Putin: Ukraine Assault Like Nazis In WW2

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

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

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

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

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

Mr Lavrov: 'No proof of Russian involvement'

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

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

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

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

Russian arms seized in eastern Ukraine

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

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

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

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

A satellite image allegedly showing a Russian military incursion in Ukraine

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

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

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

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

The rebels control the cities of Donetsk and Luhansk

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

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

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

A Ukrainian soldier exchanges fire with separatists

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

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

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

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

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

Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said on Friday the current sanctions "have not worked and the EU will have to consider additional measures.

Responding to calls by Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseny Yatseniuk for his country to join Nato, Mr Rutte said it would "not contribute to a solution".

Meanwhile, the US fast-food giant McDonald's has revealed a total of 12 branches in Russia had been temporarily closed by the state food safety watchdog over alleged sanitary law breaches.

The company, which has 440 restaurants in the country, also said more than 100 further inspections were being carried out at its outlets.

"We are studying the essence of claims in order to determine the necessary actions for the swift re-opening of restaurants for visitors," the firm said in a statement.

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Fort Hood Gunman Wants To Become IS Citizen

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

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

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

Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al Baghdadi

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

The letter was released by his lawyer, John Galligan.

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

He acknowledged during his trial that he pulled the trigger.

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

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

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

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

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

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

IS declared the establishment of a caliphate in June.

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Islamic State's Warning To Kurdish Fighters

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Nasa Approves Rocket To Take Humans To Mars

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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French Media Support Hunt For Missing Ashya

French media are supporting the hunt for missing Ashya King, featuring the story prominently on websites and TV news channels.

TF1, France's most popular domestic channel, has led its site with the story, under the headline 'Life Of Sick Child Taken By Parents In Danger: Care Needed In 12 Hours'.

The coverage in Liberation

Although many news sites were slow to pick up the story - with none featuring it before midday - most are now running appeals for help from the French public.

The French daily newspaper Liberation features the story prominently on its website with the headline: "Child With Brain Tumour In Danger In France".

Le Figaro, another French daily, also carries the story on its website, urging motorists to be vigilant and to contact police if they spot the family's grey Hyundai car.

Le Figaro also carried the story on its site

The write-up by TF1 quotes the prosecutor in Cherbourg, Eric Bouillard, as saying that police in France urgently wanted to contact the family.

Mr Bouillard says action in France may be limited by the fact the family are believed to be Jehovah's Witnesses.

He said: What we want to do is to contact the family.

Ashya with his mother Naghemeh. Pic: Naveed King

"Even if we can't treat the child against his parents' wishes - we have had this difficulty with Jehovah's Witnesses - we want at least to contact them to see what's going on."

The TV channel's website urges French drivers to watch out for the English vehicle.

"The Britons of Asian origin are travelling in an English car, with steering on the right. They are in a grey Hyundai with the registration KP60 HWK."

Meanwhile, Guy Canonici, the president of the Jehovah's Witnesses in France, has told Sky News he is doing all he can to locate the missing boy.

He said he had sent out a communique to over 1,000 Kingdom Halls (places of worship) to ask whether the King family had been in touch, and ask that they get in contact if they do.

He said so far no one has come forward with any information.

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Cops Kill TV Crew Member During Robbery

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Ukraine: Russian Tanks 'Enter' The Country

A senior Ukrainian official has said two columns of Russian tanks and military vehicles have fired at a border post, before entering the southeast of the country.

The comments by Col. Andriy Lysenko, a spokesman for Ukraine's National Security Council, follow Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko's assertion that Russian forces had "entered" the country.

It is reported the tanks entered an area of the eastern Donetsk region which was seized by the separatists for the first time earlier this week.

They now control the southeastern town of Novoazovsk and have threatened to take the strategic port city of Mariupol, marking a new front in the conflict which has claimed more than 2,100 lives since April. 

According to the Interfax news agency, Mr Poroshenko said Russian troops had come "to the rescue" of pro-Moscow separatists battling Ukrainian forces.

A Nato official, meanwhile, said at least 1,000 Russian troops had entered Ukraine with sophisticated equipment and had been in "direct contact" with Ukrainian forces resulting in casualties.

The reports support claims from the West and Kiev that Russia is operating in the east of the country, although Moscow denies arming the rebels and sending troops across the border.

A Ukrainian serviceman exchanges fire with rebels

It has also declined to comment on reports of Russian tanks in Novoazovsk.

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

In a statement, Prime Minister David Cameron said he is "extremely concerned by mounting evidence that Russian troops have made large-scale incursions into southeastern Ukraine, completely disregarding the sovereignty of a neighbour.

A strategic high point east of Donetsk taken by separatist rebels

"The international community has already warned Russia that such provocative actions would be completely unacceptable and illegal."

The UN Security council is to hold an emergency meeting to discuss the crisis later today. 

UK Ambassador Mark Lyall Grant told reporters that "Russia will be asked to explain why Russia has its troops inside Ukraine. It's very clear that Russian regular troops are now in Ukraine."

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

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

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

Russian paratroopers captured in Ukraine on Monday

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

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

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

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

Mr Putin and Mr Poroshenko at the talks in Minsk on Tuesday

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

German Chancellor Angela Merkel has demanded an explanation from Mr Putin about the activities of Russian troops in Ukraine, while French President Francois Hollande has said it would be "intolerable and unacceptable" if they were involved in any fighting.

The Russian stock market dived on Thursday amid fears grew the country was escalating its role in the five-month conflict, with the MICEX index dropping nearly two percent.

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Ebola Outbreak Could Infect 20,000 People

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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IS Fighters 'Executed' 250 Syrian Soldiers

IS fighters say they have "executed" 250 Syrian soldiers, as President Barack Obama prepares to hold crisis talks with his security aides.

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

The Reuters news agency said a video posted on YouTube on Thursday and purportedly showing dozens of bodies was confirmed as genuine by an Islamic State fighter.

In Washington, the White House said Mr Obama was due to meet with Vice President Joe Biden and members of his National Security Council.

The meeting will take place at 4pm local time (9pm UK time) in the White House Situation Room.

The video appears to show the men being made to march in their underwear

The video shows the bodies of scores of men wearing nothing but their underwear lying face down.

The line of bodies appears to be dozens of metres long.

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

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

An Islamic State fighter in the Syrian city of Raqqa who spoke to Reuters over the internet said: "Yes we have executed them all."

Meanwhile, the United Nations says an armed group has detained 43 peacekeepers in Syria's Golan Heights. A further 81 peacekeepers are also trapped, the UN has said.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said the peacekeepers were detained early on Thursday during a "period of increased fighting between armed elements and the Syrian Arab Armed Forces."

The detained peacekeepers are from the Philippines and Fiji, a UN official told Reuters. 

Soon after, more UN troops were seen crossing from the Israeli-controlled side of the Golan Heights to the Syrian side. The Golan Heights straddles the disputed border between Israel and Syria.

A UN statement said negotiations were under way to release those trapped or being held.

French President Francois Hollande said opposition forces fighting IS militants in Syria and Iraq should get more Western support.

But he ruled out regarding Assad as an ally saying: "There is no choice to be made between two barbarisms."

More follows...

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Platini Will Not Take On Blatter For Fifa Job

Platini Plays It Safe On Long Road To Zurich

Updated: 2:53pm UK, Thursday 28 August 2014

Michel Platini's decision to duck a contest with Sepp Blatter will disappoint those desperate to see a credible challenge to the Fifa president in next year's election.

Platini still counts himself among their number, but in a meeting with the heads of Europe's 54 national federations in Monaco he made it clear he is not willing to gamble his reputation or his political future in a race with Blatter.

Fifa has been mired in scandal throughout Blatter's 16-year tenure as president, latterly with a series of corruption allegations around the awarding of the 2022 World Cup to Qatar.

As Fifa's reputation has become more toxic, frustration in Europe has grown, particularly as Blatter promised in 2011 that this would be his last term.

Anger bubbled over before the World Cup in Brazil, when Platini and a number of European football leaders, FA chairman Greg Dyke among them, told the Swiss his time was up.

Platini said he could no longer support Blatter, while Dutch FA president Michael van Praag spoke for many when he said Fifa could not be credible with Blatter at the helm.

With Europe anxious for change, the way was clear for Platini to stand as the most credible opponent.

But after a summer of reflection he has opted out.

Platini said he had not been able to convince himself to run, and will instead seek re-election for a third term as head of Uefa next year.

As incumbent leaders often do, he claimed to have unfinished business, and pledged himself to the cause of European football.

Some will suspect the Frenchman lacks the courage of his convictions.

He said on Thursday he hopes someone will oppose Blatter, just not him, even though he insisted he could beat the Swiss.

He will certainly have an easier life steering Uefa's steady ship. And whatever the motivation, Platini is also bowing to the electoral reality of a race he almost certainly cannot win.

Uefa may control 25% of the votes in Fifa but most of the rest are already pledged to Blatter.

In Brazil the Fifa president received support from all five of the other continental federations before he visited Uefa.

With the odds against him perhaps Platini cannot be blamed for keeping his powder dry for a run at Fifa in 2019, when surely even the indefatigable Blatter, 78, will have had enough.

With Platini out of the running the search for an alternative is likely to be brief and futile.

Van Praag is considering a possible run, but without Platini's profile it would be a largely symbolic gesture.

Former Blatter advisor Jerome Champagne has said he will run, but concedes he has no chance of beating Blatter, and may not even get a nomination.

That leaves the prospect of Blatter standing unopposed for a second successive time. It is a spectacle that is unlikely to do much to restore Fifa's reputation.

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Mid-Air Emergency: Hero Pilot Fights Passenger

By Jonathan Samuels, Australia Correspondent

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

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

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

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

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

The plane was forced into an emergency landing

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The controls that were allegedly grabbed by the passenger

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Shooting Instructor Shot By Nine-Year-Old Girl

A nine-year-old girl has accidentally shot her shooting instructor in the head, authorities in Arizona said.

The incident took place on Monday at an outdoor shooting range in Dolan Springs, in the northern part of the state.

The 39-year-old victim was airlifted to a medical centre in Las Vegas. His condition was not immediately known.

Mohave County Sheriff's officials said the girl was at the shooting range with her parents.

Her name and that of her instructor have not been released.

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Ukraine: The Story On The Russian Soldiers

Russian Paratroopers 'Captured' In Ukraine

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Moscow continues to deny any involvement in the rebellion.

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Putin And Poroshenko Handshake At 'Peace Talks'

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

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

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

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

Vladimir Putin disembarks from his plane in Belarus

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Russian and Ukrainian leaders shook hands ahead of their meeting

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ukrainian soldiers inspect their bus, which was destroyed in fighting

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

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

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

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

Moscow continues to deny any involvement in the rebellion.

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Egypt: 'Long-Term Ceasefire Agreed On Gaza'

Palestinian and Israeli leaders have reached an agreement for a long-term ceasefire in the Gaza conflict, according to Egyptian officials.

Egypt's state news agency said the truce would begin at 5pm UK time in the seven week-long war that has led to the deaths of more than 2,000 people.

There was no Israeli comment.

A spokesman for Gaza rulers Hamas said a deal for an "open-ended" ceasefire had been reached.

He said Israel had agreed to ease its blockade of the territory to allow relief supplies and building materials into the territory.

Another militant group Islamic Jihad also confirmed the terms.

Talks on more complex issues, including Hamas' demand to re-open Gaza's airport and seaport, would begin in a month, it was claimed.

Israelis take cover amid a warning of rocket fire from Gaza

"We will issue a statement to announce a long ceasefire agreement was reached between the Palestinians and Israel after which talks between the two parties will resume in Cairo," a senior Egyptian official said.

Egypt has led negotiations between the two sides.

Israel had launched an air and ground offensive on Gaza to try to stop rocket fire by Hamas and other militant groups, and potential attacks through border tunnels.

Overnight in the Palestinian territory, several more people died and more than 20 were injured in multiple airstrikes, which followed rocket attacks from Gaza.

At least 2,133 Palestinians have been killed in the latest conflict as well as 68 Israelis, all but four of them soldiers.

If the terms of the ceasefire were confirmed, it would effectively mean Hamas settled for terms similar to those that ended more than a week of fighting with Israel in 2012.

Under those terms, Israel promised to ease restrictions gradually, while Hamas promised to halt rocket fire from Gaza at Israel.

The truce held, but Gaza's border blockade remained largely intact.

Israel and Egypt imposed the blockade in 2007, after Hamas seized Gaza by force in 2007.

Under the restrictions, virtually all of Gaza's 1.8 million people cannot trade or travel, and only a few thousand are able to leave the coastal territory every month.

More follows...

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Fort Lee Lockdown: 'Soldier Shot Herself'

A lockdown at a US Army base was prompted by a female soldier who turned the gun on herself, the military says.

The unnamed suspect fired one shot, wounding herself, at Fort Lee Army base in central Virginia.

No one else was injured, the Army said in a press release.

The base is one of the US Army's largest

The base was temporarily placed on lockdown as police surrounded the scene, a four-storey building that is the headquarters for the Army's Combined Arms Support Command.

But the all-clear was soon given.

The tweet that announced the lockdown

A Pentagon official said the alarm was prompted by a "disgruntled" woman who was taken into custody.

The base is about 25 miles (40km) south of Richmond and 100 miles (160km) south of Washington.

According to the military's website, Fort Lee is the third-largest training site in the Army, with a daily population of about 34,000, including members from all branches, their families, civilians and contractors. 

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Ukraine Troops Battle Rebel Armoured Convoy

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

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

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

There was heavy criticism of an earlier unauthorised Russian convoy

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Germany has said it was quite likely a war crime.

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

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

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Zimbabwe: Mugabe Makes State Visit To China

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Syria 'Ready To Work With West In IS Battle'

Syria has said it is ready to cooperate with the international community in the battle against Islamic State (IS) militants.

The Sunni extremists have taken over large areas of the country as well as parts of northern Iraq in recent months, declaring a "caliphate" straddling both countries.

Western powers, including the US and UK, have been backing more moderate rebel fighters in the three-year civil war against forces loyal to Syria's President Bashar al Assad.

But the US, which has been carrying out airstrikes against IS in Iraq, has signalled it could extend the battle against the extremists into Syrian territory.

Syrian President Bashar al Assad

Syrian foreign minister Walid al Moualem has now held open the possibility of working with countries, including the US, Britain and Saudi Arabia, which also supported the uprising against Mr Assad.

Mr al Moualem said: "Syria, geographically and operationally, is the centre of the international coalition to fight Islamic State. States must come to it if they are serious in combating terrorism."

Asked about the prospect of US aerial raids against IS inside Syria, Mr Moualem said any strikes would have to be coordinated with Damascus.

"Anything outside this is considered aggression," he told reporters.

And asked if Syria was ready to work with the US and Britain in fighting the group, he said: "They are welcome."

Red shows areas controlled by IS, yellow shows areas of fighting

He also called for intelligence sharing with neighbouring states and suggested cooperation would be possible with Saudi Arabia.

Last week, the former head of the British Army said the West should consider negotiating with Mr Assad to tackle IS extremists.

Lord Dannatt told Sky News: "The old dictum that my enemy's enemy is my friend just might have some credence in this less than satisfactory and pretty extraordinary set of times that we are in."

A Kurdish peshmerga soldier in Iraq

But Britain has ruled out negotiating with Mr Assad and there has been no sign of any shift in US policy towards Syria, where the civil war has killed at least 191,000 people.

On Sunday, IS fighters captured the Tabqa air base in northeast Syria after days of fighting that cost more than 500 lives, according to a monitoring group.

"Islamic State has no borders and the faster we move against it, the more we diminish its danger," Mr Moualem said.

Meanwhile in Iraq, Kurdish peshmerga forces have retaken three villages in the Jalawla area northeast of Baghdad from jihadists and also held off two assaults on the Shia Turkmen-majority town of Tuz Khurmatu, officials said.

In Baghdad, a suicide bomber blew up his explosives-laden vest among Shia worshippers who were leaving a mosque after noon prayers, killing at least 12 people.

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Michael Brown's Funeral Draws Missouri Crowds

Timeline Of Missouri Unrest

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

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

Here is a timeline:

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Justice Department announces an investigation.

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

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

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

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

Protests continue.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Violent protests resume.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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UK Steps Up Help For Kurds Amid Massacre Fears

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

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

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

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

Some of the Kurdish forces who are taking on Islamic State

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

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

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

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

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

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

An IS fighter in the city of Mosul

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Bardarbunga Volcano Risk Lowered After Quakes

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Another, with a magnitude of about 5.0 followed about five hours later.

The Bardarbunga volcano is in the middle of Iceland

"These are the strongest events measured since the onset of the seismic crisis at Bardarbunga and the strongest since 1996," the Met Office said on its website.

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

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

Bardarbunga is Iceland's largest volcanic system and is located under the ice cap of a glacier.

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

More than 100,000 flights were cancelled and the fear is that similar chaos will follow if Bardarbunga erupts.

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Ukraine Rebels Show Off Captives In Parade

Pro-Russian separatists marched Ukrainian prisoners through Donetsk in mockery of the country's Independence Day celebrations.

The rebels also displayed wreckage of Ukrainian military vehicles on a day the country had hoped to send a defiant message to the insurgents and Moscow.

A military parade was held in Kiev to mark the country's 23-year independence from the Soviet Union.

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko told a crowd of thousands the country would face a military threat "for the foreseeable future".

He also pledged $3bn (£1.8bn) to re-equip his nation's forces.

The Government held a military parade in the capital

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

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

But the march in Kiev was ridiculed by the rebels in their stronghold of Donetsk.

They paraded dozens of captured Ukrainian soldiers in front of a jeering crowd that shouted "fascists" and "get on your knees" at the dishevelled group.

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

It came as fighting continued to rage in eastern Ukraine between government troops and separatist fighters.

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

Earlier, shelling struck a hospital building in Donetsk.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Iran Military 'Shoots Down Israeli Drone'

Iran's military says it has shot down an Israeli drone as it approached one of the country's nuclear sites.

Forces fired a missile at the drone as it neared a uranium enrichment facility in Natanz, according to a statement on the Revolutionary Guards' website.

The statement said: "The downed aircraft was of the stealth, radar-evasive type and it intended to penetrate the off-limits nuclear area in Natanz... but was targeted by a ground-to-air missile before it managed to enter the area.

"This wily act further exposed the Zionist regime's adventurous temperament and added yet another black page to a record filled with crime and mischief."

The Revolutionary Guards did not say when the drone was shot or how they established it was Israeli.

Israel has not yet commented.

Natanz is 240 kilometers (150 miles) south of the capital Tehran

The incident comes as world powers negotiate with Iran over its contested nuclear program.

Tehran says its program is for peaceful purposes - but the West fears Iran is trying to establish itself as a nuclear power.

A deal struck last November saw sanctions eased in exchange for Iran limiting its uranium enrichment.

Israel has not ruled out taking military action against the country's nuclear facilities if its capability to build an atomic weapon progresses.

Iran's nuclear program has been the target of espionage and sabotage efforts in the past, notably in 2010 when the Natanz plant was struck by the so-called Stuxnet computer virus.

Since then, Iran has said it has discovered timed explosives planted on centrifuges, but disabled them before they could go off.

In 2011 Iran said it captured several American drones that violated its airspace.

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UK Close To Identifying James Foley's Killer

The British ambassador to the US says the UK is close to identifying the Islamic State (IS) militant who murdered an American journalist.

The extremist, believed to be British, beheaded James Foley in a video released last week.

Ambassador Peter Westmacott told CNN that "we are not far away" from identifying the masked killer and "we are putting a lot into it".

He added "sophisticated" technology, including voice recognition software, was being used by authorities to track him down.

The security services MI5 and MI6 have reportedly worked out the identity of the insurgent, dubbed "Jihadi John", who had an English accent. But no details have been disclosed.

The jihadist claimed the killing was in retaliation for US airstrikes on IS positions in northern Iraq.

A hunt is taking place for Mr Foley's murderer

Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond has said the beheading was "an utter betrayal of everything the British people stand for".

Writing in the Sunday Times, he said it was horrifying that the perpetrator "could have been brought up in Britain".

He said the Government was investing "significant resources" to tackle "a barbaric ideology", warning if the IS militants are not stopped in Iraq and Syria "sooner or later they will seek to strike us on British soil".

Mr Hammond said the threat from Iraq and Syria would last a generation, echoing comments made by Home Secretary Theresa May as she announced plans to bring in new laws to tackle the threat of British jihadists.

But former shadow home secretary David Davis dismissed suggestions the new laws, dubbed asbos for terrorists, would prevent Britons fighting for IS, also known as ISIS and ISIL.

Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond has warned of the extremist threat

Instead, he said, the jihadists should be stopped from returning to the UK and stripped of their citizenship.

Mr Davis said the Government's response to the crisis in Iraq had been "tentative, uncertain, almost limp".

Lord Carey, the former Archbishop of Canterbury, also called for Britons fighting for IS in Iraq and Syria to lose their passports.

He wrote in the Mail on Sunday: "They should not have access to the privilege of travelling under a British passport... and they certainly should not be able to travel back with the barbaric and bloodthirsty skills they have gained."

The Home Office has insisted it would take the "strongest possible action" against people travelling to fight in Iraq and Syria.

A spokesman said: "The police, security services and Border Force are actively working to identify, detect and disrupt terrorist threats, including from British fighters attempting to return to the UK.

"They use a wide range of powers including those which allow them to detain and interview individuals at the UK border suspected of being involved in terrorism."

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