Laughing Gas Craze 'Fuelled By Web Videos'

A laughing gas "craze" sweeping the UK is being fuelled by internet videos which glamorise use of the chemical, council leaders say.

"Hauls" of canisters are confiscated from UK streets every night, with one London council - Hackney - seizing 1,200 on one Saturday alone.  

Officials in Norfolk, Hertfordshire and Thames Valley have also reported increasing numbers of canisters being found.

Council leaders are so concerned they have launched a campaign to highlight the dangers of the chemical.

Thousands of canisters are seized every weekend (pic Rob Brewer/Flickr)

In particular, the Local Government Association (LGA) is calling for web giants, such as YouTube, to crack down on internet videos which promote use of laughing gas.

The Association, which represents around 400 councils in England and Wales, said it was "deeply disturbing" that people widely view nitrous oxide as a "safe" legal high.

While inhaling nitrous oxide is not illegal, council officers are able to seize canisters under unauthorised street trading regulations.

The LGA has raised concerns that a number of children inhaling the chemical have emerged on the internet, "glamorising" the drug.

It said that the chemical - which is regularly taken at nightspots, festivals and parties - has been linked to a number of deaths.

Abusing nitrous oxide can lead to oxygen deprivation resulting in loss of blood pressure, fainting and even heart attacks, the LGA said.

The Association estimated that it is used by almost half a million young people across the country. 

"It is deeply disturbing that this drug, which can be highly dangerous, is still widely viewed as safe," said Katie Hall, chairwoman of the LGA's Community Wellbeing Board.

"It is imperative that users understand just how harmful it can be. This gas can kill and much more needs to be done to get this message across.

"We are particularly concerned about internet pages and uploaded clips which are effectively 'promoting' this as a harmless drug.

"The web giants must do more to crack down on this, they cannot simply sit on their hands and ignore what is happening on their own sites.

"We are calling on the big internet corporations to step up to the plate and show responsibility by providing health warnings and links to drug awareness charities."

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Hundreds Of Women Captured By ISIS Fighters

Hundreds of women from the Yazidi religious minority have been taken captive by Islamist militants, Iraq's government has said.

Kamil Amin, a spokesman for the country's human rights ministry, said the women were kidnapped by Islamic State (IS) fighters.

He added that some of the women are being held in schools in Iraq's second city Mosul, and that the ministry learned of the kidnappings from the victims' families.

"We think that the terrorists by now consider them slaves and they have vicious plans for them," Mr Amin said.

"We think that these women are going to be used in demeaning ways by those terrorists to satisfy their animalistic urges in a way that contradicts all the human and Islamic values."

The aftermath of US airstrikes near Irbil, seen from the Khazer Checkpoint

A US official speaking on condition of anonymity said IS militants kidnapped the women so they could be sold or married off to extremist fighters.

Some 50,000 residents from the ancient Yazidi community fled the northern Iraqi town of Sinjar after IS militants overwhelmed Kurdish forces this month.

Many Yazidis are trapped on Mount Sinjar without food or water and are at risk of starvation as militants surround the base.

Kurdish media has reported that Peshmerga forces have rescued 11,000 of those trapped in the mountains.

The US has been carrying out airstrikes against the militants in the north of the country.

An F/A-18C Hornet aboard the USS George HW Bush on August 8

Two F/A-18 aircraft dropped 500lb laser-guided bombs on a mobile artillery piece near Irbil, the capital of the semi-autonomous Kurdish region.

Later on Friday, two further strikes were carried out near Irbil, targeting mortar positions and a convoy of IS vehicles.

On Thursday, the US also dropped thousands of gallons of drinking water and 8,000 packaged meals to Yazidis.

President Barack Obama said the airdrops were made at the request of the Iraqi government as IS fighters tightened their grip on northern Iraq.

In his remarks late Thursday, he mentioned "chilling reports" of fighters with the group "rounding up families, conducting mass executions, and enslaving Yazidi women".

IS believes the Yazidis, who are followers of a religion derived from Zoroastrianism, are "devil worshippers".

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US Planes Bomb Jihadists As Food Aid Dropped

US warplanes have bombed Islamist fighters in northern Iraq for a second time - as 30,000 meals were dropped for refugees.

Aircraft  launched a second round of strikes on Islamic State (IS) targets in northern Iraq after President Barack Obama said Washington must act to prevent "genocide".

Islamic State fighters, who have beheaded and crucified captives, have advanced to within a half an hour of Irbil, Iraq's Kurdish capital and a hub for US oil companies.

Water bundles loaded onto a plane for a humanitarian drop to refugees

They have also seized control of Iraq's biggest dam, which could allow them to flood cities and cut off vital water and electricity supplies.

Iraq's government says hundreds of women from the Yazidi religious minority have been taken captive by fighters for IS, formerly known as ISIS.

The Pentagon said two F/A-18 aircraft from an aircraft carrier in the Gulf had dropped laser-guided 500-pound bombs on the fighters' artillery.

The rough outline of the desired IS caliphate

Other airstrikes had targeted mortar positions and an Islamic State convoy.

For the second night, the US also dropped relief supplies to members of the ancient Yazidi sect.

Tens of thousands of them are massed on a desert mountaintop seeking shelter from fighters who have ordered them to convert or die.

Warplanes launched a second wave of airstrikes in northern Iraq overnight

Three cargo planes escorted by two F/A-18 combat jets dropped the supplies - including 72 bundles which contained 28,224 individually packaged meals.

Another 16 bundles contained 1,522 gallons of fresh drinking water.

Mr Obama has authorised the first US airstrikes on Iraq since he pulled all troops out in 2011.

Iraqi military personnel distribute water to Shiite Iraqi Kurds

The action is aimed at halting the Islamist advance, protecting hundreds of thousands of Christians and other religious minorities who have fled for their lives.

The UK is releasing an £8m emergency humanitarian package, with a British cargo plane due to leave for Iraq to drop supplies including tents, blankets, food, water and solar lanterns - which also charge mobile phones..

Combat jets are trying to halt the march of jihadists towards Irbil

In the hours after the airstrikes, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) banned all US civilian flights over Iraq.

British Airways also decided to stop flying over the war-torn region.

Other international airlines including Turkish Airlines, Lufthansa and Austrian Airlines have halted their flights to Irbil until Monday.

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Ebola An International Health Emergency - WHO

Ebola Cure 'A Long Way Off': Facts About Virus

Updated: 12:08am UK, Thursday 07 August 2014

A cure for the deadly ebola virus, which has killed hundreds of people in West Africa, is "a very long way off", an expert has told Sky News.

David Evans, a professor of virology at Warwick University, said ebola is the latest disease to be transmitted "very efficiently" because of international travel.

More than 670 people in Sierra Leone, Liberia, Guinea and Nigeria have fallen victim to the viral illness, which has a fatality rate of up to 90%.

Those with ebola will often be overcome by a sudden onset of fever, as well as weakness, muscle pain and headaches.

The body is then gripped by vomiting, diarrhoea, rashes, kidney and liver problems and bleeding.

The time between infection and symptoms appearing is anything from two days to three weeks.

Ebola is spread through the direct contact with the blood, organs or other bodily fluids of those infected.

The liquid that bathes the eye and semen can transmit the disease, Prof Evans said.

Horseshoe bats are believed to be the natural host of the viral disease, he said.

"These bats transmit the virus between themselves, but periodically it then ends up in probably primates or other types of bushmeat which are then hunted by villagers and the virus is then transmitted from the sick animals to humans," he said.

Transmission has also been documented through the handling of chimpanzees, gorillas and porcupines.

One of the reasons for the disease's rapid spread is a tradition at burial ceremonies for mourners to have direct contact with the body of the deceased.

"Therefore barrier methods that prevent that direct contact, including things like washing of hands and things like that provide a reasonable level of protection," he said.

Healthcare workers treating patients are particularly at risk.

Public Health England said in a risk assessment published earlier this month said that the current outbreak could increase the risk for Britons working in humanitarian and healthcare delivery.

But the threat to tourists, visitors and expatriates is still considered "very low if elementary precautions are followed".

Prof Evans said there had been "periodic outbreaks" of ebola since the first recorded instances in 1976, but this is the deadliest so far.

There were two simultaneous outbreaks in Nzara, Sudan and Yambuku, a village in the Democratic Republic of Congo located near the Ebola River.

Data from the World Health Organisation shows the previous deadliest outbreak was the one in the DRC, when 280 out of 315 people infected died.

In the same country in 1995 another outbreak claimed 254 lives, with 315 patients infected.

In 2000, there were 425 cases in Uganda and 224 people died.

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Obama Approves Strikes To Stop Iraq 'Genocide'

President Barack Obama has authorised airstrikes against Islamist militants in northern Iraq and ordered airdrops of supplies to besieged religious minorities.

Three aircraft delivered food and water to thousands of Iraqis trapped on a mountain, and left the drop zone after 15 minutes, according to the Pentagon.

In a late-night televised address, Mr Obama said targeted strikes would be launched - if needed - to stop the advance on Irbil by the Islamic State - the group previously known as ISIS or ISIL.

The President said the action would be aimed at defending Americans and protect civilians under siege, preventing a "potential act of genocide".

Thousands of Yazidis have fled their homes

"Earlier this week, one Iraqi in the area cried to the world, 'There is no one coming to help,'" said Mr Obama.

"Well, today America is coming to help."

However, he stressed there was no intention of sending in any troops.

Prime Minister David Cameron called the attacks by IS "barbaric" and said he was "extremely concerned by the appalling situation in Iraq and the desperate situation facing hundreds of thousands of Iraqis".

However, Downing Street said there would be no UK military action in Iraq.

Some 40,000 residents from the ancient Yazidi community have been forced to leave the northern Iraqi town of Sinjar after the Sunni fighters overwhelmed Kurdish forces.

Many Yazidis are trapped on Mount Sinjar without food or water and are at risk of starvation as the militants surround the base.

"Children are dying of thirst, meanwhile ISIL forces have called for the destruction of the entire Yazidi people, which would constitute genocide," Mr Obama said.

Obama in discussion with his national security team

"These innocent families are faced with a horrible choice: Descend the mountain and be slaughtered, or stay and slowly die of thirst and hunger."

Two F-18 fighter jets kept watch over the three cargo aircraft - one C-17 and two C-130s - during the Mount Sinjar aid mission.

The planes dropped 72 bundles, containing more than 20,000 litres of drinking water and 8,000 pre-packaged meals.

Militants have been surging across the north of Iraq towards Irbil, the capital of the Kurdish region.

The US has a consulate in the city, where civilian and military staff work.

Mr Obama said airstrikes would target IS convoys "should they move toward the city".

The announcement was Mr Obama's most significant response yet to the crisis. The President had been reluctant to deepen US military re-engagement in Iraq after the last troops left in 2011.

ISIS issued an ultimatum toYazidis to convert to Islam

But he said the strikes had been approved to help Iraqi forces and stop a "massacre" of the Yazidis.

IS has issued the Yazidi people an ultimatum to convert to Islam, pay a religious fine, flee their homes or face death.

The group sees the Yazidis, who are followers of a religion derived from Zoroastrianism, as "devil worshippers".

Attacks on minorities in Iraq could constitute a crime against humanity, said the UN Security Council at an emergency meeting on Thursday.

Hundreds of thousands of people, mostly Christians, are fleeing from the jihadists who have swept through more than a dozen towns in recent days.

Militants have been surging across the north of Iraq towards Irbil

Among them, the militants captured Iraq's biggest Christian town, Qaraqosh, prompting many residents to leave, fearing for their lives.

The group has declared a caliphate - an Islamic state - across much of Iraq and Syria and wants to bring in a strict version of Islamic law.

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Pistorius Disability 'Provoked Him To Fight'

Oscar Pistorius' lawyer says his disability meant he had a "fight-not-flee" response when he thought he heard an intruder.

In his closing argument, Barry Roux repeated Pistorius' claim that he believed he was firing on an intruder when he shot and killed his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp.

Mr Roux said that when anxious and startled, people either fight, flee or freeze.

He said Pistorius' disability meant he had developed an "exaggerated fight response" over time, because fleeing was not an option.

Pistorius spent his whole life "knowing he couldn't run away," Mr Roux said.

He said it was this that prompted the double-amputee to confront the supposed intruder and open fire.

The athlete's lawyer was picking up where he left up on Thursday when he began summing up the defence, taking over from prosecutor Gerrie Nel.

The prosecution alleges that Pistorius intended to shoot and kill his Ms Steenkamp when he fired four shots through the bathroom door where she was hiding on February 14 last year.

In his closing argument, however, Mr Nel argued that regardless of whether he knew he was firing at his girlfriend, Pistorius intended to kill whoever he believed was behind the door.

Mr Nel said Pistorius therefore cannot escape a murder conviction.

The state is pressing for the athlete to be convicted of premeditated murder - which carries a life sentence.

Once the defence has finished summing up judge Thokozile Masipa adjourns the trial to deliberate on her verdict with two legal assistants.

It is expected she'll set a date for a verdict in the next few weeks.

More follows...

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Marianne Faithfull: 'My Ex Killed Jim Morrison'

Singer Marianne Faithfull has told a magazine her former boyfriend accidentally killed The Doors singer Jim Morrison 43 years ago.

He was found dead aged 27 in the bathroom of his Paris apartment in July 1971.

Faithfull, 67, told Mojo magazine that her then-boyfriend Jean de Breteuil, known as the heroin dealer to the stars, had given Morrison drugs that were too strong and killed him.

Morrison died in 1971

The couple had travelled to Paris, and on their arrival de Breteuil said he had to visit Morrison's apartment. Faithfull stayed behind at their hotel.

"I could intuitively feel trouble," she said. "I thought, I'll take a few Tuinal (barbiturates) and I won't be there.

"And he went to see Jim Morrison and killed him. I mean I'm sure it was an accident. Poor b*****d. The smack (heroin) was too strong? Yeah. And he died ... everybody connected to the death of this poor guy is dead now. Except me."

De Breteuil himself was found dead in Morocco some weeks after Morrison's death.

A post-mortem examination was never carried out on Morrison's body.

The Doors were formed in Los Angeles in 1965 and their popularity has persisted, despite the remaining members disbanding in 1973.

The remaining members of the band went on to reunite in various forms over the years, including a post-Morrison album called An American Prayer, which was released in 1978. Their last live performance was in 2000.

Founding member and keyboard player Ray Manzarek died from cancer in May 2013.

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UK Student Murders: Four Face Death Penalty

Four Malaysian men are facing the death penalty after admitting killing two British medical students in Borneo.

Neil Dalton and Aidan Brunger, both 22, were stabbed to death after arguing with a group of men in a bar in Kuching, the capital city of Sarawak state.

Chai Khin Chung, the area's deputy police chief, said four male suspects, aged between 19 and 30, have confessed to the killings.

He said the two Newcastle University students had been drinking and began arguing loudly in a bar when the suspects confronted them and told them to be quiet.

"Then one of the British students slapped one of the locals, turned over a table, and walked out," he said.

The four men followed them in a car and one of them stabbed them with a knife.

Mr Dalton was from Ambergate, Derbyshire

The bodies of the students were found lying a few metres apart in a road near the bar.

The pair were on a six-week placement in a hospital in Kuching as part of their studies, said Newcastle University's Vice-Chancellor Professor Tony Stevenson.

"This has come as a huge shock to us all and our thoughts are with their families and friends at this very difficult time," he said.

Aidan Brunger's family released a photo showing him at his Borneo hospital

Malaysia is generally considered to be a safe place for foreigners, but some recent incidents have damaged that image.

In June, police found the body of 34-year-old British tourist Gareth Huntley on the resort island of Tioman.

They are yet to announce the cause of death.

Last month, a Malaysian shopkeeper was sentenced to death for killing French tourist Stephanie Foray in May 2011, also on Tioman.

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Oscar Pistorius: Trial Closing Speeches Begin

Closing speeches have begun in the murder trial of Oscar Pistorius who fatally shot his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp through a toilet cubicle door in his home.

It will be the last chance prosecution and defence lawyers have to convince judge Thokozile Matilda Masipa before she reaches her verdict.

Opening his argument this morning, prosecutor Gerrie Nel said that a criminal trial was a "blunt instrument for digging up the truth" but that he was confident of his case.

Reeva's parents June and Barry Steenkamp arrive for the hearing

Pistorius, 27, faces a minimum of 25 years in prison if found guilty of premeditated murder. He could also be convicted on lesser charges, such as culpable homicide or murder without premeditation.

The prosecution says Pistorius intentionally shot Ms Steenkamp before dawn in anger after a quarrel. The defence contends that he fired by mistake, thinking an intruder was in the toilet cubicle and that  Ms Steenkamp was in the bedroom.

Ms Steenkamp's parents are in court to listen to the closing speeches which are expected to last two days. It is the first time her father, Barry Steenkamp, has attended court since the trial began.

The hearing in Pretoria was put on hold last month after hearing from 37 witnesses.

More follows...

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Man Sectioned After UK Plane Bomb Hoax

How Typhoons Scramble When Trouble Flares

Updated: 4:43pm UK, Tuesday 05 August 2014

By Alistair Bunkall, Defence Correspondent

The deployment of Typhoon fighter jets on short notice is known as QRA - Quick Response Alert.

It is something the RAF has been doing since the Second World War when Spitfires and Hurricanes would be scrambled to meet the German Luftwaffe over the skies of Britain.

QRA operates out of two stations: RAF Coningsby in Lincolnshire which covers the southern sector and RAF Leuchars in Fife which covers the northern United Kingdom.

Typhoon pilots do a QRA shift normally once or twice a month. Each shift lasts 24 hours and is normally uneventful. Ground crew do week-long shifts.

The pilots wait to be scrambled in a small building called the Aircrew Ready Room. Either side, the single-seater Typhoons stand ready in what are called Q-sheds, a nickname that dates back to Cold War days when the teams were much busier than they are now.

If an air traffic controller notices a plane behaving erratically, then they might alert the QRA team. This could be because the plane is not "talking or squawking" - not sending out the right data or not responding to communications.

In other scenarios, as seems to be the case in the Manchester incident, a pilot might send out a distress signal.

It is a monitored at RAF Scampton, also in Lincolnshire, the old home of the Dambusters.

Analysts at the CRC (Control and Responding Centre) monitor all civilian, commercial and military air traffic and receive information from the security services daily - Radar maps, flight plans, aircraft squarks.

They will build a 3D model of planes movements - this is called a Recognised Air Picture to identify any anomalies.

RAF Air Command in High Wycombe decides what to do next.

The QRA pilots could be put on high alert, known as a "call to cockpit".

The pilots will race to the plane and do everything short of turning the engines on so they are ready to take off within minutes.

The aircraft are armed.

Everything possible will be being done to make contact with the suspect plane and resolve the situation, but if unsuccessful, the order comes via a black box called a telebrief. The words haven't changed since WW2: "Scramble, scramble, scramble."

The jets will taxi to the runway.

Air Traffic controllers at whichever station has been given the order - Coningsby or Leuchars - will make sure the skies above are clear and free of traffic.

The RAF is still scrambled to observe Russian military jets flying close to UK airspace. That has happened a number of times in the past 12 months.

The pilots record images of the plane or planes they are tracking, and feed them back to base.

It remains a relatively secret process as it is always in an emergency scenario.

No QRA aircraft has had to fire its weapons over British skies in peacetime but they could if ordered to. That order would probably come from the Prime Minister himself.

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Scottish Referendum: Leaders Clash In TV Debate

The two men leading the fight for Scotland's future have clashed in a lively televised debate on the independence referendum.

Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond faced Alistair Darling MP, the leader of the Better Together campaign, with just over six weeks to go until the September 18 vote.

The pair thrashed out issues from whether an independent Scotland would keep the pound and remain a member of the European Union, to the economy and the future of North Sea oil revenues.

An instant Guardian/ICM poll of viewers conducted immediately after the debate concluded Mr Darling won the debate by 56% to 44%.

A yes vote stands for 'hope and ambition', said Mr Salmond

But Scotland's Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon told broadcaster STV, which had staged the independence clash: "I definitely think my side won."

The debate was the first such encounter between the two men.

There were fiery exchanges over Scotland's future prosperity and the prospect of currency union after independence, with Mr Salmond refusing to set out his "Plan B" if Scotland is barred from keeping the pound.

Speaking in front of an occasionally raucous 350-strong audience at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland in Glasgow, Mr Darling said: "Any eight-year-old can tell you the flag of a country, the capital of a country and its currency.

Mr Darling may have scored a victory, a poll suggested

"I presume the flag is the saltire, I assume our capital will still be Edinburgh, but you can't tell us what currency we will have."

Mr Salmond told his opponent he was not in favour of joining the euro and added: "We'll keep the pound because it belongs to Scotland as much as to England."

On the EU, Mr Salmond accused the No campaign of trying to scare people into thinking they could be thrown out of the union after independence.

But Mr Darling said it was unclear on what terms Scotland would be allowed to rejoin the EU, or if its membership would be opposed.

Pressed on whether he agreed with David Cameron that an independent Scotland could be successful, Mr Darling said he believed the country could go it alone - but the risks and costs of doing so outweighed the benefits.

The pair were cheered and jeered by the 350-strong audience in Glasgow

In closing statements, Mr Darling said the referendum would be the "single biggest decision" for Scotland, and there would be "no going back" on a Yes vote.

But Mr Salmond insisted: "No-one will ever govern Scotland better than the people who live and work in Scotland ... voting yes is a vote for hope and ambition over fear."

The latest poll from Ipsos MORI shows more people plan to vote to break away from the UK when the referendum takes place next month.

Although a majority of the electorate is expected to vote to stay in the United Kingdom.

On the morning of the debate, the three main UK party leaders announced they had signed a pledge to increase the powers of the Scottish Parliament.

David Cameron, Ed Miliband and Nick Clegg all put their names to a declaration made earlier this year by their parties' Scottish leaders to guarantee an increase in Scotland's powers under devolution.

Think tank Demos, which looked at how the debate played out on Twitter, said: "It wasn't cheers but boos that filled this new digital arena and our analysis suggests people were turned off for one of the oldest reasons of all - neither politician was keen to answer the question."

:: Watch debate highlights on Sky News, Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freesat 202 and Freeview 82, at 11.30am today.

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Darling Scores High With Style And Substance

I remember putting together a profile piece on Alistair Darling and his old schoolmaster at Loretto in Musselburgh telling me how the young Alistair insisted to his schoolmates that his surname was pronounced 'Durling'.

The reason was that, in a place where everyone was addressed by their second name, the future Chancellor couldn't bear the shout of "Hello Darling!" across the playground.

In time, of course, he's grown to shed the schoolboy sensitivity and a nation has come to know a political player.

From local councillor to MP to Chancellor, to chairman of the Better Together campaign, a sort of Defender-in-Chief of Scotland's place in the United Kingdom. 

Alistair Darling served as Chancellor from 2007 to 2010

He's Westminster's Clark Kent - bookish, some say boring - but he's no mug.  A 27-year survival record in the political bear-pit is testimony to that. 

Two hours of referendum debate, in particular, showed a man who knows when to adjust his game.

The Alistair Darling that faced Alex Salmond was in streetfighter mode. He shouted, finger-pointed and sneered his way through TV's first referendum head-to-head.

Mr Darling appeared more assertive on screen

To those who said he lacked passion, he laid it out before them in a spectacle rarely viewed. And it seemed to work.

The general consensus is that Mr Darling was the winner on the night, prompting near-euphoria amongst supporters who've watched Mr Salmond trample over them in debate for years.       

Mr Darling landed blows on the subject matter, in particular the currency that an independent Scotland would use.

Critically, he also scored on style. He was more assertive and dominated the TV screen, drew the viewer's eye. 

Mr Salmond had clearly opted for mild-manners and measured tones. This, following reports he was in consultation with a 'happiness guru' who was grooming him for his performance. 

I wonder if, on reflection, he'll be happier toughening up his act for the TV debates to come.

Perhaps he needs to redress the balance between nice man and hard man before he can look statesman.

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F1 Boss Offers Settlement To End Bribery Trial

Formula One boss Bernie Ecclestone has offered a £60m ($100m) out-of-court settlement to end his trial on bribery charges, a German court has said.

Mr Ecclestone, 83, went on trial in Munich in April over allegations that he bribed a former German banker as part of the sale of a major stake in the motor sport business eight years ago.

The state prosecutor told the court on Tuesday Mr Ecclestone's age and other circumstances supported the acceptance of a settlement.

The British billionaire could have faced up to 10 years in jail and would have had to relinquish control of a business he has built up over the past four decades.

Under German law, judges, prosecutors and the defence can agree to dismiss a case or settle it with a light punishment, although terms for such an agreement are strictly defined.   

Mr Ecclestone has previously admitted making the payment to Gerhard Gribkowsky, who is now serving a jail sentence, but denied all charges of bribery.

"Gribkowsky did not tell the truth at crucial points," Mr Ecclestone told the court at the start of his trial in April.

His words were in a 100-page statement read out in German on his behalf by his lawyer Sven Thomas.

Mr Ecclestone maintains he was the victim of coercion by Gribkowsky and that the ex-banker was threatening to make damaging claims about his tax affairs that could have cost him and his family much of their fortune.

Presiding judge Peter Noll said: "The court must review this offer in its entirety."

He is due to rule on the matter later.

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Israel-Hamas Ceasefire As Troops Exit Gaza

The Battle To Win The War And Keep The Peace

Updated: 5:07pm UK, Monday 04 August 2014

By Sam Kiley, Foreign Affairs Editor

Israeli tanks chew through the rubble at Rafah. Another child is killed. Some ceasefire. Some war.

For all the bluster and public relations stunts attached to several 'humanitarian truces', the claims to be the 'most moral army in the world', and the blaming of Hamas for deliberately getting fellow Palestinians killed, the Israel Defence Forces prosecute conflict with a bald honesty.

The purpose of war is to bend an enemy's will to one's own.

It's about smashing and maiming, dismemberment and mass grief.

When the threat is perceived as existential, it's conducted without rules but with great deliberation.

The firebombing of Dresden and the nuclear attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki targeted women and children, the innocent, their homes, parks and pets - on purpose.

The Allies intended to break the will of the Axis powers utterly.

And that is the intent of the Israelis in Gaza.

The aim of the IDF is officially to 'dismantle the military capacity of Hamas (and other militant groups)'. It is to rid Israel of the threat posed by Gaza's rocket arsenal, and of its tunnel network with its tentacles that extend inside Israel.

The vast majority of Palestinian casualties, now numbering more than 1,700, are civilians, and many of them are women and children.

Israel's 'pinpoint accurate' munitions have been used to target hospitals and United Nations schools housing thousands of refugees with monotonous regularity.

It is true that Hamas has stored weapons in schools, fired rockets from close to playgrounds and hospitals, and used mosques as combat operations rooms.

Nonetheless Israel has come in for some bitter criticism from long-time ally the United States, from the United Nations, which the Israelis see as a hostile entity, and now from France.

On Monday French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius called for a political solution to be "imposed" by the international community in the Gaza conflict.

"How many more deaths will it take to stop what must be called the carnage in Gaza?" Mr Fabius stormed.

"The tradition of friendship between Israel and France is an old one and Israel's right to security is total, but this right does not justify the killing of children and the slaughter of civilians."

The cold truth is that Mr Fabius has missed the point here.

Israel sees itself engaged in a near-perpetual existential struggle against Palestinian militants, especially Hamas, which is committed to the destruction of the 'Zionist entity'.

Israelis are generally horrified and outraged by any suggestion that civilians are deliberately targeted by the IDF which, they point out, regularly conducts investigations into the actions of its forces when they are accused of egregious killing.

But Israel's tactical aims are clear.

To crush Hamas and to send a clear message to Gazans that their future does not rest with the militant group.

The IDF has used devastating force to deliver that message and to try to wreck Hamas' military and civil structures.

And the Israeli government enjoys overwhelming support for the way that Operation Protective Edge has been conducted.

It accepts that war is not a sport.

But does not, yet, appear to comprehend that in Gaza Israel may have won another battle but is very far from winning the war - much less the peace it so craves.

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Foreign Office Minister Resigns Over Gaza

Foreign Office Minister Baroness Warsi has resigned saying she can no longer support the Government's stance on Gaza.

Lady Warsi, who is also Minister for Faith and Communities, announced her departure on Twitter, where she has been increasingly vocal in her condemnation of Israel's actions.

At 9.10am on Tuesday, she posted: "With deep regret I have this morning written to the Prime Minister &  tendered my resignation. I can no longer support Govt policy on #Gaza."

Lady Warsi announced her resignation on Twitter

Lady Warsi has been a prominent member of David Cameron's Government, becoming the first Muslim to sit in the Cabinet. She was Conservative Party chairman and is considered a huge asset to the party having played a significant part in the 2010 campaign.

Her resignation will intensify the already significant pressure on David Cameron to be firmer in his condemnation of Israel as the bloody conflict nears its first month.

On Sunday the United Nations condemned an Israeli strike on a UN-run school in Gaza, where refugees from the violence were sheltering, killing at least 10 people. 

She has popsted a number of tweets condeming Israel's actions

The UN Secretary General Ban-Ki-moon called the attack "a moral outrage and a criminal act".

However, Mr Cameron would not be drawn on Monday to back the UN's position saying only it was "an appalling loss of life".

Lady Warsi's opposition to Israel's actions has been clear from her Twitter posts. Eleven days ago she wrote: "Can people stop trying to justify the killing of children. Whatever our politics there can never be justification, surely only regret #Gaza".

Lady Warsi has condemned the attacks that have killed and injured children

Speaking on LBC radio Boris Johnson said he was "very sad" at the news and he hoped she would return to Government soon.

He said: "I have very great respect for Sayeeda she has done a great job for us and I hope she will be back as soon as possible,"

The number of Palestinians killed in "Operation Protective Edge" - Israel's action against Hamas in Gaza - has reached 1,800, most of whom have been civilians. Around 66 Israelis have died, most of whom have been soldiers.

The UN has already said Israel could be guilty of war crimes.

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Ebola Test After Woman Dies At Gatwick

A woman who collapsed at Gatwick Airport and later died after flying in from West Africa has tested negative for ebola.

The passenger, who is thought to have been in her 70s, showed no symptoms during the flight, but became unwell after she landed.

The GambiaBird aircraft, as well as crew and airport workers, were isolated for a time, said a Gatwick spokeswoman.

However, health chiefs said there was no risk that the deadly virus had made its way into the UK.

"Yesterday morning a passenger became unwell after disembarking a flight at Gatwick from The Gambia, and sadly died in hospital," said Dr Brian McCloskey, from Public Health England.

"There was no health risk to other passengers or crew, as the passenger did not have symptoms during the flight. It was considered very unlikely to be a case of ebola, but testing was done as a precaution, and was negative."

The woman reportedly started to sweat heavily and vomit when she landed, prompting an emergency response from paramedics, immigration officials and airport staff.

The woman died at East Surrey Hospital in Redhill, which also carried out the ebola test.

Staff take a sample from a suspected Ebola patient in Kenema, Sierra Leone

The Gatwick spokeswoman said: "Given the origin of the flight, the hospital carried out tests for ebola and other infectious diseases as a precaution. The tests came back negative.

"As a precaution, the aircraft was isolated, as were relevant airline and airport staff.

"At every stage, we took advice from Public Health England, which cleared the aircraft for its return journey."

More than 700 people have died in Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia during the current outbreak of the virus, which has no cure and a fatality rate of up to 90%.

Meanwhile, an American doctor infected with ebola in West Africa "seems to be improving", according to a US official.

Aid worker Kent Brantly was flown from Liberia to his home country on Saturday and is now being treated at Emory University hospital in Atlanta, Georgia.

Dr Kent Brantly and Nancy Writebol were on the same aid mission in Liberia

Wearing a white bio-suit, he was seen walking slowly into the medical facility which has a state-of-the-art isolation unit.

Doctors say they are confident the virus will not escape.

Dr Brantly's colleague, Nancy Writebol, who is also infected, is expected to fly to the US for treatment on Tuesday.

Some medical experts have criticised the international response to the outbreak, arguing not enough is being done to combat ebola because it is confined to Africa.

Dr John Ashton, from the UK Faculty of Public Health, told Sky News: "It takes the infection of Westerners before we take notice. It's really shocking.

"It's an indictment of our morality and the West, and the pharmaceutical industry of course is only interested if there are sufficient numbers to be able to make profits out of it."

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World War One Centenary: Britain Remembers

World War One And The 'Short-War Illusion'

Updated: 3:31am UK, Monday 04 August 2014

By Professor David Stevenson

In August 1914 German Emperor Wilhelm II famously promised to his departing troops that they would return before the autumn leaves fell.

Yet most of Europe's military chiefs did not, in fact, expect a short war.

The Chief of the German General Staff had predicted a struggle lasting between 18 months and two years. His French and Austrian opposite numbers took a similar view.

A clash between two great alliance blocs, each fielding armies that numbered millions and were supported by the resources of entire nations, would not be settled in weeks. 

Even the direst military predictions, however, failed to foresee a conflict lasting four and a half years that would claim at least 10 million lives.

And civilian politicians seem not to have been informed about the military leaders' pessimism.

When Europe's governments decided for war, they expected heavy casualties, but nothing resembling what actually occurred.

Lord Kitchener, the colonial hero who was brought in as Britain's Secretary of State for War, stunned the Cabinet by warning them to prepare for a three-year bloodbath.

And as for members of the ordinary public, evidence from diaries and letters suggests that many really did expect a struggle that would last only a few months.

Much of this optimism may have been wishful thinking. And research by historians has made clear that 'war enthusiasm' was skin-deep.

To be sure, there was excitement, and cheering crowds gathered round the royal palaces in Berlin and London, but these demonstrations were quite small, composed mostly of well-to-do young men, and most prominent after war had been declared.

Up until then, pacifist and anti-war protests rivalled them - for example in Trafalgar Square as late as Sunday August 2, only two days before Britain came in.

On 31 July the London Stock Exchange was closed for the first time in its history, due to a run on the Bank of England's gold reserves and sell-offs of government bonds across Europe, while both in Britain and on the Continent queues formed outside savings banks and there was panic food-buying.

Although The Times consistently advocated British intervention, The Manchester Guardian remained unconvinced, and many civilian diarists expressed anxiety and foreboding.

In all the combatant countries political parties suspended their differences for the duration of the war effort.

But it seems to have been only later, once reports came in of heavy fighting and massive casualties, that a deeper pro-war consensus formed on both sides.

The public had not begun this business, but now they were in it they would see it through.

In Britain, hundreds of thousands flocked to the recruiting offices in late August and September. Although the volunteers had many motives, patriotism was certainly one of them.

And even after the campaigning bogged down into opposing lines of trenches, many still (without the benefit of hindsight) expected it to carry on for only a few more months. The short-war illusion did not end in 1914.

:: Professor David Stevenson is the author of With Our Backs To The Wall: Victory And Defeat in 1918, and 1914-1918: The History Of The First World War. He teaches at London School of Economics & Political Science

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Gaza City 'Attacked Minutes Into Israel Truce'

Israel has been accused of breaking its own seven-hour humanitarian truce in Gaza.

The Israeli military pledged to hold fire from 10am to 5pm (8am to 3pm UK time) to allow in aid and so displaced Palestinians could return to their homes.

However, medics have said an eight-year-old girl has died and 30 other people were wounded in an attack on a house in the Shati refugee camp in Gaza City. The Israelis have yet to comment.

Earlier, Israel warned it would hit back if attacked during the break and said troops would fight on in areas of the southern Gazan town of Rafah, where there are ongoing clashes.

Israel has warned it will fire back if it comes under attack

Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri said the pause was "an attempt to divert attention from Israeli massacres".

It is the sixth attempt at halting hostilities on humanitarian grounds since the conflict began on July 8.

Sky's David Bowden said: "We're seeing here what is almost the first law of ceasefires in Gaza, which is to get out there as soon as you can, do what you have to do, and get out of the way - because almost inevitably it will not last."

The promised break in fire comes after the United Nations condemned a third deadly missile strike on a UN school sheltering Palestinians, saying Israel was "repeatedly informed of the location of these sites" and that it was a "moral outrage and a criminal act".

The US said it was appalled by the latest attack on a UN school

The attack in Rafah on Sunday left 10 civilians dead and wounded another 30, bringing the total Palestinian death toll to almost 1,800.

The Israeli military confirmed it had fired on a terrorist target in the vicinity of the school and was "reviewing the consequences of this strike".

While not directly attributing blame, the US said it was "appalled" and called on Israel to do more to "meet its own standards and avoid civilian casualties".

British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond said he had discussed the incident with Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman and Justice Minister Tzipi Livni by phone.

Meanwhile, Israeli army spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Peter Lerner announced the bulk of ground troops had now pulled out of Gaza.

Israel said the offensive had done 'substantial damage' to Hamas tunnels

He said the military had caused "substantial damage" to a network of tunnels, which Israel cited as justification for expanding its operation in the territory to include a ground offensive.

Lt Col Lerner emphasised, however, that the operation was not over.

Despite withdrawals elsewhere, the Israeli military presence remains in Rafah.

In a pre-dawn airstrike, Israel killed a senior commander of the Islamic Jihad, a Palestinian group fighting alongside Hamas. He has been identified as Danyal Mansour, head of the group's northern command.

Israel shunned ceasefire talks in Cairo on Sunday, attended by Egyptian and Palestinian negotiators, as Hamas rockets continued to be fired from Gaza.

During the four-week conflict, 64 Israeli soldiers and three civilians have been killed.

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Royal Navy 'To Rescue Britons From Libya'

By Alistair Bunkall, Defence Correspondent

The Royal Navy is preparing to rescue British nationals from Libya, Sky News understands.

HMS Enterprise is being moved into position off the coast of North Africa ready to be given the order to sail into Tripoli on Sunday morning.

There has been a severe deterioration in the security situation

She will moor offshore and her survey boat, Spitfire, will collect people from the Port of Tripoli.

A detachment of armed personnel, usually Royal Marines, will provide force protection to the ship in the event of attack.

HMS Enterprise. File picture

The routine follows a similar scenario in 2011 during the uprising when HMS Cumberland, a Type 22 frigate, evacuated foreign nationals and refugees from the civil war.

Although the United States used F-16 fighter jets for air cover when their citizens left Libya by road for Tunisia last week, it is not thought any British aircraft will be involved in this mission.

Britain is one of the last countries to wind down its diplomatic mission in Libya following a severe deterioration in the security situation as rebel groups continue fighting each other.

France and America, two of the other principal players in the 2011 war, closed their embassies last week.

The Ministry of Defence said: "As the Foreign Office has made clear, the UK Government will provide assisted departure for a number of UK nationals before suspending consular operations on Monday.

"For operational reasons we will not discuss further details including whether, and in what ways, the MoD could support these efforts."

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Miliband Slams Cameron's Handling Of Gaza Crisis

By Anushka Asthana, Political Correspondent

Labour leader Ed Miliband has accused David Cameron of failing to speak out about an Israeli military operation that he describes as "wrong and unjustifiable".

In a strongly worded statement, he said Mr Cameron had been right to call Hamas an appalling, terrorist organisation.

"But the Prime Minister is wrong not to have opposed Israel's incursion into Gaza," said Mr Miliband.

The Opposition leader added: "And his silence on the killing of hundreds of innocent Palestinian civilians caused by Israeli's military action will be inexplicable to people across Britain and internationally."

Downing Street reacted angrily to the statement, insisting the Prime Minister had been clear that both sides in the conflict need to observe a ceasefire.

"We are shocked that Ed Miliband would seek to misrepresent that position and play politics with such a serious issue."

A Labour source said the situation on the ground in Gaza had led Mr Miliband to speak out.

He said he supported Israel and believed it had the right to defend itself.

"But its military actions in the past two weeks have been wrong and unjustifiable.

The crisis in Gaza is set to continue

"The escalation of violence engulfing Gaza has led, and is leading, to suffering and destruction on an appalling scale, and is losing Israel friends in the international community day by day."

It came amid claims that Britain is selling arms to Israel that could be being used against Palestinian citizens.

Katy Clark, a Labour MP on the Committee on Arms Export Controls, told Sky News arms had been sold since 2010 under hundreds of licences that were still in place.

Her committee found the UK can sell 22 different types of equipment to Israel including components for military combat vehicles, communications equipment, sniper rifles and water cannon.

The Government said it had started a review into all the licences, with the ultimate decision to suspend any lying with the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.

It is led by Lib Dem minister Vince Cable, who will be under pressure to act given the outspoken interventions from senior figures in his party.

Deputy Prime Minister and Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg has called on Israel to open direct talks with the political arm of Hamas.

Writing in The Guardian, he said the "daily images of human torment in Gaza have been harrowing and heartbreaking".

And he insisted Israel's "disproportionate" military response was only worsening the long-term situation.

Mr Clegg pointed to how the Queen shook hands with the former IRA commander Martin McGuinness as a reminder "that even the most intractable conflicts can be resolved".

Former Lib Dem leader Paddy Ashdown said any arms sales contributing to this conflict should be stopped.

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'Kidnapped' Israeli Soldier Declared Dead

An Israeli soldier who was feared to have been captured by Hamas militants died in combat, Israel's military has confirmed.

The announcement came amid reports of another Israeli airstrike on a UN school in the Gazan city of Rafah - killing 10 and wounding 35 others, according to witnesses and medics

The Israeli military would not comment on the attack, the second to hit a school in less than a week.

Strikes claimed at least 30 Palestinian victims overnight, emergency services in the territory said.

Israel resumed heavy fire over the weekend following a failed ceasefire during which 23-year-old Second Lieutenant Hadar Goldin went missing.

Up to 80% of the Palestinian casualties are believed to be civilians

Hamas denied kidnap and an investigation by Israel's military has found Second Lieutenant Goldin died in combat.

"A special committee led by the Israel Defence Forces Chief Rabbi, announced the death of the IDF infantry officer of the Givati Brigade, Lieutenant Hadar Goldin, who was killed in battle in the Gaza Strip on Friday, August 1, 2014," an army statement said.

Confirmation of the soldier's death comes after Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned Hamas he is prepared to continue the operation in Gaza for as long as it takes to return his citizens to safety.

"We do not accept a continuation of the shooting," he told reporters, referring to ongoing Hamas rocket attacks.

"It (Hamas) will have to understand, however long that takes, that it will pay an intolerable price, from its perspective, for continuation of the shooting."

A quarter of Gaza's population has been displaced by the fighting

Meanwhile, a set of quadruplets born in Gaza on Wednesday have been discharged from hospital - but the shelling means they cannot return to their family home.

Grandfather Mefleh al Arjah said: "We live in Jenah but when the airstrikes and shelling started we fled to Tal Sultan, staying with extended relatives of our son, Ali. We left everything behind staying with them. We had nowhere else to go.

"We hope the war will end soon so we can return to our home."

Israel launched its aerial offensive on July 8 with the declared aim of ending "persistent" rocket fire by militants.

It subsequently sent in ground troops, shifting the focus of the operation to the destruction of a complex system of cross-border tunnels, which Israel claims were used by Hamas to infiltrate the country.

Quadruplets born in Gaza this week

Israeli military officials have reported that 31 tunnels have since been destroyed, fuelling speculation that the offensive could soon wind down.

The Palestinian death toll now stands at more than 1,700.

Another 440,000 people, a quarter of Gaza's population, have been displaced by the fighting.

On the Israeli side, 64 soldiers and three civilians have lost their lives.

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