Back In Conflict, But This Time It's Different

By Sophy Ridge, Political Correspondent

It has begun. Eleven years after the invasion that marked the beginning of the Iraq War, Britain is again involved in a conflict in the region.

The Government is (rightly) quick to point out why this time, it is different.

The Iraqi government has made a formal request for British help in defending itself against IS and the US-led coalition is broad based, with support from some countries in the Middle East.

Most significantly, British involvement is limited to airstrikes and ground troops have been explicitly ruled out.

The first British jets took off for northern Iraq on Saturday morning. Precise details of their mission is not known.

There are just six Tornado GR4 fighter bombers stationed in Cyprus. To put this in context, Denmark is deploying more war planes than Britain.

Denmark has more war planes than Britain in the current conflict

Ken Clarke has previously described the UK involvement as merely "symbolic", and others have argued that if it is so limited, what is the point of getting dragged into a potentially prolonged and complex conflict at all?

At the moment, UK military action is a halfway house.

Britain is not ignoring the crisis over IS and allowing other countries to get on with the campaign alone.

However, the involvement is incredibly limited.

Syria - where IS has its strongholds - is currently off limits. Ground troops are ruled out. MPs may have voted overwhelmingly in favour of airstrikes in Iraq, but many are extremely nervous about committing further.

The halfway house solution may work for the time being, but at some point the Government will have to decide whether the UK is fully in, or if it is out.

:: Watch full coverage on Sky News Sky 501, Virgin Media 602, Freesat 202 and Freeview 132.

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Iraq: Islamic State Threat Is World's Problem

Iraq's deputy prime minister has told Sky News that it is the "duty of the world" to stand up against Islamic State extremists.

Saleh al Mutlaq also said he welcomed the UK parliament's decision to back airstrikes against the militants in his country.

He said IS was "not just the problem of Iraq. It is the problem of all countries".

Iraq's deputy prime minister Saleh al Mutlaq speaks to Sky News

"Outsiders" from nations including Britain, Australia and the emirate countries were fighting for IS and the coalition aerial raids should target militias as well as the jihadist group, he said.

Mr al Mutlaq said: "It is an invitation for every country which can participate in this coalition to do what they can in order to get rid of IS forever.

"Iraq is now fighting on behalf of the world."

He added: "It's the duty of the world to stand against this danger which is coming, maybe now to Iraq, but it will separate everywhere if it is not going to be fixed in this country and ended."

And he said without also targeting militias who "facilitated the presence of IS" there would not be stability in Iraq.

The Sunni IS extremists have taken over large parts of Iraq and Syria in recent months and David Cameron said the group posed a direct threat to the UK.

RAF Tornado aircraft earlier left Cyprus for their first combat mission over Iraq.

A RAF Tornado GR4

They are poised to launch airstrikes against jihadists after Parliament on Friday gave the green light for military action in Iraq.

MPs voted by 524 to 43 - a majority of 481 - to endorse attacks on the insurgents in support of the US-led coalition, with Labour backing the Government motion.

Mr Cameron said the motion had been limited to Iraq in order to secure cross-party consensus.

And also to avoid a repeat of last year's damaging Commons defeat when Labour combined with Tory and Liberal Democrat rebels to block airstrikes against President Bashar Assad's regime in Syria.

The strikes, under Operation Shader, are expected to be carried out by six Tornado GR4s which have been based at RAF Akrotiri on Cyprus since last month where they have been deployed in a reconnaissance role.

Up to now, America and France have been conducting aerial strikes in Iraq in support of Iraqi forces and Kurdish Peshmerga fighters, while the US and Arab allies have attacked IS targets from the air in Syria.

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UK Military Planners Call Iraq Mission 'Dynamic'

By Tom Parmenter, RAF Akrotiri, Cyprus

The send off for the RAF Tornado jets finished with a simple thumbs up from the ground crew waving them off.

The planning and preparation for British airstrikes is now at full pace at RAF Akrotiri and everyone on the base on Cyprus knows their mission has now escalated.

On Saturday morning the Tornado crews strode out across the tarmac, two teams of two, helmets on.

They knew the cameras were there to capture the moment that debate and politics gave way to military action. The deployment of British bombs in Iraq is now in their hands.

Now that this is a combat mission their identities are protected, all we know is that they are some of the RAF's most skilled and experienced individuals.

Their families will know that their loved ones are now going to war rather than simply flying reconnaissance missions over Iraq.

The intelligence gathering will continue apace on these sorties and there may be flights in the coming days and weeks where they don't need to deploy missiles.

Military planners call the mission "dynamic" - it means that the plans will change according to what's happening on the ground.

The professionalism of everyone who works to support these missions means they want to respond to the orders efficiently and carry out their job as precisely as possible.

Every time they leave this base the ground crews will wave them off, every time they return they'll be relieved to welcome them back.

:: Watch full coverage on Sky News Sky 501, Virgin Media 602, Freesat 202 and Freeview 132.

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Iraq: British Jets On First Combat Mission

By Alistair Bunkall, Defence Correspondent

British jets armed with missiles are over northern Iraq on their maiden combat mission after taking off from a base in Cyprus.

Two Tornado GR4 fighter jets - armed with missiles for the first time - took off from RAF Akrotiri at 8.30am this morning.

They are being supported by a Voyager refuelling aircraft also based on the island.

The Tornados are carrying Brimstone and Paveway missiles on board and are authorised to fire them if they encounter Islamic State (IS) militants.

Precise details of the mission are still unknown, but they will be flying over Iraq according to the tasking given to them by US Central Command.

It is thought to be a dynamic close air support mission, hitting targets if and when they reveal themselves.

A member of the aircrew prepares to depart on the first mission. Pic: MOD

A Ministry of Defence spokesman said: "We can confirm that following Parliamentary approval given yesterday, Royal Air Force Tornados continue to fly over Iraq and are now ready to be used in an attack role as and when appropriate targets are identified.

"For operational security reasons we will not be providing a running commentary on movements; we will provide an update on activity when it is appropriate to do so."

It comes after MPs overwhelmingly backed action in a vote in the House of Commons on Friday.

The Tornados are being supported by a Voyager refuelling aircraft

Parliament gave approval by 524 votes to 43 (a majority of 481) for Britain to join the US-led coalition in the Middle East.

Prime Minister David Cameron has said Britain is ready to play its part in dealing with IS.

He said: "We are one part of a large international coalition. But the crucial part of that coalition is that it is led by the Iraqi government, the legitimate government of Iraq, and its security forces.

"We are there to play our part and help deal with this appalling terrorist organisation."

Defence Secretary Michael Fallon told Sky News Britain would select targets "in accordance with the American and international effort that's going on in Iraq.

"There's fighting around these towns - we have to fit in to the day-to-day fighting and see where we can help best," he said.

The planes have been at RAF Akrotiri for the past six weeks carrying out surveillance missions over the Middle East.

An RAF pilot at the base on Saturday morning

The US has been carrying out airstrikes in northern Iraq since August and France joined the mission last week.

Overnight, the US continued to hit suspected IS positions in Syria for a fifth consecutive day of attacks.

The Pentagon said the raids had disrupted lucrative oil-pumping operations that have helped fund IS militants, but that a final victory would need an on-the-ground campaign.

:: Watch full coverage on Sky News Sky 501, Virgin Media 602, Freesat 202 and Freeview 132.

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DLT Sentenced For Groping TV Personality

Disgraced DJ Dave Lee Travis has left court after being given a three-month suspended sentence for indecently assaulting a TV personality.

Speaking to reporters outside, the former Radio 1 star said he was "mortified" and "really disappointed" over his conviction this week and criticised his prosecution.

He said the judge accepted that prosecutors had failed to prove their case that he was a "sexual predator".

Travis said: "I was worried if the prosecution threw enough mud at me, some of it might stick", adding it was "of little comfort that I was acquitted of so many others (alleged offences)".

He said of those people closest to him: "We all know the truth and I'm grateful for that."

Travis, who became a household name in the 1970s, was found guilty on Tuesday of indecently assaulting a woman in 1995.

He was sentenced to three months in prison, suspended for two years.

Travis pictured with his wife Marianne

The incident took place behind the scenes at The Mrs Merton Show, a programme which the victim had been working on as a researcher.

The DJ had squeezed her breasts for 10-15 seconds after cornering her in a corridor of a BBC studio.

The victim had been smoking in the corridor when he commented on her "poor little lungs" before groping her.

Sentencing the 69-year-old man at London's Southwark Crown Court, Judge Leonard said: "It was an intentional and unpleasant sexual assault.

"You took advantage of a young woman in a vulnerable position whose job it was to look after you that day."

In the dock, Travis briefly looked down and then said: "Thank you, your honour".

Marianne, his wife of more than 40 years, hugged a friend in the public gallery after the judge delivered his sentence.

In a statement read out ahead of his sentencing, the victim said: "I was subjected to an unprovoked and terrifying physical assault at my place of work.

The DJ became a household name in the 1970s

"I was too paralysed with fear to confront my assailant."

Before sentencing, another woman, journalist Camilla Long, said Travis had "bashed" on the dock glass and "screamed" at her to move from the public gallery to the press seats as she was making him "uncomfortable".

Ms Long, who in 2012 wrote an article in which she claimed he groped her during an interview, told Sky News the incident in court on Friday was "incredibly intimidating".

This week, Travis was found not guilty on a second indecent assault charge and the jury was discharged after it was unable to agree a verdict on a count of sexual assault.

He faced a retrial after jurors failed to reach verdicts on those two charges earlier this year.

He was cleared of 12 counts of indecent assault at his original trial in February.

The broadcaster, of Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, was first arrested in October 2012 under Operation Yewtree, Scotland Yard's investigation into historic sexual abuse in the wake of allegations against the late DJ Jimmy Savile.

Judge Leonard said Travis' offence was of a "different order of magnitude" to other more serious convictions under Operation Yewtree.

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Missing Alice: 150 Calls After Reconstruction

A reconstruction of Alice Gross' last-known steps before her disappearance has led to 150 calls with information, police say.

The fresh leads come after an "area of interest" in a west London park brought no clues to the whereabouts of the missing 14-year-old.

Parts of Elthorne Park near her home in Hanwell had been cordoned off overnight by investigators who were scouring through disturbed earth which runs beside the canal towpath where Alice was last seen.

Part of Elthorne Park in west London was searched

"A full assessment has now been carried out, which has determined this area is not of relevance to the investigation into Alice's disappearance," a Scotland Yard spokesman said.

A white tent had been erected at the scene, and officers in diving gear had been searching a boggy area next to the river.

On Thursday, police staged a reconstruction which showed the high school student "power walking" on a towpath alongside the Grand Union Canal.

CCTV cameras overlooking the path captured her movements at 4.26pm on 28 August. She has not been seen since.

A reconstruction on Thursday brought scores of responses

Arnis Zalkalns, a convicted murder who is being treated as the prime suspect, cycled along the same towpath 15 minutes later.

Alice's mother, Rosalind Hodgkiss, has said: "Every morning, as Alice's disappearance grows longer and longer, brings new agony, new anguish."

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Dreamliner Makes Emergency Landing In Glasgow

A Dreamliner operated by Polish airline LOT has made an emergency landing in Glasgow after an alert from the fire protection system in the baggage hold.

The Boeing 787 was flying from Chicago to Warsaw with 248 people on board when the captain requested the emergency landing.

LOT spokeswoman Barbara Pijanowsk-Kuras said the emergency landing was required according to safety procedures after the crew received a warning from the firefighting system.

News reports said the pilot had reported a smell of smoke in the cabin.

The plane, which landed safely at 11.35am, was met by airport emergency services and checked by firefighters. It was deemed safe before it taxied to a stand.

The passengers have since disembarked, while the aircraft is "under technical review", a statement by the airline said. 

The airport remains open, and LOT said it was considering using another aircraft to bring the passengers to Warsaw.

The plane was carrying 248 people. Pic: @AndrewWork

The 787 has been plagued by problems.

Last year, the model was grounded around the world for three months while the battery systems were checked after a few of the aircraft developed problems that led to the appearance of smoke.

The battery appeared to overheat, reaching temperatures capable of melting rock.

Boeing redesigned the battery, charger and containment system to ensure battery fires would not put the aircraft at risk. Since then, the aircraft have experienced a series of minor glitches, including a fault with an air pressure sensor and the brake system.

Boeing insists the Dreamliner is operating safely.

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Iraq Airstrikes: MPs Start Debating IS Raids

Islamic State are "psycopathic terrorists trying to kill us", said David Cameron as he argued the case for airstrikes in Iraq.

The Prime Minister, seeking to rally support among MPs at Westminster for bombing raids against the Islamist extremists, said the terror group, also known as ISIL, had "already declared war on us".

He told the Commons debate Islamic State "have already murdered one British hostage and is threatening the lives of two more".

Mr Cameron described IS as "a terrorist organisation unlike those we have dealt with before".

The US has already been carrying out raids against IS in Iraq and Syria

He said: "The brutality is staggering - beheadings, crucifixions, the gouging out of eyes, the use of rape as a weapon, the slaughter of children. All of these things belong to the dark ages.

"This is not a threat on the far side of the world. Left unchecked we will face a terrorist caliphate on the shores of the Mediterranean and bordering a NATO member with a declared and a proven determination to attack our country and our people."

The PM said the shadow of the 2003 decision to join the US-led invasion of Iraq "hangs heavy" over the vote, but told MPs: "We must not use past mistakes as an excuse for indifference or inaction."

IS militants have been branded 'psycopathic terrorists' by the PM

Labour leader Ed Miliband said he understood the deep unease felt about taking action, but said the UK could not stand by in the face of the threat from IS.

"ISIL is not simply a murderous organisation; it has ambitions for a state of its own - a caliphate across the Middle East, run according to their horrific norms and values," he said.

But in a typically firebrand intervention, the outspoken Respect MP George Galloway argued bombing would not work, and stressed the need to strengthen ground forces in the region.

He said: "ISIL is a death cult, it's a gang of terrorist murderers. It's not an army and it's certainly not an army that's going to be destroyed by aerial bombardment."

Former Tory defence secretary Liam Fox argued the plan for airstrikes did not go far enough by not including Syria, while the ex-Labour cabinet minister Hazel Blears described the government proposal for action as "minimalist".

The Cabinet unanimously backed military action against IS on Thursday, and the Government is expected to secure the backing of most MPs for airstrikes in Iraq, which senior ministers have warned could last up to three years.

The widow of UK aid worker David Haines, who was beheaded on film by his captors, has also backed targeted British airstrikes.

Operations could begin within hours of a vote in the Commons, which is due at around 5pm.

Desperate to avoid a repeat of the Commons defeat over airstrikes against Syria last year, the PM tabled a cautiously-worded motion intended to win support from all parties for action in Iraq.

Mr Cameron went into the debate with an opinion poll suggesting voters strongly back airstrikes in Iraq, but would also support attacks against Syria.

Meanwhile, Denmark announced it was sending seven F-16 planes to join the coalition fight against IS in Iraq.

Shortly before the debate, the Home Secretary Theresa May announced the under-fire Passport Office was to be brought into the Home Office and made directly accountable to ministers - a move that led to accusations of the department seeking to "bury bad news".

:: Watch the Commons debate on Sky News Sky 501, Virgin Media 602, Freesat 202, Freeview 132.

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Alice: Parents' Anguish Over Missing Daughter

The parents of missing schoolgirl Alice Gross have told Sky News of their anguish as they made a plea for her safe return.

The appeal came as police stage a reconstruction of her final movements, four weeks after she disappeared.

Alice, 14, was seen on CCTV on August 28 walking alongside the Grand Union Canal in west London back towards her home in Hanwell and has not been seen since.

Police have staged a reconstruction to try and jog people's memory

Her parents, Rosalind Hodgkiss and Jose Gross, have urged people to help find their daughter.

Ms Hodgkiss, who is a teacher, said: "The longer Alice has been missing the more worried and concerned that we feel and obviously the greater the anguish that we feel.

"We are looking forward to being back as a family again.

"The house feels very empty without her."

She added: "Alice is a very lively, funny girl. She's quirky.

"We are really looking forward to the sound of her voice, seeing her smile, just her presence."

Mr Gross, 60, said of his daughter, a keen musician: "Her singing was a really big part of the sounds in our house."

It is the biggest search by the Met since the 7/7 bomb attacks in London

Alice had suffered from anorexia, but Mr Gross said: "There's nothing specific we can think of that would have made her want to run away."

Her father also highlighted the "extraordinary" level of support they had received from the public, which had been "uplifting".

Yellow ribbons are in evidence all over the area of west London where the family live, along with posters highlighting the teenager's disappearance.

He said: "It's makes a really massive difference to us both in the sense of feeling supported but also that the word is getting out there, making people more aware."

Alice had suffered from anorexia, but her father said: "There's nothing specific we can think of that would have made her want to run away."

Scotland Yard hope the reconstruction of Alice's last known movements, which began with her leaving her home at 1pm before walking along Brentford Lock, will help jog people's memory of the afternoon of August 28.

Alice's parents' say the house feels empty without her

The lead investigating officer Detective Superintendent Carl Mehta told Sky News police were anxious to know what happened to Alice after 4.26pm that day.

He said people may remember her distinctive 'power' walk - very fast with swinging arms.

Police also wanted to trace Alice's iPhone, which had a cracked cover and "scribbling" on the back of it, as well as information about the teenager's rucksack found on September 2.

Around 600 officers from eight forces are involved in the investigation, making it the biggest search undertaken by the Metropolitan Police since the 7/7 transport bomb attacks in London in 2005.

Prime suspect, 41-year-old builder Arnis Zalkalns - a convicted murderer who served seven years in a Latvian jail for killing his wife - was spotted on CCTV cycling along the same path as Alice on the day she vanished.

He has not been seen since September 3 and has not accessed his bank account or used his mobile phone.

Officers have been sent to his native Latvia in an effort to trace him.

A reward of up to £20,000 is being offered for anyone who has information that leads detectives to find Alice.

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Anjem Choudary: Preacher Held In Terror Arrests

Nine men have been arrested in London on suspicion of being members of a terrorist organisation and encouraging terrorism.

Radical preacher Anjem Choudary, 47, was reportedly among those held by officers from the Metropolitan Police Counter Terrorism Command (SO15) on Thursday.

The men, aged between 22 and 51, have been taken to police stations in central London and remain in custody on suspicion of being members of a proscribed organisation or supporting a proscribed organisation.

Sheikh Omar Bakri Mohammad

The organisation is believed to be Al Muhajiroun, the Press Association reported. The group was set up by Choudary and Sheikh Omar Bakri Mohammad, who was told he could not return to the UK after the 7/7 bombings. Al Muhajiroun was banned in 2010.

A number of residential, business or community properties - 11 in east London, one in west London, one in northwest London, five in south London and one in Stoke-on-Trent - are also being searched as part of the investigation.

A statement from the Met Police said: "These arrests and searches are part of an ongoing investigation into Islamist related terrorism and are not in response to any immediate public safety risk."

This week, Choudary was reported to have said he had no sympathy for aid worker Alan Henning, who has been captured by the Islamic State (IS) in Syria.

He reportedly said: "In the Koran it is not allowed for you to feel sorry for non Muslims. I don't feel sorry for him."

Choudary reportedly said he had no sympathy for hostage Alan Henning

Last month, the Government raised Britain's terror threat level from substantial to severe because of the threat from militant groups in the Middle East.

A severe threat means an attack is deemed to be "highly likely", but there is no intelligence to suggest one is imminent.

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Airstrikes Could Happen Minutes After Vote

In theory, British airstrikes on Iraq could start within minutes of parliamentary approval, should it be given, on Friday night.

Realistically, if RAF Tornados are given the order, they will be in the skies in the very early hours of Saturday morning, at the earliest.

They will deploy in pairs, taking off over Akrotiri Bay and climbing northeast over the Mediterranean and towards the Turkish coast.

The butterflies of anticipation will be churning away inside, they will be aware of the television cameras at the end of the runway, they will know that within a few hours, as dawn breaks, they will be headline news.

Hugging the Turkish border with Syria at 25,000 feet, the jets will meet an RAF Voyager refuelling aircraft en route, before dropping down into northern Iraq.

Flying at 400mph (643kph), they will reach the theatre of operations within a short time.

What happens next is a decision for US Centcom, which is co-ordinating the overall operation.

A Paveway bomb which could feature in airstrikes on IS militants

The jets might fit into a holding pattern to perform an "x-cas" role, the military acronym for "emergency close air support".

Because this isn't a traditional conflict against a rogue state, there will be fewer major installations to destroy.

The coalition wants to destroy Islamic State, they don't want to destroy Iraq. Instead it will be dynamic, hitting the rats as they pop their heads out of the ground.

The Tornados, one of the best ground-attack aircraft in the world, will be fully loaded with the equipment specific to the task they've been given.

A Litening III pod will be attached underneath. This gives the crew the ability to examine the immediate area and then laser-designate the target.

The final decision to fire will be down to the pilot himself.

The payload will probably be four Paveway bombs and two Brimstone missiles.

Paveways can be programmed by the crew to explode just before it hits the target, or on impact or with a small delay so it can bury into a building.

The Brimstone locks on to its target the moment it is fired. It is a "fire-and-forget" weapon, meaning that it can be used in all weathers and at distance from the target.

The coalition is aiming to destroy IS

Designed especially for armoured vehicles or similar, a small warhead explodes first to soften up the armour before a larger warhead detonates creating more destruction.

For the British, this will be a twin-pronged operation: from sea and air. A Royal Naval submarine is also moving into position.

Her exact identity and location is top secret but she's most likely in the eastern Mediterranean.

She carries Tomahawk cruise missiles - TLAMS - which have a range of about 1,000 miles (1,600km).

Guided by GPS, these are effective against static objects: buildings, military installations, weapons dumps and oil refineries.

The submarine can also watch live images from a camera on the TLAM as it flies over the battlefield and strikes its target.

Job done, the crew will turn for home. Landing back in Cyprus, the news will just be breaking.

Within hours, footage recorded on board the aircraft will be released to the media to be broadcast and analysed on 24-hour news channels around the world.

As the crews eat some food and get some sleep, another team will be getting ready for their mission, ready to fly at a moment's notice. 

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Cabinet Discusses Military Strikes Against IS

Airstrikes Could Happen Minutes After Vote

Updated: 2:41pm UK, Thursday 25 September 2014

By Alistair Bunkall, Defence Correspondent

In theory, British airstrikes on Iraq could start within minutes of parliamentary approval, should it be given, on Friday night.

Realistically, if RAF Tornados are given the order, they will be in the skies in the very early hours of Saturday morning, at the earliest.

They will deploy in pairs, taking off over Akrotiri Bay and climbing northeast over the Mediterranean and towards the Turkish coast.

The butterflies of anticipation will be churning away inside, they will be aware of the television cameras at the end of the runway, they will know that within a few hours, as dawn breaks, they will be headline news.

Hugging the Turkish border with Syria at 25,000 feet, the jets will meet an RAF Voyager refuelling aircraft en route, before dropping down into northern Iraq.

Flying at 400mph (643kph), they will reach the theatre of operations within a short time.

What happens next is a decision for US Centcom, which is co-ordinating the overall operation.

The jets might fit into a holding pattern to perform an "x-cas" role, the military acronym for "emergency close air support".

Because this isn't a traditional conflict against a rogue state, there will be fewer major installations to destroy.

The coalition wants to destroy Islamic State, they don't want to destroy Iraq. Instead it will be dynamic, hitting the rats as they pop their heads out of the ground.

The Tornados, one of the best ground-attack aircraft in the world, will be fully loaded with the equipment specific to the task they've been given.

A Litening III pod will be attached underneath. This gives the crew the ability to examine the immediate area and then laser-designate the target.

The final decision to fire will be down to the pilot himself.

The payload will probably be four Paveway bombs and two Brimstone missiles.

Paveways can be programmed by the crew to explode just before it hits the target, or on impact or with a small delay so it can bury into a building.

The Brimstone locks on to its target the moment it is fired. It is a "fire-and-forget" weapon, meaning that it can be used in all weathers and at distance from the target.

Designed especially for armoured vehicles or similar, a small warhead explodes first to soften up the armour before a larger warhead detonates creating more destruction.

For the British, this will be a twin-pronged operation: from sea and air. A Royal Naval submarine is also moving into position.

Her exact identity and location is top secret but she's most likely in the eastern Mediterranean.

She carries Tomahawk cruise missiles - TLAMS - which have a range of about 1,000 miles (1,600km).

Guided by GPS, these are effective against static objects: buildings, military installations, weapons dumps and oil refineries.

The submarine can also watch live images from a camera on the TLAM as it flies over the battlefield and strikes its target.

Job done, the crew will turn for home. Landing back in Cyprus, the news will just be breaking.

Within hours, footage recorded on board the aircraft will be released to the media to be broadcast and analysed on 24-hour news channels around the world.

As the crews eat some food and get some sleep, another team will be getting ready for their mission, ready to fly at a moment's notice. 

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PM To Recall Parliament Over Airstrikes In Iraq

Britain could be just days away from military involvement in the Middle East as David Cameron is expected to recall Parliament on Friday.

The Prime Minister is set to ask MPs to support UK airstrikes against Islamic State (IS) militants in Iraq, with aerial raids possible this weekend.

Mr Cameron has warned the fight against the extremist group was one the UK "could not opt out of".

The PM warned of terrorist plots in Britain and the US

It comes as the US military confirmed it had launched five more airstrikes targeting IS, including one in eastern Syria near the Iraqi border, two west of Baghdad and two southeast of Irbil.

Speaking ahead of a United Nations summit in New York, Mr Cameron insisted IS was planning attacks on Britain and an international coalition was needed to destroy "this evil organisation".

Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al Abadi is expected to formally ask for Britain's involvement in airstrikes against IS positions in the north of the country when he meets Mr Cameron.

Iraq's PM Haider al Abadi is likely to ask for Britain's help to defeat IS

Such a request would legally underpin any UK military action in Iraq, something that is less clear in the case of Syria where Britain has stressed it will not co-operate with President Bashar al Assad to defeat IS.

With Parliament expected to be recalled, Mr Cameron will be hoping to avoid the defeat he suffered last year over plans to target the Assad regime.

Labour leader Ed Miliband has told Sky News that Britain could not turn away from tackling IS and said he would consider a proposition from the Prime Minister.

Iran's President Hassan Rouhani will also hold talks with Mr Cameron

He said any military action would be considered on the basis of whether it was legitimate, would succeed and be effective but added: "There is no question of British troops on the ground."

Iraq has not yet formally asked Britain to join the US and France in airstrikes on IS, which has made rapid territorial gains in northern Iraq, but the UK responded swiftly to Baghdad's plea for arms and ammunition earlier this month.

Several Syrian cities and IS strongholds were targetted in the strikes

Speaking to US TV channel NBC, Mr Cameron said: "There are other plots they (IS) have been attempting, including in my own country, in order to kill and maim innocent people and the same applies to the United States.

"So this is a fight you cannot opt out of. These people want to kill us. They've got us in their sights and we have to put together this coalition … to make sure that we ultimately destroy this evil organisation."

Mr Cameron will also attempt to secure regional involvement in the fight against IS during talks with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani. It will be the first time a British prime minister has met an Iranian president since 1979.

But Mr Cameron has made clear he will not soften his stance on Iran's nuclear ambitions, nor its support for other militant groups the West regards as terrorist organisations.

UK hostage Alan Henning is being held by the group. Pic: Cage

"I will be very clear," Mr Cameron told NBC News. "We think they are wrong to have this nuclear weapon programme. We think they are wrong to support terrorist organisations.

"It'll be a tough conversation. I'm not saying that my enemy's enemy is my friend. I don't believe that.

"But the fact is if we want to have a successful, democratic, pluralistic Iraq and if we want to have a successful, democratic, pluralistic Syria, Iran can play a constructive role in helping to bring that about."

The first US raids on IS targets in Syria were launched yesterday, supported by Bahrain, Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

Among the areas hit was the IS stronghold of Raqqa where it is thought British aid worker Alan Henning is being held hostage by the group.

Mr Henning's wife Barbara called for his release after she received an audio message from her husband pleading for his life.

Barbara Henning said she had been told a Sharia court had found her husband innocent of being a spy.

"I implore Islamic State to abide by the decisions of their own justice system. Please release Alan," she said in a statement released through the Foreign Office.

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Families Living In Fear In IS-Controlled Raqqa

By Jason Farrell, Sky Correspondent

Children in Syria are being taken from their families to be trained as Islamic State fighters and used as informants, according to a civilian who fled the city of Raqqa.

Former student Abu Abrahim Raqqawi gave Sky News a chilling account of life inside the IS-controlled city where he claimed children are being indoctrinated to become jihadists.

Abu, whose name has been changed, is able to talk because he was smuggled out of Raqqa two weeks ago but remains in regular contact with more than a dozen other underground activists in the city.

"They (IS) say to the young people, those between 16 and 18, 'Okay, we will give you money if you say who are talking about us or are saying something bad about us'.

"There is a camp for under-16 children. They took a lot of children without their families knowing, and it's very bad. It's just a special camp for young people. They make them like a bomb; a time bomb."

The US launched airstrikes against IS targets in Syria on Tuesday and Abu Abrahim said IS members in the city were killed after rockets struck their communications hub and a hospital used exclusively by the militants.

But there are mixed feelings about the Western military intervention.

Abu Abrahim said: "There is anger because the city is being destroyed but some accept they have to do a deal with the devil to get rid of IS.

The US has launched airstrikes against IS targets in Syria

"But others feel if the US cared about the people here, Obama would have acted when President Assad crossed the red line."

Here he is referring to the Syrian leader's alleged use of chemical weapons last year.

"There are a lot of executions, secret executions and public executions, especially after the Friday sermons - crucifying, beheading and things like that," he said.

He provided images to back this up; some showed children watching the gruesome events.

Several Syrian cities and IS strongholds were targetted in the attacks

"There are no hospitals inside the city of Raqqa now. When there is an airstrike (previously from President Assad's forces) wounded people are taken to small hospitals in houses without any equipment," he said.

"They're dying in the street. ISIS have their own hospitals that do not allow citizens to go in."

Abu Abrahim says there is no education in the city and some families are struggling to find food.

He claims IS fighters have also seized people's homes to house foreign fighters, but the biggest problem is access to medicine and hospital treatment.

The group have made rapid advances across swathes of Iraq and Syria

His friends have been filming and taking photographs - posting images on a Facebook page called "Raqqa Is Being Silently Slaughtered".

One of the group was killed by IS when his activities were discovered. Despite being tortured, he didn't release the names of the others.

IS has ousted the Free Syrian Army from Raqqa - the original resistance movement to the Syrian leader Bashar al Assad is much diminished by the terrorist group across Syria.

Abu Abrahim says there is no education for children in Raqqa

Abu Abrahim said: "I think if the West wants to do something to kick ISIS out from Syria, they must bomb the Assad regime. If the Assad regime gets bombed and down, then easily the ISIS regime will get out of Syria because the FSA and all the fighters will just fight ISIS and not both ISIS and Assad."

IS fighters proclaim Raqqa is a paradise, but Abu says normal civilians are struggling for survival - that life in a terrorist-controlled city is one of fear, and lives are being risked to tell the real story of the city.

:: Do you have a question about life in Raqqa for people who are there now? Tweet @SkyNews with the hashtag #SkyAskRaqqa and we will put a selection of them to friends of Abu who still live in the city.

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Video: Man Reveals Lottery Win To Ecstatic Sons

Cheque Him Out: $425m Jackpot Winner Hides Face

Updated: 9:35am UK, Wednesday 02 April 2014

The sole winner of a $425m (£255m) Powerball jackpot has come forward to claim his prize after more than a month - but still did not show his face.

B Raymond Buxton, from California, accepted his prize - one of the largest Powerball jackpots in history - at the California Lottery headquarters in Sacramento.

In a photo taken after he claimed the money, Mr Buxton covered his face with an oversize cheque.

His t-shirt featured a picture of Yoda, the Star Wars character, and read, "Luck of the Jedi I have".

Mr Buxton is hoping to remain out of the limelight and hired a publicist to avoid speaking directly to the media.

He also will not reveal his age, address or what he did for a living until his very recent retirement.

"He really wants to live a private life as best he can," said his publicist, Sam Singer.

"He was a solidly middle-class American, and today he is a solidly wealthy one."

In a statement, Mr Buxton said he was shocked after hearing about the February 19 drawing.

After the winning numbers were announced, he sat in front of his computer in disbelief. He checked and double-checked his ticket and did not tell anybody.

"Sitting on a ticket of this value was very scary," he said in the statement.

"Once the initial shock passed, I couldn't sleep for days."

Since winning, he has been working with a lawyer and financial adviser to establish new bank accounts, set up a charity and sort out tax issues.

Mr Buxton bought the ticket at the Dixon Landing Chevron station in the San Francisco Bay Area city of Milpitas, about 10 miles (17km) north of San Jose.

He had been having lunch at a Subway restaurant inside the station when he decided to buy another ticket because the jackpot was so large, lottery officials said.

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MPs Sob At 'Keep Your Mitts Off My NHS' Speech

A 91-year-old Second World War veteran has upstaged Ed Miliband at the Labour Party conference with a passionate and tear-jerking speech on the health service.

Harry Smith moved audience members to tears as he made a passionate case for the NHS and warned David Cameron: "Keep your mitts off my NHS."

Mr Smith received a number of standing ovations as he detailed his life in a "barbarous, bleak and uncivilised" Barnsley slum where he listened to the screams of a woman dying of cancer because she could not afford the medicine to dull the pain.

His eight-minute speech came after a poorly received 66-minute keynote by the Labour leader on Tuesday, which was roundly condemned after it emerged he forgot to mention the deficit.

Political pundits were hailing Mr Smith's speech as a lesson to Mr Miliband in delivery, saying he had managed to make a powerful case for the NHS in a way the leader had failed to.

Mr Miliband admits he forgot to mention the deficit

Labour politicians, including the shadow health secretary Andy Burnham, wept openly as he described how his sister had to be buried in a paupers' pit after dying of tuberculosis at the age of 10.

He said the family watched as she faded away, unable to help because they "just didn't have the dosh to keep her comfortable".

Mr Smith said that eventually she was sent to die in a workhouse infirmary because her mother could no longer care for her.

Mr Smith told the conference: "In my heart, I can still feel my mum and dad's desperation as they were trying to keep our family safe and healthy in the slum we called home.

"Common disease controlled our neighbourhood and snuffed out life like a cold breath on a warm candlelit flame."

He said he was born in 1923 to a life that was nothing like an episode of Downton Abbey, where hospitals and doctors were for the privileged few.

But he said while his heart was with the children of his generation who did not make it, it was also with the people of the present who were struggling because of welfare cuts and austerity measures.

He finished: "Today we must be vigilant. We must never ever let the NHS free from our grasp because if we do, your future will be my past.

"My life is your history and we should keep it that way.

"So say it loud and say in clear in this hall and across this country, Mr Cameron, keep your mitts my NHS."

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US And Arab Allies Attack IS Targets In Syria

The US and five Arab countries have been carrying out airstrikes against Islamic State targets in Syria for the first time.

Fighter jets, bombers and drones as well as 47 Tomahawk cruise missiles launched from two US ships in the northern Persian Gulf and the Red Sea were deployed in the aerial raids.

At least 70 IS fighters are said to have been killed in dozens of attacks, which also targeted al Qaeda veterans.

A Tomahawk missile is launched from USS Arleigh Burke

The strikes form part of the expanded military campaign against IS insurgents that was authorised two weeks ago by President Barack Obama. He is due to meet foreign leaders at the UN General Assembly later.

US Central Command said Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Bahrain and Qatar had either taken part in or supported the Syria raids although their exact roles were unclear.

The strikes did not involve the UK but Prime Minister David Cameron supported them and will discuss at the UN what contribution Britain can make, according to Downing Street.

Fighter jets prepare to take off from USS George H W Bush

Damascus said Washington informed Syria's UN envoy before launching the bombings against the Sunni insurgent group which have grabbed swathes of territory in Syria and Iraq.

The US also carried out eight aerial raids on its own west of Aleppo against al Qaeda veterans - known as the Khorasan group - who were thought to be planning an "imminent attack" against US and Western interests.

The US military said it had destroyed or damaged multiple IS targets around the militant stronghold of Raqqa as well as Deir al Zor, Hasakah and the border town of Albu Kamal.

The apparent aftermath of a US airstrike in Idlib

It said targets included IS fighters, training compounds, headquarters and command and control facilities, storage facilities, a finance centre, supply trucks and armed vehicles.

Residents in Raqqa said last week that IS was moving underground after Mr Obama signalled on September 11 that air attacks on its forces could be expanded from Iraq to Syria.

Where the airstrikes took place in Syria

The group had evacuated buildings it was using as offices, redeployed its heavy weaponry, and moved fighters' families out of the city, the residents said.

The strikes follow a summit of world leaders in Paris where agreement was reached to form a broad coalition to counter the advance of IS in Syria and to provide military aid to Iraq to fight the extremist network.

Saudi Arabia, UAE, Jordan, Bahrain and Qatar were involved in the raids

Military leaders have said about two thirds of the estimated 31,000 IS militants are in Syria.

International efforts to combat the group have taken on an added urgency after the beheading of US journalists James Foley and Steven Sotloff and British aid worker David Haines, and the threat to kill UK hostage Alan Henning.

Islamic State have made rapid gains in Iraq and Syria

Meanwhile, a second propaganda video of another British hostage John Cantlie has been released by IS.

Speaking to the camera and seemingly under duress, he addresses the coalition of states targeting the group, though it is not clear when the video was filmed.

A second video of UK hostage John Cantlie has been released by IS

"Everyone now is getting involved," he said. "Denmark and France have sent air power, Britain is arming the Kurds, Iran is sending troops and contractors are being sought in Iraq.

"Even Bashar al Assad, until earlier this year the most hated and villainised tyrant in the Arab world, is being approached for permission to go into Syria.

The group is still holding British hostage Alan Henning

"It's all quite a circus. Not since Vietnam have we witnessed such a potential mess in the making."

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Miliband Pays Tribute To British Hostage

Ed Miliband has opened his speech by calling on the United Nations to pass a resolution to tackle Islamic State fighters.

The Labour leader paid tribute to the hostage Alan Henning, a taxi driver from Manchester, and said Britain would never turn its back on the world.

Mr Miliband said he hoped David Cameron and Barack Obama could work together to secure agreement on how to tackle the terrorists in Iraq and Syria.

In his last Labour Party conference speech before the General Election, Mr Miliband said the UK has nearly "split up" and it was a sign that the country was not working.

And he thanked former Labour prime minister Gordon Brown and Alistair Darling for making sure the country was "better together".

Mr Miliband said Labour's job was to restore people's faith in the future as he set six national goals to build a better Britain in an attempt to show he has what it takes to be Prime Minister.

More follows...

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Dave Lee Travis Found Guilty Of Indecent Assault

Former Radio 1 presenter Dave Lee Travis has been found guilty of one count of indecent assault.

The ex-Top Of The Pops presenter was cleared of another count of indecent assault and the jury was undecided on a count of sexual assault.

On Monday, the judge at London's Southwark Crown Court told the 12 jurors he would accept a majority verdict of 10-2.

The jury returned their verdicts after a fourth day of deliberations.

As Judge Anthony Leonard QC summed up the evidence, he urged the panel to disregard accusations made about other celebrities in light of the Jimmy Savile affair.

He also warned them to "not allow themselves to become overawed or deflated by the interest this case has attracted".

He stressed: "The fact that the defendant is a well-known media personality does not change the rules of this case."

The 69-year-old DJ, who appeared in court under his real name, David Griffin, was retried on two of the counts after a jury was unable to reach a verdict during an earlier trial in February.

More follows...

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Syria Airstrikes: PM In Talks Over UK Role

US And Arab Allies Attack IS Targets In Syria

Updated: 2:23pm UK, Tuesday 23 September 2014

The US and five Arab countries have been carrying out airstrikes against Islamic State targets in Syria for the first time.

Fighter jets, bombers and drones as well as 47 Tomahawk cruise missiles launched from two US ships in the northern Persian Gulf and the Red Sea were deployed in the aerial raids.

At least 70 IS fighters are said to have been killed in dozens of attacks, which also targeted al Qaeda veterans.

The strikes form part of the expanded military campaign against IS insurgents that was authorised two weeks ago by President Barack Obama. He is due to meet foreign leaders at the UN General Assembly later.

US Central Command said Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Bahrain and Qatar had either taken part in or supported the Syria raids although their exact roles were unclear.

The strikes did not involve the UK but Prime Minister David Cameron supported them and will discuss at the UN what contribution Britain can make, according to Downing Street.

Damascus said Washington informed Syria's UN envoy before launching the bombings against the Sunni insurgent group which have grabbed swathes of territory in Syria and Iraq.

The US also carried out eight aerial raids on its own west of Aleppo against al Qaeda veterans - known as the Khorasan group - who were thought to be planning an "imminent attack" against US and Western interests.

The US military said it had destroyed or damaged multiple IS targets around the militant stronghold of Raqqa as well as Deir al Zor, Hasakah and the border town of Albu Kamal.

It said targets included IS fighters, training compounds, headquarters and command and control facilities, storage facilities, a finance centre, supply trucks and armed vehicles.

Residents in Raqqa said last week that IS was moving underground after Mr Obama signalled on September 11 that air attacks on its forces could be expanded from Iraq to Syria.

The group had evacuated buildings it was using as offices, redeployed its heavy weaponry, and moved fighters' families out of the city, the residents said.

The strikes follow a summit of world leaders in Paris where agreement was reached to form a broad coalition to counter the advance of IS in Syria and to provide military aid to Iraq to fight the extremist network.

Military leaders have said about two thirds of the estimated 31,000 IS militants are in Syria.

International efforts to combat the group have taken on an added urgency after the beheading of US journalists James Foley and Steven Sotloff and British aid worker David Haines, and the threat to kill UK hostage Alan Henning.

Meanwhile, a second propaganda video of another British hostage John Cantlie has been released by IS.

Speaking to the camera and seemingly under duress, he addresses the coalition of states targeting the group, though it is not clear when the video was filmed.

"Everyone now is getting involved," he said. "Denmark and France have sent air power, Britain is arming the Kurds, Iran is sending troops and contractors are being sought in Iraq.

"Even Bashar al Assad, until earlier this year the most hated and villainised tyrant in the Arab world, is being approached for permission to go into Syria.

"It's all quite a circus. Not since Vietnam have we witnessed such a potential mess in the making."

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Tesco Suspends Bosses Over £250m Profit Error

Tesco has suspended four senior executives after it revealed an accounting error overstated its first-half profit by £250m.

CEO Dave Lewis said that "a number of people" have been suspended while an internal investigation is under way, including the four senior executives.

Sky News understands that Carl Rogberg, Tesco UK finance director, is one of the four executives suspended.

One of the other executives suspended is UK managing director Chris Bush.

Shares were down more than 11% in early trading, before easing slightly to around 8% down in early afternoon. Its stock price is down more than 43% in the last year.

Tesco shares have fallen more than 40% in the last year

Britain's biggest supermarket chain said it has commissioned an independent review to uncover the cause of the profit miscalculation.

Tesco said in a statement: "On the basis of preliminary investigations in to the UK food business, the board believes that the guidance issued on 29 August 2014 for the group profits for the six months to 23 August 2014 was overstated by an estimated £250m.

"Some of this impact includes in-year timing differences. Work is ongoing to establish the extent of these issues and what impact they will have on the full year.

Tesco CEO Dave Lewis (l) and UK managing director Chris Bush (r)

"The board has asked Deloitte to undertake an independent and comprehensive review of these issues, working closely with Freshfields, the group's external legal advisers.

"We will provide a further update at our interim results, which will now be announced on the 23 October 2014."

Tesco has issued a series of income warnings in the last year, with the latest at the end of August when it said trading profit was forecast to be around £1.1bn.

That profit figure is now likely to be reduced to £850m.

Tesco shares are now worth less than they were 10 years ago

Sky News City Editor Mark Kleinman described the accounting error as a "humiliation" for the embattled group.

Regulators are now expected to launch their own inquiries into the profit over-estimation.

Last November, an analyst at stockbroker Cantor Fitzgerald accused Tesco of squeezing suppliers ahead of release of lacklustre trading figures.

The company denied the claim and said the assertions of demanding money from suppliers' trading accounts were "based on speculation".

Tesco has come under increasing pressure in the ongoing supermarket price war, with the rise of discounters Aldi and Lidl, and margin-squeezing of the big four chains.

Chief executive Dave Lewis, who started in the role on September 1, said: "We have uncovered a serious issue and have responded accordingly."

Mr Lewis took control of Tesco after former boss Philip Clarke failed to halt a slide in profit and sales.

Mr Clarke was ousted by the Tesco board in late July as he was preparing to celebrate 40 years with the retailer.

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Balls: 'We Have Learnt From Our Mistakes'

Ed Balls insisted Labour had learned from its mistakes as he set out plans that would see a cut in politicians' pay, a bank levy to pay for free childcare and a child benefit freeze.

In an attempt to who the party could be trusted with the economy, the shadow chancellor said he would not "duck" the tough decisions and hinted at fresh welfare cuts.

He said he believed in tax cuts for the "millions not the millionaires" pushing forward a 50p income tax rate for those earning over £150,000.

And he said any extra money would be pumped into the NHS, which Labour would have to save from the Tories again when it returned to power after the 2015 election.

Mr Balls says a cap in child benefit rises will save £400m

In a speech to the Labour Party Conference in Manchester Mr Balls hit out at the "unfair, out-of-touch and failing Tory government", and pledged to raise the minimum wage, and scrap the so-called bedroom tax.

However, he earned groans from delegates when he said the benefits cap would remain as he laid out precisely how a Labour government would "balance the books".

New free schools would be blocked in areas where there was an excess of pupil places, police and crime commissioners would be scrapped, and the controversial "shares for rights" scheme, that allows workers to give up some rights such as unfair dismissal in return for shares, ditched.

The shadow chancellor presented a 1% cap on rises for the first two years of a Labour government, which would raise £400m, as one of the "tough decisions" needed to deal with the deficit if the party takes power next year.

But he attempted to show that politicians were expected to shoulder their share of the £75bn deficit burden by announcing a 5% cut in ministerial salaries- taking £7,125 off the Prime Minister's annual wage, and £6,728 from Cabinet ministers.

Mr Balls insisted: "We are tough enough to make the difficult decisions. We won't spend money we can't afford."

He apologised for the party's past mistakes, including over immigration, indicating they would put it right with tougher rules on immigrants claiming benefits, and on bank regulation.

A 5% cut in ministerial salaries is also on the cards

However, he said: "It's the oldest truth in the book - you can never, ever trust the Tories with the NHS. We don't just need to learn from our mistakes, we also need to put right mistakes this government is making."

He pledged Labour would not "walk away from Europe" and said the party had learned from its past and mistakes.

Sky's Deputy Political Editor Joey Jones said Mr Balls was: "Wheeling out a whole sheaf of policies that have been announced over past months/years."

The speech earned Mr Balls a pat on the back from Ed Miliband, whom he praised during the speech as a fine leader and the next prime minister of the UK".

The leader of the Unite union, Len McCluskey, said freezing child benefit was not the "cleverest tactic" as he disclosed the union had yet to decide what it would contribute to the party's election warchest.

He told Radio 4's The World at One: "We want our party to go into the election not with one arm tied behind its back because the Tories' coffers are spilling over with money from the super rich and the corporate elite.

"We want it to be an even fight but we haven't spoken about the specific numbers."

The party also has plans to raise the minimum wage to £8 an hour, and introduce a jobs guarantee for young people and the long-term unemployed funded by a tax on bank bonuses and limiting pensions tax relief for the highest earners.

Treasury Exchequer Secretary Priti Patel poured scorn on Mr Balls' plan for the economy, claiming Labour would put the deficit up, not down.

The Children's Society said Labour's plans to freeze child benefit would leave the average family more than £400 a year worse off by 2017 and urged the shadow chancellor to reconsider.

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