Iraq PM Calls For Unity Against 'Barbaric' ISIS

Iraq's new prime minister has called on Iraqis to unite against the "barbaric" Islamist insurgency which has swept across the north of the country.

Iraq's president asked deputy parliament speaker Haider al Abadi to form a government after he was nominated by the country's main Shia coalition as its candidate for the post - putting an end to months of political wrangling.

The National Alliance chose Mr al Abadi as the man to unite the country after Nouri al Maliki was criticised for deepening sectarian divisions and steering the country towards all-out civil war.

Islamic State wants to set up a Caliphate across Iraq and Syria

Speaking on state television, the new PM said: "We all have to co-operate to stand against this terrorist campaign launched on Iraq and to stop all terrorist groups."

But Mr al Maliki - ousted after eight years as PM - has indicated he will not just stand aside, with a member of his political block warning "we will not stay silent" over the nomination of his rival.

Mr al Abadi has been asked to form a government

Mr al Maliki had appeared on TV overnight to accuse the new president of violating the constitution as militias and security forces loyal to him were deployed across Baghdad.

The US congratulated Mr al Abadi after Secretary of State John Kerry, speaking in Australia, had warned Mr al Maliki not to obstruct efforts to form a new government.

He said: "We believe that the government formation process is critical in terms of sustaining the stability and calm in Iraq - our hope is that Mr Maliki will not stir those waters."

In northern Iraq, Islamist extremists have been forced out of two towns by Kurdish troops, while thousands of Yazidis stranded on a mountain after fleeing the militants have been streaming into Iraq's northern Kurdistan region.

The militants were driven out of Makhmour and al Gweir, near Irbil, after fighters were aided by a series of US airstrikes targeting armed vehicles.

Kurdish forces have been bolstered further after the State Department confirmed the Obama administration has begun directly providing them with weapons to defend themselves against attacks by Islamic State, previously known as ISIS.

US soldiers watch as halal meals are parachuted to the ground in Iraq

But closer to Baghdad, the Sunni militants captured Jalawla, a town 70 miles (115km) northeast of the Iraqi capital, after weeks of clashes with Kurdish fighters. 

Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond has chaired a meeting of the Government's Cobra emergency committee, after a No 10 source told Sky News there were no plans to recall Parliament to discuss the crisis despite mounting pressure.

Yazidi refugees approach the food bundles on the ground

A Number 10 spokeswoman later confirmed after the meeting that "a small number" of RAF Tornado fast jets would be "pre-positioned" in the area in case their surveillance capabilities are needed to help organise humanitarian efforts.

Mr Hammond has welcomed Mr al Abadi's nomination and added it was "now vital that a new and fully inclusive government be formed quickly in order to respond to the crisis in Iraq".

Refugees flee the extremists carving a bloody path through northern Iraq

Britain was forced to abort a second airdrop of food, water and other supplies to Yazidis still stranded on Mount Sinjar on Monday over fears about hitting people below, the RAF said.

British Tornado fast jets could also be deployed in a surveillance capacity over northern Iraq to aid the humanitarian effort, according to Sky sources.

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Truck Driver 'Shot At Motorists Over 700 Times'

A truck driver fired more than 700 times at other motorists during a five-year shooting spree on Germany motorways, a court has heard.

The accused, Michael Harry K, carried out the indiscriminate attacks to teach road users a "lesson" over their behaviour behind the wheel, it was alleged.

The 58-year-old defendant, from the west of the country, was arrested in June 2013.

He faces five counts of attempted murder, as well as grievous bodily harm and other charges.

He could receive a lengthy prison term if found guilty by a district court in the Bavarian city of Wuerzburg.

Senior prosecutor Boris Raufeisen was quoted as saying the defendant was aware he could cause "serious accidents with considerable consequences to the point of death of other road users".

In 2009, a businesswoman in a car was critically injured after being struck in the neck and crashing into the motorway barrier at high speed.

During the investigation into the shootings, which began a year earlier, he allegedly said he did not want to hurt anyone and only aimed at trucks' hauls.

He also said he acted after nearly being pushed off the road by a car transporter, it was claimed.

His defence team has rejected the attempted murder charges.

The investigation into the motorway shootings was complicated because the drivers often did not notice their vehicles had been hit until they arrived at their destinations.

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Major Rescue As Dinghy Race Vessels Capsize

Ten sailors have been injured after several vessels capsized in strong winds during a dinghy race in Northern Ireland.

Initial reports said as many as 100 people had to be rescued from the water after winds up to 60mph suddenly hit and caused sailing dinghies to overturn in Strangford Lough, south of Belfast.

Coastguard bosses later revised this figure and confirmed 20 people were thought to have gone overboard.

Thirteen rescue boats and two helicopters were at the scene looking for other people in the water during a three-hour search operation and all involved have been accounted for.

Two teenage boys and a woman thought to be in her thirties were among the injured.

Most of those who ended up in the water suffered the effects of hypothermia.

The event was taking place in Strangford Lough, south of Belfast

The dinghies were taking part in the Boating World Championships GP 14 event off Killyleagh.

Bernard Roddy, from the RNLI, said weather conditions were good this morning, but heavy rain and strong winds suddenly hit the area and caused vessels to capsize.

One sailor was treated for head injuries, said a spokeswoman for the South Eastern Health and Social Care Trust in Northern Ireland.

A picture of the event at Strangford Lough taken on Sunday

She said paramedics set up tents on the side of the sea loch to assess the injured and six people were taken to Ulster Hospital.

Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness wrote on Twitter: "Very concerned to hear of the serious boating incident in Strangford Lough.

"My thoughts & prayers are for the safety of everyone involved."

The loch is affected by powerful tides from the Irish Sea and is popular with watersports enthusiasts and nature lovers.

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Oz Jihadist's Son, 9, Poses With Severed Head

Australia's prime minister has slammed a "barbaric" photo which apparently shows the nine-year-old son of a terrorist holding the severed head of a Syrian soldier.

Khaled Sharrouf - who travelled from Sydney to the Middle East to join Islamist extremists fighting jihad in the region - posted the picture on Twitter last week with the caption "That's My Boy!", The Australian newspaper reported.

The graphic image shows the youngster - wearing blue checked shorts and a blue "Polo For Kids" T-shirt - struggling to hold the victim's head by the hair.

A Twitter account linked to Khaled Sharrouf has been suspended after it was used to post a series of messages and photos promoting the campaign being waged by Islamic State, formerly known as ISIS.

Sharrouf posted a photo apparently showing his son with a severed head

Another of the images shows Sharouf posing in front of a black Islamic State flag with his three sons, all of them dressed in military fatigues and brandishing guns.  

Tony Abbott said the "hideous" images demonstrated the brutality of Islamic State fighters, who have gained control of a large swathe of Syria and Iraq.

He told ABC radio: "There are more photographs in newspapers in Australia today of the kind of hideous atrocities that this group is capable of.

"Islamic State - as they're now calling themselves - it's not just a terrorist group, it's a terrorist army and they're seeking not just a terrorist enclave but effectively a terrorist state, a terrorist nation.

Tony Abbott said ISIS is seeking a 'terrorist state'

"This does pose extraordinary problems — extraordinary problems, not just for the people of the Middle East, but for the wider world and we see more and more evidence of just how barbaric this particular entity is."

US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel - currently visiting Australia - said the photograph showed the threat Islamic State (known as ISIL in the US) poses to the Western societies.

He said: "ISIL is a threat to the civilised world, certainly to the United States, to our interests, as it is to Europe, it is to Australia."

Sharrouf was among nine men accused of stockpiling bomb-making materials and plotting terrorist attacks in Sydney and Melbourne in 2007.

He pleaded guilty to terrorism offences and was jailed for four years in 2009.

He was banned from leaving Australia due to the terrorist threat he posed, but managed to escape with his wife and three sons last year by using his brother's passport.

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Gaza Negotiators In Talks As Ceasefire Holds

An Israeli delegation has arrived in Cairo for negotiations over a durable truce in Gaza, after a ceasefire held overnight.

The 72-hour ceasefire began at midnight (10pm UK time).

The talks in Cairo, which include indirect negotiations with the Palestinians, are aimed at securing a lasting end to the month-long conflict.

A Palestinian woman returns to her destroyed home during a 72-hour truce

As the Israelis arrived in Cairo, a Palestinian delegation was already locked in talks with Egyptian intelligence mediators, who will relay their demands to the Israeli negotiators.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon hopes the break will provide a "chance to agree on a durable ceasefire for the benefit of all civilian populations".

Since the last truce broke on Friday, warplanes have reportedly hit more than 170 targets in Gaza, killing at least 19 Palestinians.

Those injured include seven-year-old Maha, who was paralysed from the neck down in an airstrike that killed her family and who doctors are hoping to evacuate for specialist treatment.

Meanwhile, militants fired at least 136 rockets at Israel. Some 93 hit, according to the army.

The death toll since Israel launched its military campaign on July 8 topped 2,000 on Sunday - 1,939 Palestinians and 67 on the Israeli side.

The break in fire will allow Gazans to stock up on supplies and recover the dead buried beneath rubble.

10,000 homes have been destroyed since July 8

Many Palestinians can only return to piles of rubble as more than 10,000 homes have been destroyed and the livelihoods of 300,000 people ruined.

Almost a third of the population - 500,000 people - are displaced within Gaza.

Preliminary reports say rebuilding Gaza will cost up to £4.8bn, according to the UN.

Hamas chief Khaled Meshaal said for the ceasefire to hold, Israel must end its blockade of the Gaza Strip and reopen the seaport.

Israel's campaign has been aimed at destroying Hamas' infrastructure, including its network of tunnels under the Gaza-Israel border intended for staging attacks in the Israeli territory.

Gazans inspect the damage after Israel's weekend bombardment

Away from Gaza, an 11-year-old Palestinian boy was apparently shot dead by Israeli soldiers in the West Bank.

Mohammed Khalil al Anati was killed in Al Fawwar refugee camp, southwest of the city of Hebron, a medical official said.

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Fugitive Drug Dealer To Be Extradited To UK

One of Britain's most wanted men is to be extradited to the UK after being arrested in South Africa.

Convicted cocaine smuggler and fraudster Martin Evans was jailed for 21 years in 2006 for conspiracy to supply cocaine.

But he went on the run three years ago when he failed to return from his day release at a Wiltshire prison.

The global drug trafficker was captured by South African authorities earlier this month in a joint operation with Britain's National Crime Agency (NCA) and Interpol.

A mugshot of Evans

Armed officers swooped on Evans as he was getting out of his car in Johannesburg, bringing an end to an international manhunt.

Evans appeared before Randburg Magistrates Court in Johannesburg on Monday morning and told the presiding judge he would not be opposing extradition.

The 52-year-old from Pontardulais, was once an award-winning businessman and ran a successful double-glazing firm in Port Talbot, but it collapsed.

Evans turned to fraud, cheating investors in a new ostrich farm business out of hundreds of thousands of pounds.

Much of the money was channelled into offshore accounts in Jersey and the Bahamas and Evans was known to have a £2m villa in Marbella, and other properties in Miami and Florida.

Shortly before his trial for fraud, Evans went on the run for the first time, to Spain and then to Holland.

The NCA said it was while he was a fugitive that he masterminded a multimillion-pound drugs and money laundering operation - supplying huge quantities of cocaine and MDMA between 1999 and 2001.

Evans was caught when he tried to use a false passport to enter the US in November 2001.

He went on the run for a second time when he was released on a temporary licence to an address in Swansea in August 2011.

NCA detectives, who alerted Interpol to his whereabouts in Johannesburg, described his recapture as "a real scalp".

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Weather Warnings As Bertha Moves Up North

Officials have ordered the evacuation of some 200 homes in Scotland as the remnants of Hurricane Bertha continue to move across the country.

The evacuation took place in parts of Elgin, Moray, as the level of the River Lossie continues to rise.

Residents will be taken to a rest centre being set up at Elgin High School, Moray Council said.

A Moray Council spokesman said afternoon hours would be "critical", given a high tide expected in the early hours of the afternoon.

Large waves batter a seawall on Brighton beach

Heavy rain across the north of Scotland saw more than 30 flood warnings issued today in areas including Aberdeenshire, Moray and Caithness.

By early this morning the town of Lossiemouth, in Moray, had recorded almost an average month's rainfall in just 12 hours, while Aberdeenshire saw gusts of 50mph.

After Wales and southern England were left drenched on Sunday, northern parts braced themselves for unpleasant conditions.

A First World War fly-past over the white cliffs of Dover involving three bi-planes escorted by modern-day Tornado GR4s to commemorate those who flew and fought in the Great War has been cancelled due to unstable winds across the Channel.

On Sunday, a taxi passenger was injured when a tree crashed into a cab during a sudden storm in Hull.

The Environment Agency has issued four flood warnings for England and Wales, indicating flooding is expected.

While parts of England and Wales are under Met Office warnings for rain and wind, forecasters predict it is likely to clear up as the storm continues its course.

Weather brought down trees on houses and cars in Hull

Nazaneen Ghaffar, Sky News Weather Presenter, said: "Today most of Scotland and northeast England have a yellow warning from the Met Office to be aware of the rain that will affect these areas today, as the low pressure system that gave us the wet and windy weather on Sunday is still close by in the North Sea.

"A higher amber warning has been issued for the Highland and Grampian regions, with over 100mm of rainfall possible in less than 24 hours, leading to the risk of localised flooding.

"As well as the wet weather, it'll be another breezy day for all with strong winds across Scotland, gusting up to around 60mph across eastern coasts.

"Elsewhere over the UK and Ireland there will be sunny spells today but also fairly widespread showers, some of which will be heavy and thundery.

Many areas were flooded on Sunday, including parts of Grimsby

"The rest of the week looks to remain quite unsettled with further showers sometimes merging into longer spells of rain.

"By the end of the week it should become more settled but temperatures will still remain around the average or just below."

Traffic Scotland operator manager Stein Connelly said drivers in parts of the North East and Highlands & Islands are likely to face difficult road conditions due to heavy rain.

The Met Office said people should be prepared for some disruption to transport with localised flooding likely.

It said outdoor activities will also be hazardous due to heavy rain combined with strong winds.

Police Scotland said: "There is a possibility of flooding in low-lying land, roads and to rivers which could cause delays to early morning traffic.

"Police are asking that the public allow extra time for travel and if driving, to be aware of possible flooding."

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Mickey Rourke Lines Up For Putin Shirt In Moscow

Seagal Plays At Gig For Pro-Russian Separatists

Updated: 9:37am UK, Monday 11 August 2014

Hollywood actor and musician Steven Seagal has performed at a concert in the breakaway region of Crimea, appearing on a stage adorned with the flag of pro-Russian separatists fighting in Ukraine.

Seagal, who knows Russian President Vladimir Putin, and his blues band played at a bikers' show held in the city of Sevastopol, home to Russia's Black Sea Fleet.

The martial artist has come under fire for supporting Russia's annexation of the peninsula from Ukraine in March, a view which saw him removed from the line-up at an Estonian blues festival earlier this summer.

At the corner of the stage hung the black, blue and red flag of the Donetsk People's Republic (DNR), declared independent by separatist pro-Russian rebels fighting to break away from Ukraine.

Fans waved Russian and DNR flags as Seagal sang and played his guitar.

The news agency RIA Novosti reported that Seagal was then handed a shirt with Mr Putin's face on it, which he held aloft as he thanked the crowd.

The star is reported to have said he travelled to the region because music unites people.

In a March interview with a Russian newspaper, Seagal was quoted as saying that Mr Putin's desire to protect Russians in Crimea was completely reasonable.

Crimea's largely Russian-speaking residents voted in March to become part of Russia in a hastily organised referendum held as Russian troops patrolled the Black Sea peninsula.

Seagal said in the newspaper interview he considers Mr Putin, with whom he has promoted martial arts in Russia, a friend and would like to consider him a brother.

Mr Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov last year told reporters that the Russian president and Seagal have been friends "for a long time" and regularly meet.

Seagal is not the only celebrity to have struck up an unusual relationship with a political figure.

French actor Gerard Depardieu was personally welcomed to Russia by Mr Putin when he abandoned his native France in order to avoid higher taxes.

Former basketball player Dennis Rodman has travelled to North Korea a number of times to meet his "friend" Kim Jong-un.

And other celebrities have come to regret performing for high-profile political leaders.

In 2007 Nelly Furtado sang for Libyan dictator Colonel Muammar Gaddafi's family in Italy. When violence broke out in the country following 2011's Arab Spring, she reportedly donated the $1m she earned for the performance to charity.

Beyonce also performed for the Libyan leader at a New Year's Eve party in 2009.

Celebrities including singer Seal, violinist Vanessa Mae, double Oscar-winning actress Hilary Swank and actor Jean Claude van Damme caused controversy by performing at a birthday party for Chechen president Ramzan Kadyrov in 2011.

Mr Kadyrov has faced criticism over his human rights record. Ms Swank later said she regretted her appearance.

Earlier that year, footballers including ex-Liverpool stars Robbie Fowler and Steve McManaman took part in a football match with Mr Kadyrov. Half-time entertainment was provided by British singer Craig David.

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British May Use RAF Tornados In Iraq Mission

PM Urged To Recall Parliament Over Iraq Crisis

Updated: 4:05pm UK, Monday 11 August 2014

David Cameron has been urged to recall Parliament from its summer recess to address the growing crisis in Iraq.

The world has watched images from the war-torn country in horror amid reports of the displacement and slaughter of minority Christians and Yazidis by Islamic State, also known as ISIS or ISIL, in northern Iraq.

A Downing Street source told Sky News the focus is entirely on humanitarian support, with no plans to recall MPs. In recent times, a recall has only been used when military options were on the table.

"The key priority is getting support to people in desperate need," the source said.

The source added Mr Cameron, who is currently on a family summer holiday in Portugal, was "in constant contact with senior ministers and officials" via phone calls and other means.

The Prime Minister is expected to return from the seaside town of Cascais later this week.

Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond, who earlier chaired an emergency meeting to discuss the crisis in Iraq, ruled out any military action in Iraq "at the present time".

"We have a very clear convention about consulting Parliament before British forces are committed into any kind of combat, but we are not talking about that here, we are simply talking about humanitarian actions," he said.

"We don't envisage a combat role at the present time," he added.

The UK has been airdropping aid including tents, food and water in northern Iraq to help tens of thousands of displaced people across the region.

However, Tory backbencher Conor Burns said the Government's action of airdropping supplies in affected areas was "not strong enough" - and asserted the UK should join the US in airstrikes.

The Bournemouth West MP said he was not advocating a ground war, but believed Special Forces should be involved.

"I have been following this really closely for the last couple of weeks but having seen some of the images earlier I was quite seriously overcome," he said.

"These are brother and sister Christians, and this is happening to them in no small part because of our record in Iraq.

"These people are being beheaded by people from IS, and our only response is to drop some food or water on them.

"I think we should be answering positively requests from the Kurds to arm them. I think we should be looking at asylum."

The former head of the army, Lord Dannatt, also backed a parliamentary recall, insisting Britain was "watching in horror" as atrocities were committed.

"In the face of a crisis of this scale, with the potential for so much human misery, this is not the moment for decision-makers to be on holiday," he wrote in the Sunday Telegraph.

Lord Dannatt said it may be necessary to put UK troops on the ground to direct air support.

"The United States in the lead and us in support. We all bear some responsibility," he told the BBC.

"The breakdown in society in Iraq post-2003, we have some culpability for that and so it is difficult for us to say 'Not our problem'."

Tory MPs Nick de Bois and David Burrowes also joined the calls for Parliament to be recalled.

In a letter to Mr Cameron, they said the persecution in Iraq imposed "a moral obligation and a duty to our constituents to reconvene so that the escalating crisis can be properly debated".

The calls came as senior US officials announced the Obama administration has begun directly providing Kurdish forces with weapons to defend themselves against attacks by ISIS.

Meanwhile, it has been reported a Portsmouth man who went to Syria last October to fight with Islamic State militants has been killed.

Muhammad Hamidur Rahman, a 25-year-old former Primark supervisor, was reportedly part of a group of six jihadists from the British coastal city who went to fight President Bashar al Assad's forces.

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Mother Saves Child From Oncoming Tube Train

A mother and her small child had a narrow escape after the youngster's buggy was blown on to Tube tracks just seconds before a train arrived.

The woman was seen on CCTV video putting her life at risk by running on to the line to pick up the pushchair and get the child back to safety.

Police are trying to trace the woman and man

Police said the "frightening incident" could have been deadly and are trying to trace her along with a man who had left the buggy at the bottom of the stairs between two platforms just beforehand.

The man left the pushchair between two platforms

He had gone to help other family members just as wind from the tunnel caught hold of the pushchair after a train left one of the platforms at London's Goodge Street station.

Officers want to make sure the youngster was not hurt in the fall which happened just before 7.30pm on Wednesday, July 23. Images of the near-miss have just been released as part of their public appeal.

It was blown onto the tracks by wind from a tunnel

Chief Inspector Mark Lawrie said: "This was a frightening incident, not just for the scale of the danger the child was exposed to, but also because the woman then put her own life on the line by going on to the tracks."

The moment it tipped onto the line

He added: "This incident shows just how much respect rail passengers should have for the network."

The woman was seen running towards the tracks

Anyone with information can call police on 0800 40 50 40 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111. The log TSUB/B12 of 11/8/14 should be quoted in calls.

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