US Pledges $212m For Gaza As Kerry Pushes Peace

By Sky News US Team

The United States has pledged $212m (£132m) in assistance to Gaza, which was left badly damaged by this summer's conflict between Hamas and Israel.

Secretary of State John Kerry also called for Israeli-Palestinian peace talks to resume as Egypt urged a wider deal based on a 2002 Arab initiative.

Mr Kerry said the new money, which nearly doubles American aid to the Palestinians this year, would go towards security, economic development, food and medicine, shelter and water and sanitation projects.

He said Gazans "need our help desperately - not tomorrow, not next week, but they need it now".

The pledge was made at a conference in Cairo, attended by officials from more than 50 countries and at least 20 organisations, including UN chief Ban Ki-moon and European Union negotiator Catherine Ashton.

The British ambassador to Egypt, John Casson, said the UK would provide $32m for reconstruction while Germany announced $63m.

Qatar stepped in with a pledge of $1bn.

Many buildings were destroyed in this summer's conflict

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has promised a transparent and responsible use of the funds, after saying $4bn was needed to reconstruct the coastal strip over three years.

He said this summer's conflict had caused "tragedies that are difficult to be described by words ... Entire neighbourhoods have been reduced to rubble and 90 families are no longer listed in the civil register".

Video: UK 'Should Recognise Palestine'

Donors plan to funnel the aid through Mr Abbas' Palestinian Authority, and bypass militant group Hamas.

Mr Abbas and Hamas, which has ruled Gaza since 2007, recently formed a reconciliation government which held its first cabinet meeting in Gaza last week.

But a blockade of Gaza enforced by both Egypt and Israel remains in force.

Egypt, the most populous Arab country, brokered the current ceasefire between Israel and the Palestinians in August.

Video: Boy Gives Tour Of Destroyed School

But it is now urging Israel to agree to an Arab peace initiative was floated by Saudi Arabia in 2002 which offers full recognition of Israel, but only if it gives up all land seized in the 1967 Middle East war and agrees to a "just solution" for Palestinian refugees.

Mr Abbas said the 2002 Arab plan could be the framework for a new comprehensive approach to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

Israeli governments have rejected the Arab initiative but Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu recently suggested a greater role for Israel's Arab neighbours in the pursuit of peace.

Meanwhile, a former international development minister has told Sky News that Britain has an historic and moral duty to recognise Palestine as a state.

Video: Drone Camera Films Gaza City Damage

Sir Alan Duncan said shame had been brought on the UK by its decision to stand back from taking a decision on the issue given its historic responsibility in the Middle East.

MPs will be asked to support moves urging the Government to recognise Palestine as a state alongside Israel during a Commons debate on Monday.

Around 2,100 people died, mostly Palestinian civilians, during the 50-day war between Israel and Hamas in July and August.

00.27 | 0 komentar | Read More

Pistorius Could Plead Case At Sentencing

By Lisa Holland, Foreign Affairs Correspondent

The sentencing of Oscar Pistorius is due to begin on Monday - and the Olympic athlete could make a personal plea to the court in an effort to avoid jail.

Pistorius was cleared just over a month ago of murdering his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp but was found guilty by Judge Thokozile Masipa at a Pretoria court of culpable homicide.

The sentencing process in South Africa now begins.

But it is likely to take much longer than under UK law and may even involve Pistorius addressing the court again to argue mitigating factors.

There is an opportunity for both the prosecution and defence to call witnesses and prosecutor Gerrie Nel will be looking for a lengthy jail term for Pistorius, having failed to secure a murder conviction.

Video: Pistorius: The Full Story

Pistorius shot Ms Steenkamp on Valentine's Day last year but the judge concluded the athlete had not intended to kill the model.

Judge Masipa found the runner was negligent when he raced down the corridor towards his bathroom armed with a gun - then fired four bullets through the locked toilet door.

But essentially she believed what the athlete told the court, that his actions were a mistake.

Video: Pistorius Bailed Following Verdict

Pistorius said he believed an intruder was in his Pretoria home.

Ms Steenkamp's mother June said she was disappointed with the verdict and that the judge had got it wrong.

Both families are expected to return to court for the sentencing process.

Video: Pistorius Verdict: Families React

If he is sent to jail, the longest sentence Judge Masipa is expected to dish out would be 15 years.

But many believe Pistorius could avoid prison altogether with alternative forms of punishment including a suspended sentence or a fine.

His defence team is expected to highlight once more the athlete's disability as a double amputee.

Video: Pistorius Trial: Five Key Moments

They will also point to him being a first-time offender, his apology to the Steenkamp family and his willingness to give evidence in court.

The prosecution is likely to paint Pistorius as someone who is a danger to society. 

The judge has already called the defendant evasive and an untruthful witness.

1/9

1. Gallery: Profile: Oscar Pistorius

   Pistorius was born in Johannesburg on November 22, 1986. A congenital condition meant he had no bones in his lower legs.

2. He had both legs amputated below the knee when he was 11 months old, and now runs on carbon fibre prosthetic blades.

3. Pistorius won the 200m final in a record time at the 2004 Athens Paralympics. In 2006 he finished sixth in the able-bodied event in South Africa.

4. Ahead of the 2008 Beijing Olympics, the Court of Arbitration for Sport ruled his blades did not give him an unfair advantage. But he failed to qualify for the men's 400m.

5. He won gold in all three of his events at the 2008 Beijing Paralympics - the 100m, 200m and 400m. He set a world record in the 400m (sport class T44).

6. He won the 400m in 47.28s and the 100m in 11.04s at the 2011 Paralympic World Cup. The athlete later ran the 400m in 45.07s - within the Olympic qualifying time.

7. The Blade Runner won the 400m silver medal in 45.52s at the 2012 African Championships. He just missed the 45.30s he needed to qualify for the Olympics.

8. Pistorius was selected by the South African Olympic Committee to run the 4x400m relay and 400m at the 2012 London Olympics. He said it was "one of the happiest days of my life".

9. He had been dating the model Reeva Steenkamp since late 2012. She was found dead at his home on February 14, 2013.

It is thought she may call a further short adjournment to mull over what she hears over the coming days, before announcing her final decision on sentencing.

Ms Steenkamp's family say they want justice for their daughter.

Both the prosecution and Pistorius have the option to appeal once the trial is finally over. 

1/7

1. Gallery: Reeva Steenkamp Life In Pictures

   Reeva Steenkamp, 29, was born in Cape Town and grew up in Port Elizabeth. She went to a convent school and studied law. She was a keen horse rider until she broke her back.

2. She moved to Johannesburg from Cape Town to model for Avon cosmetics. In 2012, Reeva was voted number 45 in the South African FHM 100 Sexiest Women in the World poll.

3. She featured as a celebrity contestant on BBC Lifestyle show Baking Made Easy in 2012.

4. Her former fashion editor, Barbara Robertson, described the model as being "sweet, and down-to-earth" with the "it factor". She compared her to an "early Kate Moss".

5. The model was a keen Twitter user, and had more than 34,000 followers. She used the site to promote women's rights and empowerment.

6. Miss Steenkamp described herself as a "Child of God" on her Twitter profile.

7. Reeva Steenkamp on the set of reality TV show Tropika Island of Treasure (Pic: Stimulii)

00.27 | 0 komentar | Read More

British Troops Back In Iraq To Help Beat IS

The Ministry of Defence has said a "small specialist team" of UK soldiers are in Iraq and working near the front line of the fight between the Islamic State (IS) and Kurdish fighters.

Based near the Kurdish capital of Irbil in the north, they are training peshmerga forces in the use of heavy machine guns the UK supplied to them in September.

The Sunday Times reported that the soldiers were from the 2nd Battalion the Yorkshire Regiment, which is based in Cyprus.

An MoD spokeswoman said: "The Government has previously made clear its intention to provide training to the peshmerga as part of the continued effort to assist in the fight against Isil (IS).

UK troops are training Kurdish peshmerga forces in the use of UK arms

"The Defence Secretary has approved the deployment of a small specialist team of non-combat Army trainers which is now in the Irbil area providing instruction on operating, employing and maintaining the heavy machine guns that were gifted by the UK last month."

British troops invaded Iraq in March 2003 to overthrow Saddam Hussein.

1/10

1. Gallery: The Moment RAF Jet Attacks IS Truck

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

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

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

4. The targets were in the northwest of Iraq

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

6. A plume of smoke rose above the area

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

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

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

10. The aircraft began their combat missions on Saturday

The last British combat troops from the war left in April 2009, with a small number staying on to train Iraqi forces until 2011.

RAF Tornado fighter jets have been involved in US-led bombing raids on IS fighters for the past two weeks.

But there is strong resistance among British politicians to any ground troop involvement in fighting against the Islamist group, which controls vast areas of Iraq and Syria.

Video: RAF Jets Attack Targets In Iraq

00.27 | 0 komentar | Read More

Ebola Crisis: Alex Crawford's Special Report

In a week when the World Health Organisation declared deaths from ebola have reached over 4,000, Sky's Special Correspondent Alex Crawford gained exclusive access to a body recovery team in Liberia.

You can watch a special version of the highlights of the report, or watch the full documentary and read her full story.

Our Health Correspondent Thomas Moore looks in detail at this latest global health crisis in this Sky News special report.

:: Watch a special Sky News programme on the ebola crisis at 3.30pm today and 3.30pm on Sunday - available on skynews.com, Sky News for iPad and on Sky 501, Virgin Media 602, Freesat 202 and Freeview 132.

Video: Liberia Gripped By Ebola Virus Fear

Video: Africa Ebola Crisis: Special Report

00.27 | 0 komentar | Read More

Hagel Expects 'Long-Term Battle' Against IS

US Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel has said the embattled Syrian city of Kobani is a "difficult problem", but insisted that airstrikes had made some progress in driving back Islamic State fighters.

Kurdish forces fighting IS militants on the streets of city, at the border with Turkey, say they are struggling to hold on to the city and have urged the US-led coalition to escalate airstrikes on IS.

Speaking in Santiago, Chile, Mr Hagel said: "We are doing what we can do through our airstrikes to help drive back ISIL (IS)."

He admitted the battle against the militants, who have seized swathes of Iraq and Syria, was a long-term fight.

"It is a long-term effort. This is difficult, it is complicated. It's going to require many factors. And we are working now (with) coalition partners," he said.

Video: Calls For Ground Forces In Kobani

Asked about the situation in Iraq, Mr Hagel said Iraqi security forces were in full control of Baghdad and continue to strengthen their positions there.

"We continue to help them with airstrikes, with our assistance and advisers."

The US-led coalition escalated airstrikes on IS in and around Kobani four days ago, but a Kurdish military official, speaking to Reuters from Kobani, said street fighting was making it harder for the warplanes to target IS positions.

Video: IS Fights In The Streets Of Kobani

"We have a problem, which is the war between houses," said Esmat al Sheikh, head of the Kobani defence council.

"The airstrikes are benefiting us, but Islamic State is bringing tanks and artillery from the east. We didn't see them with tanks, but yesterday we saw T-57 tanks."

Meanwhile, IS militants have released footage of themselves fighting in the streets of Kobani.

Video: US Warns IS Could Take Kobani

The footage, which could not be verified, showed masked men walking through deserted streets firing machine guns and rocket launchers at unseen targets.

Sky's Middle East correspondent Sherine Tadros, reporting from the Turkey-Syria border, said: "(IS fighters) have been pushing in and pushing back the militias back right to the border with Turkey.

"That is where we understand the militias are holding their front line.

Video: Sam Kiley On The Battle For Kobani

"We can the sound of heavy machine gun fire. It has been near constant for the last few hours.

"I think it is too early to say the militants are in full control of Kobani but certainly the next few hours seem decisive."

Most residents of the predominantly Kurdish town have fled since the IS assault on Kobani began in mid-September, but the UN has warned more than 500 people still trapped there could be massacred.

Video: IS Footage Shows Kobani Onslaught

More than 200,000 people are believed to have fled over the border to Turkey but thousands of others are said to be unable to cross.

00.27 | 0 komentar | Read More

Ebola Virus Screenings Begin At US Airports

John F Kennedy airport in New York has begun strict new health screenings for travellers arriving from West African countries hit by the ebola outbreak.

JFK was the first of five airports to introduce the measures, brought in to give a layer of protection after the death of the first patient diagnosed with ebola on US soil.

The four other airports - Newark, Chicago's O'Hare, Washington Dulles and Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International - are due to begin the checks next week.

Together, the five airports account for 94% of all travellers coming into the US from Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone, the countries worst hit by the epidemic that has killed more than 4,000 people.

Passengers arriving at any of the airports from those countries will have their temperature taken, be assessed for signs of illness and answer questions about their health and any exposure to the disease. 

Video: Ebola Drill Tests UK Readiness

Anyone with a fever or other symptoms could be barred from travelling further or be referred to nearby treatment centres if necessary.

Officials say the screenings are not expected to cause any great inconvenience or delays as they will only involve around 150 passengers a day.

The measures were put in place after Liberian Thomas Eric Duncan died in a Texas hospital on Wednesday.

Video: World Bank: Ebola Response Too Slow

Mr Duncan's family say they still have not been informed of his death officially.

His nephew, Josephus Weeks, said: "To date no one has called from the hospital. No one has told my mom, my grandma and myself that Eric passed. We heard it from the news." 

Mr Duncan, 42, was originally sent home from hospital despite showing symptoms of ebola, and was only re-admitted when his condition deteriorated.

Video: US To Screen Travellers For Ebola

His case sparked panic about the possible spread of the virus in the US despite assurances from President Barack Obama the chances of that happening were "extraordinarily low."

Meanwhile, the British expert in charge of the UN's response to ebola has said he hopes the spread of the disease will be "under control" in three months.

Dr David Nabarro said the number of cases in west Africa were increasing week-on-week.

Video: Is Britain Ready To Handle Ebola?

But systems now put in place, along with help from nations including Britain, could help turn the tide and reduce the number of cases significantly.

Dr Nabarro told the BBC: "As a result of the sensitisation programme last month I think we have got a much better community involvement, which leads me to believe that getting it under control within the next three months is a reasonable target."

His comments come after the UK's chief medical officer, Dame Sally Davies, said the country should expect a "handful" of Ebola cases in the coming months.

Video: UN: Ebola Needs 'Global Movement'

According to Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt, a nationwide exercise on Saturday to test Britain's readiness for any cases showed plans were "robust".

Like the US, Britain is to bring in enhanced screening for the virus at Heathrow and Gatwick airports and Eurostar rail terminals. Details are expected in the next few days.

00.27 | 0 komentar | Read More

Russian Troops Pull Back From Ukrainian Border

Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered troops to withdraw from the Ukrainian border and return to their permanent bases, according to Russian news agencies citing a Kremlin spokesman.

The troop pullout from the Rostov region comes before an expected meeting between Mr Putin and his Ukrainian counterpart Petro Poroshenko in Italy next week.

The Kremlin spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, said that the Russian leader had met his defence minister, Sergei Shoigu.

Vladimir Putin and Petro Poroshenko held talks about the conflict in August

"The minister had reported to the Supreme Commander about the completion of summer period of training on shooting ranges of the southern military district," Mr Peskov said according to RIA Novosti news agency.

"After the report, Putin ordered to launch the return of the troops to their permanent bases ... In total, these are 17,600 military servicemen who were trained on the shooting ranges of Rostov region in summer," Mr Peskov said.

1/14

1. Gallery: Female Fighters In Eastern Ukraine

   A woman fighting on the side of pro-Russian rebels in Donetsk, eastern Ukraine

2. Irina, seen in the eastern Ukrainian town of Makievka, has joined an artillery unit of a pro-Russian separatist group fighting government forces

3. Before fighting broke out in eastern Ukraine, Irina was a croupier in a casino who never dreamt of taking up arms. "When your home is being destroyed, everything that is dear to you, friends, work... It's about character. Girls who go into combat are real Russian women," she said

4. Irina uses the nom de guerre "Gaika", a cartoon character that translates as Gadget

5. A female pro-Russian rebel gets ready to take position near the Sergey Prokofiev International Airport during fighting with Ukrainian government forces in the town of Donetsk

6. Ukrainian servicewoman Nadie, 36, poses at the military camp in the village of Luhansk, eastern Ukraine

8. A Ukrainian servicewoman in Horlivka

9. Ukrainian servicewoman Stella

10. A woman fighting for pro-Russian rebels in Luhansk

11. A woman fighting on the side of pro-Russian rebels in Donetsk

12. A pro-Russian fighter in the town of Nizhnaya Krinka

14. Alla, nicknamed Ryzhaya (the Red-Haired), a pro-Russian rebel, in Donetsk

Relations between Russia and the West are at a post-Cold War low over Moscow's actions in Ukraine, where it annexed Crimea in March and has been supporting pro-Russian separatists in the east.

Last month, NATO said Russia had several thousand combat troops and hundreds of tanks and armoured vehicles in eastern Ukraine supporting separatists fighting the Ukrainian army.

Russia denies these charges, but says it has a right to defend the interest of the region's Russian-speaking majority.

Video: How Popular Is Putin In Russia?

NATO says that it has observed a significant pullback of Russian conventional forces from inside Ukraine since a ceasefire began on September 5.

The Kremlin has said Mr Putin and Mr Poroshenko may hold talks on the sidelines of a summit of Asian and European leaders in Milan on Oct 16 and 17.

Video: Sept: Between Ukraine's Front Lines

00.27 | 0 komentar | Read More

Car Bomb Attacks Kill Iraqis Fighting IS

A triple car bombing in a Kurdish-controlled Iraqi town has killed 28 people, many of whom were peshmerga veterans re-enlisting to fight against Islamic State militants.

The attack took place early on Sunday morning at a government compound in Qara Qubah, with civilians and soldiers among the dead. Another 90 people were injured.

"There are still victims trapped in the debris," one official warned.

The attack on peshmerga fighters came shortly after it emerged British Army trainers were deployed to Irbil in order to help Kurdish forces use heavy machine guns against IS.

It also came as the police chief of Anbar province, Gen Ahmed al Dulaimi, died as he travelled in a convoy.

The Diyala bombing hit peshmerga victims re-enlisting to fight IS

Iraq's interior ministry described him as a "hero who set a good example for self-sacrifice".

Islamic State fighters have seemingly claimed responsibility for the attacks on Twitter, adding that three of the bombers were non-Iraqis who had been sent from Germany, Saudi Arabia and Turkey.

Video: British Troops Back In Iraq

Pro-government security forces recaptured parts of Anbar from the al Qaeda breakaway group on Saturday, after months of battling with IS fighters. 

"The general was out on patrol in the military parameter of al Bu Risha, checking on the sectors where the confrontations with Islamic State insurgents are taking place," one official told Reuters.

"His convoy was targeted by two improvised explosive devices."

It remains unclear if other members of his convoy were killed in the bombing.

The explosions followed a bloody day of violence in Baghdad on Saturday, with more than 45 people losing their lives in a series of bombings that rocked Iraq's capital city.

Three bombs were detonated in busy shopping areas.

The first killed eight people outside an ice cream shop. Just metres down the road in the neighbourhood of Shaoula, another car blast killed 18 people.

And in countryside north of the city, a bomber wearing a suicide vest left 11 others fatally wounded.

00.27 | 0 komentar | Read More

Cyclone Hudhud Kills Five As It Hits India

A powerful cyclone has swept through the Bay of Bengal and made landfall in south-eastern India, with five people already killed by the force of the storm.

Hundreds of thousands of people had been evacuated in anticipation of Cyclone Hudhud, which boasts wind speeds of 120mph.

Heavy rains and gusts were reported as the "very severe storm" ripped through Visakhapatnam, the largest city in the state of Andhra Pradesh. The neighbouring state of Orissa is also on high alert.

One of those confirmed dead from the cyclone was killed by a wall collapse, while the others were hit by falling trees and masonry.

Villagers in the state of Andhra Pradesh before being evacuated

N. Chandrababa Naidu, the chief minister of Andhra Pradesh, said: "We are unable to ascertain the situation. Seventy percent of communication has totally collapsed... this is the biggest calamity.

"We are asking people not to come out of their houses, and we are mobilising men and materials immediately."

Video: India Cyclone: Trail Of Destruction

Authorities have set up 370 relief camps to house evacuees.

Officials in Orissa are desperately trying to convince members of an ancient tribe to leave their homes in the Bonda Hills, which is expected to face the brunt of the storm.

"The identified 2,000 tribal people, who must move, have never come down the hills in their lifetime," a local politician said.

Officials said four naval ships and nine air force helicopters are on standby for relief and rescue operations, while soldiers and federal rescue workers are also on hand.

The Indian Ocean is a cyclone hotspot.

Of the 35 deadliest storms in recorded history, 27 have come through the Bay of Bengal - and have landed in either India or Bangladesh.

In 1999, a cyclone devastated Orissa's coastline and killed at least 10,000 people.

While India has a poor record of response to natural calamities, it managed last October to safely evacuate nearly a million people out of the path of Cyclone Phailin, the strongest tropical storm to hit India in more than a decade.

00.27 | 0 komentar | Read More

Ebola: Texas Hospital Worker Tests Positive

By Sky News US Team

A hospital worker in Texas who treated a patient who died of ebola has tested positive for the disease.

The female nurse had been caring for Thomas Eric Duncan at the Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital in Dallas.

Mr Duncan, 42, who had recently arrived from his native Liberia, died in an isolation ward at the hospital last Wednesday, 11 days after being admitted.

The unnamed person, who had been wearing full protective gear, reported having a "low grade fever" on Friday and was then isolated, officials said

It is the first known case of ebola being contracted or transmitted in the US.

Video: Officials 'Concerned' At Ebola Case

The worker caught the disease because of a breach of care protocol that could have taken place during Mr Duncan's dialysis or intubation, said Dr Thomas Frieden, from the Centres for Disease Control (CDC).

He said all those who cared for Mr Duncan could potentially be exposed to ebola.

Officials were "very concerned" because the worker followed full CDC precautions, said Dan Varga, the chief clinical officer for Texas Health Resources.

Video: No Official Word About Ebola Death

He noted the full protective gear would have included a mask, gown, and gloves.

Officials are now monitoring 18 health care workers, according to Dr Varga.

The hospital worker is believed to be the first person in the US to test positive for ebola who has not been to West Africa, where the outbreak has claimed more than 4,000 lives.

Video: US To Screen Travellers For Ebola

The care giver's condition was described as "stable" and they are going through a "great ordeal", officials said, adding the person had been considered at "low risk" of contracting the disease.

Mr Duncan was originally sent home from the hospital despite showing symptoms of ebola, and was only re-admitted when his condition deteriorated.

His case sparked panic about the possible spread of the virus in the US despite assurances from President Barack Obama the chances of that happening were "extraordinarily low".

Video: Ebola Drill Tests UK Readiness

The US has begun screening patients entering through John F Kennedy airport in New York.

It was the first of five airports to introduce the measures, brought in to give a layer of protection after the death of the first patient diagnosed with ebola on US soil.

The four other airports - Newark, Chicago's O'Hare, Washington Dulles and Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International - are due to begin the checks next week.

Video: World Bank: Ebola Response Too Slow

In Spain, an assistant nurse infected with ebola is showing signs of "slight improvement".

But Teresa Romero's prognosis remains serious and further complications could not be ruled out, according to the country's government.

00.27 | 0 komentar | Read More