comments echo those of the foreign ministry, which led an Israel spokesman to dismiss Brazil as a "diplomatic dwarf".

The Israeli offensive has been condemned as 'a massacre'

Israel has defended its campaign arguing it needs to defend itself attacks from Gaza by Hamas rockets and militant tunnels that criss-cross the border area.

Ms Rousseff said: "What's happening in Gaza is dangerous. I don't think it's a genocide, but I think it's a massacre.

Brazil's President argues the Gaza violence is 'disproportionate'

"It's a humanitarian issue. This can't be done in such a small strip (of territory), with people who are in a situation of great insecurity, very threatened, with many women and children.

"We know that in a war like this, the ones who pay are the civilians."

But Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said: "We will continue to act aggressively and responsibly until the mission is completed to protect our citizens, soldiers and children."

Meanwhile, Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei branded Israel a "rabid dog", and called on Muslims to arm Palestinians fighting "the Zionist regime", who he accused of "genocide".

In a speech marking the end of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, Mr Khamenei said of Israel: "This rabid dog, this rapacious wolf, has attacked innocent people and humanity must show a reaction. This is genocide, a catastrophe of historical scale."

He added: "Everyone, whoever has the means, especially in the Islamic world, they should do what they can to arm the Palestinian nation ... the Zionist regime deeply regrets starting this (war) but has no way out."

The smoke trail of a rocket launched from Gaza towards Israel

Israel launched its offensive on July 8 aimed at halting rockets being fired by Hamas and later sent in ground forces tasked with destroying tunnels used by Hamas fighters.

Though international pressure has been mounting for a stop to the fighting, there is no end in sight to the 22-day conflict in which 1,116 Palestinians, many of them civilians, and 53 Israeli soldiers and three civilians have been killed.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said: "In the name of humanity, the violence must stop."

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Gaza: '100 Palestinians Killed In One Day'

Israel has stepped up its military campaign in Gaza, where more than 100 Palestinians have been killed on Tuesday alone and the only power plant has been destroyed.

The Israeli military targeted dozens of additional sites across the Gaza Strip on Tuesday, a day after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned of a "prolonged campaign" against Hamas.

The power station supplies two thirds of the territory's energy needs

Palestinian health officials said the latest fatalities include ten members of the same family who were killed during an Israeli airstrike.

The total Palestinian death toll now stands at more than 1,150.

Israel has lost 53 soldiers, along with two civilians and a Thai national.

The plant's director said the facility was 'finished'

Mr Netanyahu launched an aerial offensive against Gaza on July 8, declaring the aim was to halt rockets fired by Hamas and its allies into Israel.

It launched a ground invasion shortly afterwards, primarily aimed at destroying a network of cross-border tunnels which Hamas is accused of using to infiltrate Israel.

The US has reiterated that it supports Israel's right to defend itself, but is working towards deescalating the conflict.

The power station was hit last week and was operating on reduced capacity

US Secretary of State John Kerry told reporters: "We are working very carefully with our Israeli friends in order to reduce the civilian loss of life, to prevent this from spiralling downwards into a place from which both sides have difficulty finding a way forward in order to address the underlying issues".

Earlier on Tuesday a senior official of the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) said the Palestinian leadership, along with Hamas and the smaller Islamic Jihad group, were willing to observe a humanitarian truce of 24 hours.

But the statement was contradicted by a Hamas spokesman in Gaza who said the PLO official was not speaking on behalf of the group.

Israel rejected the offer saying that until it heard from Hamas directly, it was "not serious".

A Palestinian girl at the scene of an explosion that killed nine children

The proposal came after the fuel depot at Gaza's only power plant was practically destroyed on Tuesday morning, potentially cutting electricity to the enclave's 1.8 million residents and causing further disruption to the water supply.

The power plant supplies two thirds of the territory's energy needs and was engulfed in flames sending a column of black smoke into the air.

According to a spokesman for Gaza's electricity distribution company, the power plant was hit by shells fired from an Israeli tank, a claim which could not be verified.

The Al Aqsa TV headquarters were hit by an Israeli shell

The power station was hit last week and had been operating on a reduced capacity providing only a few hours of electricity per day to Gaza's residents.

"The power plant is finished," said its director, Mohammed al Sharif, who added the local fire brigade was not equipped to extinguish the blaze.

Other symbols of Hamas government control, including the headquarters of the Hamas satellite TV station Al Aqsa and Al Aqsa radio were also targeted.

Hamas said that despite the attack the stations continued to broadcast.

The home of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh was also hit by a missile early this morning causing damage but no casualties, Gaza's Interior Ministry said.

Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Tuesday accused Israel of committing "genocide" in Gaza and called on the Islamic world to arm Palestinians fighting "the Zionist regime".

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'Dozens Killed' In China Terror Attack

Dozens of people have been killed or hurt in a terrorist attack in China's Xinjiang region, according to the Xinhua news agency.

A gang armed with knives attacked a police station and government office in Elixku, Shache County.

The gang then attacked civilians and smashed vehicles in nearby town Huangdi.

The news agency, citing local police, said "dozens of Uighur and Han civilians were killed or injured" during the attack on Monday.

It added: "Police officers at the scene shot dead dozens of members of the mob.

"Initial investigation showed that it was a premeditated terror attack."

Shache, also known by its Uighur name Yarkant, is close to the border with Tajikistan, Pakistan and Afghanistan.

It was difficult to verify the accuracy of the reports because information is tightly controlled in China and foreign journalists' movements are heavily restricted.

Xinhua also tends to report a version of events sanctioned by central government in Beijing. It was unclear why it took the state media more than 24 hours to report the attack.

Xinjiang has seen violent attacks over the last few years, which the China government blames on Islamist militants and separatists who it says are trying to establish an independent state called East Turkestan.

In May, an attack on a market in Urumqi, capital of Xinjiang, left 39 people dead and another 29 were killed by a gang armed with knives at a train station in Kunming in March.

Exiled Uighur groups have claimed repressive policies set by the government - including controls on Islam - have sparked unrest.

More than 200 people have died in the unrest in the last year.

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Ebola: US Doctor's Condition 'Deteriorates'

By Tom Parmenter, Sky News Correspondent

The condition of an American doctor who contracted the deadly Ebola virus in Liberia has deteriorated.

Dr Kent Brantly was working in West Africa tackling the deadly outbreak when he recognised his own symptoms and placed himself in isolation.

The 33-year-old father of two from Texas had been chatting to his doctors and working on his computer while receiving treatment.

The outbreak has spread from Guinea to Liberia, Sierra Leone and Nigeria

Melissa Strickland, spokesperson for the Samaritan's Purse charity that Dr Brantly was working for told Sky News: "Overnight, Dr Kent Brantly's condition deteriorated, but we are still classifying him as stable.

"He continues to receive intensive medical care."

Dr Brantly is a medical director for the organisation and had been involved in the treatment of many local patients during his time in Liberia.

A second US citizen, health worker Nancy Writebol, has also tested positive for Ebola and is also receiving treatment.

She was working in a support role with the medical teams. Her condition is serious but stable.

Ms Strickland said: "There are currently no more identified cases of Ebola among our team."

The disease has killed at least 672 people in four West African countries since the outbreak began earlier this year in Guinea and spread to Liberia and Sierra Leone.

Nigeria's airports and ports are on red alert following the death of a man from Liberia who was carrying the virus. It was the first case in Africa's most populous country.

He vomited and had a high fever on board a passenger plane, and was immediately quarantined upon arrival in the capital Lagos.

He died in hospital on Friday.

There is currently no cure or vaccine for Ebola and symptoms can often appear similar to those associated with malaria.

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MH17 Black Boxes: Plane 'Hit By Shrapnel'

Black box data from the downed Malaysia Airlines plane reveals the jet crashed due to a "massive explosive decompression" after being hit by shrapnel from a missile, claims a Ukrainian security official.

Andriy Lysenko, a spokesman for Ukraine's Security Council, said the information came from experts analysing the flight recorders from MH17, which was shot down over eastern Ukraine killing all 298 people on board.

Air accident experts in Farnborough, Hampshire, had been tasked with downloading the data from the two black boxes and passing the information on to international investigators.

Dutch and Australian police have again been forced back from the crash site

Western countries blame rebels for shooting down the airliner with a missile, mistaking it for a Ukrainian plane, but the separatists deny any involvement.

Meanwhile, a team of Dutch and Australian police making a fresh attempt to reach the crash site were again forced to turn back after "explosions" in the area.

A previous attempt had also been halted by fierce fighting.

Ukraine rebels say they have lost control over part of the MH17 crash site in the face of a push by government forces.

Australia's Deputy Commissioner of National Security Andrew Colvin said evidence risked being lost amid the continuing clashes, and the chances of finding the remains of all the dead grew slimmer as time went on.

The UN's Navi Pillay is demanding a full inquiry into the plane attack

The claims about data from the flight recorders came as the UN said the shooting down of the airliner may amount to a war crime.

The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay condemned the "horrendous shooting down" of flight MH17, en route from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur, and demanded a "thorough, effective, independent and impartial investigation".

She said in a statement: "This violation of international law, given the prevailing circumstances, may amount to a war crime.

Some 100,000 people have fled the violence in eastern Ukraine, says the UN

"Every effort will be made to ensure that anyone committing serious violations of international law including war crimes will be brought to justice, no matter who they are."

Plans have been unveiled to stage a special memorial concert for victims of MH17 in Amsterdam this September.

The Prime Minister David Cameron is due to meet families of British victims at Downing Street on Tuesday.

The UN also said latest figures showed more than 1,100 people had been killed and nearly 3,500 wounded in fighting in eastern Ukraine since April, with both sides using heavy weapons in built-up areas, including artillery, tanks, rockets and missiles.

"Both sides must take great care to prevent more civilians from being killed or injured," Ms Pillay said.

Casualty numbers are rising with the use of heavy weapons in built-up areas

A further 100,000 people have fled the violence.

The UN report also accused the rebels of conducting a brutal "reign of intimidation and terror" in the areas they controlled, including the abduction, torture and killing of civilians.

The US has released satellite images it claims show rockets have been fired at Ukraine from within Russia.

The images, which come from the US Director of National Intelligence and have not been independently verified, also purport to show that heavy artillery for pro-Russian separatists has crossed the border.

Their release appears to be a part of Barack Obama's push to hold Russia accountable for its activities in Ukraine - and persuade European allies to apply harsher sanctions on Moscow.

Moscow has denied allegations of involvement in eastern Ukraine, claiming the US is conducting "an unrelenting campaign of slander against Russia, ever more relying on open lies".

The French presidency later said it would take further measures against Moscow - along with Britain, the US, Germany and Italy - over the situation in Ukraine.

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South Korea Ferry Survivors Describe Horror

Students who survived the South Korea ferry disaster have described how they were told to stay put and witnessed their friends being swept away.

There were 325 pupils from Dawon High School on board the Sewol, but only 75 survived when it sank in April this year.

The captain is among senior crew members on trial over the tragedy and could face the death penalty.

Testifying for the first time, one girl told the court in Ansan City, south of Seoul they had ignored the order to stay where they were on the ship until the boat had listed so badly the cabin door was above their head.

Families said the rescue and recovery effort was too slow

Another student, testifying via video link, described how the tannoy told them repeatedly to put on a life jacket and stay put.

"We were waiting and, when the water started coming in, the class rep told everyone to put on the life vests ... the door was above our heads, so she said we'll float and go through the door and that's how we came out," one of the teenagers said.

"Other kids who got out before us pulled us out."

Another girl said no crew came to their aid and described how she and some friends escaped by climbing horizontally along a staircase and through an escape hatch.

More than 200 pupils from Dawon High School died in the disaster

But - as she jumped out - a sea swell engulfed the corridor.

"There were many classmates in the corridor and most of them were swept back into the ship," said the girl.

Five of the six female students giving evidence on Monday did so in person at a special court session close to the school. Seventeen students have agreed to appear at the two-day session.

The coastguard also waited outside the ferry for people to swim out, rather than venturing in themselves, claimed one witness, while another student told the court there were more fishermen helping than rescuers.

"They (the coastguard) were outside," said the girl. "They pulled us (onto boats) but they didn't come inside to help. We said to ourselves, 'why aren't they coming in?'."

Many pupils sent messages to their loved ones as the ferry went down

The Sewol ferry, overloaded with cargo, sank off the southwest coast on April 16 on a routine journey from Incheon on the mainland to the southern holiday island of Jeju.

The students, who were on a school trip, made up the majority of the 476 people on board. The final death toll was 304, with 172 survivors.

Mobile phone footage emerged in the days after the tragedy which showed students struggling in the badly listing ferry and sending final messages to their loved ones.

Captain Lee Joon-seok was photographed hopping onto a rescue boat while hundreds remained on board - he and three senior crew members are charged with homicide and could be executed.

The students arrived at court in a minibus to a heavy police presence

Two other crew members are also accused of fleeing and abandoning ship, which carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment, while nine have been charged with negligence.

The body of the fugitive billionaire who owned the ferry was found last month, badly decomposed in a plum field.

Yoo Byung-eun had been on the run since April, but police are not year sure whether he was murdered or killed himself.

The vice-principal of Dawon High School also took his own life in the wake of the disaster, with a suicide note saying "surviving alone is too painful ... I take full responsibility. I pushed ahead with the school trip."

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Two Irish Climbers Killed In Mont Blanc Fall

Two Irish mountaineers have died on Mont Blanc as concerns grow that the mountain range is becoming a tourism free-for-all.

Rescuers in the French Alpine town of Chamonix said the pair had been "very well equipped" but fell on Sunday when it appeared their rope came undone while climbing up the 13,000ft (4,000 metre) "Giant's Tooth".

They were aged 37 and 55, the Irish Independent reported.

The deaths came just two days after two Finnish mountaineers were killed on the Mont Blanc massif after slipping on a mound of snow and falling into a crevasse.

Authorities are becoming increasingly concerned about the number of people attempting dangerous climbs on the peak, some of them inexperienced.

An American climber recently attempted to go up the so-called "Corridor of Death" to western Europe's highest mountain with his nine-year-old son and 11-year-old daughter to try and set a new world record.

Patrick Sweeney, his son PJ and daughter Shannon were caught in the start of an avalanche, which forced them to cancel their attempt.

This was being filmed and footage of the fall was broadcast on ABC News earlier this month.

Sweeney was recorded saying in the video that he wanted to "set the world record" for the youngest mountaineer to make the climb.

The record is held by Briton Asher Silver, who conquered the 15,780ft (4,810m) peak aged 10 five years ago.

In France, the mayor of the nearby Alpine town of Saint-Gervais, Jean-Marc Peillex, slammed the attempt as "reckless" and "outrageous".

It "is a demonstration of pride pushed to the extreme, to the point of putting the life of his own children in danger and boasting about it on a popular television channel," he said.

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Israel Blames Hamas For Gaza Hospital Strike

Israel has accused Hamas of misfiring two rockets - one of which struck Gaza's main hospital and the other a refugee camp, killing seven children.

Palestinian police and medics had earlier suggested Israeli missiles for the strikes on Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, causing casualties, and a nearby park in Al-Shati refugee camp.

A Palestinian official said at least 10 people in total were killed in the strike on a playground in the camp park, and a further 46 injured.

However, the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) denied responsibility for the attacks and said it had not been operating in the area at all.

An Israeli tank on the border with Gaza, earlier today during the ceasefire

Lt. Col. Peter Lerner, an Israeli army spokesman, said. "This incident was carried out by Gaza terrorists whose rockets fell short and hit the Shifa Hospital and the Beach (Shati) camp," he said.

The Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) also tweeted: "Since the beginning of the operation #IDF has documented approximately 200 rockets & mortars that landed short within #Gaza."

Israeli media also reported four people had been killed in Gaza mortar strikes on southern Israel.

The explosions came less than an hour after UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon likened the conflict to a "manmade hurricane", saying "whole neighbourhoods have been reduced to rubble".

He demanded an end to the violence "in the name of humanity" and accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal of being irresponsible and "morally wrong" for putting their own people at risk of being killed.

The Secretary-General called on them to demonstrate "political will" and compassionate leadership" to end the suffering.

He said Gaza was in a "critical condition" following Israeli strikes resulting in the deaths of hundreds of Palestian civilians, which he said raised "serious questions about proportionality".

Attacks resumed ending a brief lull in fighting at the start of a major Muslim holiday.

More follows...

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Clegg: Russia Should Be Stripped Of World Cup

Russia should be stripped of the 2018 World Cup in the wake of the downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 over eastern Ukraine, says Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg.

He said it was "unthinkable" at present that the tournament could go ahead in the country blamed by the West for supplying arms to pro-Russian separatists suspected of shooting down the jet.

Football's world governing body Fifa this week ruled out calls from some German politicians for Russia to be boycotted, insisting the tournament could be "a force for good".

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg

Fifa President Sepp Blatter has already dismissed calls to strip Russia of the World Cup after Moscow annexed Crimea earlier this year.

But Mr Clegg told The Sunday Times that allowing it to go ahead without a change of course by Russian President Vladimir Putin would make the world look "so weak and so insincere" in its condemnation of Moscow's annexation of Crimea and support for the rebels.

"If there's one thing that Vladimir Putin cares about, as far as I can see, it's his sense of status," he said.

"Maybe reminding him that you can't retain the same status in the world if you ignore the rest of the world, maybe that will have some effect on his thinking."

Mr Clegg also said Russia should not host a Formula One Grand Prix in October, but F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone has said that will go ahead as scheduled.

Part of the fuselage from the plane

Douglas Alexander, Labour's spokesman on foreign affairs, says stripping Russia of the World Cup is an option if its complicity in the downing of MH17 is proven.

"Fifa should be considering contingencies now, and any discussion should happen quickly, so that if necessary, alternative plans are in place in time for teams and fans from around the world," he said in a statement.

Prime Minister David Cameron has said he prefers to avoid mixing sport and politics and to use other means, such as EU asset freezes and sanctions on individuals and entities, to punish Russia.

A Number 10 spokesman said: "The Prime Minister does not believe we should reach immediately for boycotts, but it is also not surprising, given Russian behaviour, that people are starting to raise the issue. 

This map shows the flight path of MH17 before it crashed

"It shows the importance of Russia changing course, before its international standing is damaged even further."

Moscow has reacted angrily to additional sanctions imposed by the EU, saying they will hamper co-operation on security issues and undermine the fight against terrorism and organised crime.

Russia's foreign ministry also accused the US of contributing to the conflict in Ukraine through its support for the pro-Western government in Kiev.

The majority of those on board the Malaysia Airlines plane were Dutch, and the country's football association has said it will decide whether or not to take part in qualifying for the tournament.

It comes as an international team cancelled a trip to the crash site in eastern Ukraine due to intensifying fighting in the area between Ukrainian government forces and the rebels.

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