Family Of UK Hostage Tell IS Captors: Contact Us

British Aid Worker Held By IS Militants

Updated: 6:10pm UK, Thursday 04 September 2014

David Cawthorne Haines is an aid worker with more than a decade of experience in areas including South Sudan, Libya and the former Yugoslavia.

A father-of-two, he was abducted in March 2013 at a Syrian refugee camp close to the Turkish border, according to aid workers.

The 44-year-old grew up in Perth, Scotland, but is believed to have lived in Croatia with his wife Dragana, where he was a consultant director at Astraea - a kitchen supply company.

He had previously been a security manager with the Belgium-based Nonviolent Peaceforce.

Tiffany Eastholm, of the group, confirmed Mr Haines had worked with the company for six months in 2012 in South Sudan.

She told NBC News he was "very familiar with insecure locations". She added: "He was very caring, had a good sense of humour."

Mr Haines is thought to have gone to Syria with Agency for Technical Co-operation and Development (ACTED), a French international relief agency founded in 1993.

The threat to his life came in a video which showed US hostage Steven Sotloff being killed by a masked militant.

In the video footage of Mr Sotloff's murder, a masked Islamic State (IS) militant says: "We take this opportunity to warn those governments who have entered this evil alliance with America against the Islamic State to back off and leave our people alone."

Mr Haines, wearing an orange jumpsuit, is shown to the camera as the militant grabs his collar and a caption underneath gives his name.

He is thought to have been captured along with Italian aid worker Federico Motka, 31, who was released in May.

British Foreign Secretary Phillip Hammond said the UK was looking at "every possible option to protect" Mr Haines after he appeared in the video.

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Islamic State May Have 31,500 Fighters, Says CIA

The Islamic State (IS) may have as many as 31,500 fighters in Syria and Iraq - three times higher than previously feared, the CIA believes.

A review of intelligence reports from May to August estimates the militant group can muster between 20,000 and 31,500 jihadists, up from a previous figure of 10,000, it said.

The new total reflects stronger recruitment by IS after its military successes and declaration of a caliphate in Iraq and Syria, said CIA spokesman Ryan Trapani.

US Secretary of State John Kerry is pressing Arab states to support an expanded American military campaign against IS, including airstrikes in Syria.

On Thursday, key Arab allies promised to "do their share" to fight IS, including stopping the flow of fighters and funding to the militants, but Nato member Turkey refused to join in.

The 10 Middle East allies announced their backing for a strategy to "destroy" the group "wherever it is, including in both Iraq and Syria," following a meeting with Mr Kerry in the Red Sea city of Jeddah.

John Kerry with Arab foreign ministers in Jeddah

Nearly 40 countries have agreed to contribute to what Mr Kerry said would be a worldwide fight to defeat the militants, however Germany said it would not take part in airstrikes.

"The devastating consequences of extremist hate remain fresh in the minds of all Americans, and to so many of our friends and allies around the world," said Mr Kerry on the 13th anniversary of the September 11 terror attacks.

"Those consequences are felt every day here in the Middle East."

Moscow said any unilateral US airstrikes in Syria would be a violation of international law.

"In the absence of an appropriate decision of the UN Security Council, such a step would become an act of aggression, a crude violation of the norms of international law," said a spokesman for the Russian foreign ministry.

Turkey attended the Jeddah meeting, but did not sign the final agreement over fears for 49 Turkish citizens kidnapped from its consulate in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul when it was overrun by IS in June.

Some Gulf states could in theory help with US airstrikes, as the United Arab Emirates and Qatar did in the aerial campaign over Libya in 2011, as well as assisting with weapons, training, intelligence and logistics.

America has launched more than 150 airstrikes in Iraq over the past month, and has sent military advisers into the country.

It also announced on Friday nearly $500m (£307m) in humanitarian aid for people and countries hit by Syria's civil war.

Some three million Syrian refugees have fled to neighbouring countries, but many remain trapped by the IS onslaught, says the UN.

On Monday, officials from the US, UK, France, Russia and China, and possibly other countries including Iran, are due to hold talks in Paris on how to stabilise Iraq.

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Ukraine PM: Putin Wants All Of Our Country

Ukraine's prime minister has accused Russia of seeking to to control all of the country and restore the Soviet Union.

Addressing business leaders at a conference in Kiev, Arseny Yatseniuk warned President Vladimir Putin was a threat to global order and added that only Nato could offer Ukraine proper protection.

"We are still in a stage of war and the key aggressor is the Russian Federation," he said. "His (Putin's) goal is to take all of Ukraine. Russia is a threat to the global order and to the security of the whole of Europe."

A Russian aid convoy drives through a Russia-Ukraine border crossing

Kiev and the West have accused Moscow of sending Russian troops and tanks into eastern Ukraine in support of pro-Russian rebels fighting a bitter war with government forces.

A fragile ceasefire appears to be holding in the region, despite sporadic reports of outbreaks of violence, and Ukrainian troops and rebels exchanged prisoners on Friday.

The transfer of 67 prisoners of war, said to include Russian citizens serving alongside the rebels, took place near the separatist stronghold of Donetsk under the watch of international observers.

People waiting to cross the border from Russia and walk into Ukraine

The prisoner exchange was a key pillar of Ukraine President Petro Poroshenko's argument that his country can benefit from formulating a deal with the rebels.

Asked about the possibility of his country being admitted to the Nato alliance, which would create further rifts between the West and Russia, Mr Yatseniuk conceded it was unlikely Ukraine would be allowed in any time soon.

But Kiev has stepped-up co-operation with Nato and worked hard to persuade alliance states to provide arms and equipment to use against the rebels.

Ukrainian prisoners-of-war wait to be exchanged, north of Donetsk

Meanwhile, another humanitarian-aid convoy has reached the rebel-held city of Luhansk will ease the plight of civilians caught up in the fighting, according to Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.

Some 100 vehicles arrived on Saturday morning with another 100 expected to reach the city later in the day. It is the second such aid convoy dispatched by Moscow into Ukraine.

A convoy sent in August was denounced by Kiev and the West for crossing the Russia-Ukraine border without permission.

A senior human rights official with the United Nations has declared the death toll in the conflict is likely to be above 3,000 if the victims of the MH17 plane crash are included.

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US Campaign Against IS A Work In Progress

Key Arab allies of the US have pledged to "do their share" to fight the Islamic State group.

But, strikingly, the country with the biggest border adjacent to Islamic State-conquered territory is not on board.

Turkey's unwillingness to sign up to the meeting's final communique is a major blow given its ability to block access to IS territory for foreign jihadists.

As is its refusal to allow its airbases to be used for airstrikes against IS.

A triple car bombing rocked a Shia district of Baghdad on Wednesday

Among its concerns are the Turkish nationals being held hostage by IS, seized during the fall of Mosul.

Ankara is also worried airstrikes could strengthen Kurdish rebels in Syria, regarded by the Turks as a terrorist threat.

So John Kerry is off to the Turkish capital on Friday night.

Secretary of State John Kerry looks over Baghdad

America is reminding its allies in the region the Islamic State is a bigger threat to them than to the US.

But while that may be true, they would far prefer the United States deals with it than them.

In Washington they know no effort against IS can succeed without cleaving Sunni support away from the organisation in both Iraq and Syria.

In Syria that requires strengthening largely Sunni Syrian opposition groups such as the Free Syrian Army, something the president has studiously avoided for three years.

A Kurdish peshmerga fighter walks past a dummy at a former IS headquarters

Otherwise US airstrikes will make America appear as the unofficial air force of the reviled Assad regime.

A year ago President Barack Obama's last-minute U-turn away from bombing Mr Assad because of his alleged chemical weapons use led to many Sunni Syrians giving up on more moderate groups and siding with the Islamic State.

It is not clear the more moderate rebels have ever recovered sufficiently to counter the IS threat. 

The Americans have not yet explained how they hope to renew their potential, if indeed they even have a plan for that yet.

President Obama marks the 13th anniversary of 9/11 at the Pentagon

In Iraq the Obama administration hopes it can turn Sunni tribes away from IS, as they did in the surge against al Qaeda in Iraq.

That will require support from regional allies, a lot of financial incentives and convincing Iraqis US airstrikes aren't solely for the benefit of the country's Shia Muslims. 

It's worth remembering that al Qaeda in Iraq was only crushed through a concerted effort at a time when the US had tens of thousands of troops in the country.

What are the chances of doing the same against IS while there are no American boots on the ground?

US opinion polls suggest Americans see the Islamic State as a threat

This is not a finalised, definitive strategy. It's a work in progress.

The US knows it must tread and bomb carefully.

Otherwise it will drive more Sunnis to support IS. 

But American public opinion seems to be demanding more than an incremental evolution in policy towards IS.

Opinion polls suggest they see the Islamic State as a threat and they will want to see clear signs it is being destroyed. 

President Obama must still convince Americans and his allies in the region that he has done more than make just another speech.

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Islamic State May Have 31,500 Fighters, Says CIA

The Islamic State (IS) may have as many as 31,500 fighters in Syria and Iraq - three times higher than previously feared, the CIA believes.

A review of intelligence reports from May to August estimates the militant group can muster between 20,000 and 31,500 jihadists, up from a previous figure of 10,000, it said.

The new total reflects stronger recruitment by IS after its military successes and declaration of a caliphate in Iraq and Syria, said CIA spokesman Ryan Trapani.

US Secretary of State John Kerry is pressing Arab states to support an expanded American military campaign against IS, including airstrikes in Syria.

On Thursday, key Arab allies promised to "do their share" to fight IS, including stopping the flow of fighters and funding to the militants, but Nato member Turkey refused to join in.

The 10 Middle East allies announced their backing for a strategy to "destroy" the group "wherever it is, including in both Iraq and Syria," following a meeting with Mr Kerry in the Red Sea city of Jiddah.

John Kerry with Arab foreign ministers in Jeddah

Nearly 40 countries have agreed to contribute to what Mr Kerry said would be a worldwide fight to defeat the militants, however Germany said it would not take part in airstrikes.

"The devastating consequences of extremist hate remain fresh in the minds of all Americans, and to so many of our friends and allies around the world," said Mr Kerry on the 13th anniversary of the September 11 terror attacks.

"Those consequences are felt every day here in the Middle East."

Turkey attended the meeting but did not sign the final agreement over fears for 49 Turkish citizens kidnapped from its consulate in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul when it was overrun by IS in June.

US officials played down Turkey's absence, noting it is still extremely concerned about the fate of its diplomats.

Some Gulf states could in theory help with US airstrikes, as the United Arab Emirates and Qatar did in the aerial campaign over Libya in 2011, as well as assisting with weapons, training, intelligence and logistics.

America has launched more than 150 airstrikes in Iraq over the past month, and has sent military advisers into the country.

It also announced on Friday nearly $500m (£307m) in humanitarian aid for people and countries hit by Syria's civil war.

Some three million Syrian refugees have fled to neighbouring countries, but many remain trapped by the IS onslaught, says the UN.

On Monday, officials from the US, UK, France, Russia and China, and possibly other countries including Iran, are due to hold talks in Paris on how to stabilise Iraq.

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Coalition's Plans For IS Fight Look Cowardly

America has succeeded in putting together a 37-nation coalition against the Islamic State (IS). Who does what within it is to be confirmed.

All signatories to the agreement struck in Jeddah, at the Nato summit in Wales, and in phone calls over the last fortnight are agreed on one thing - none of them will send ground troops to fight the insurgency.

This is a mistake rooted in a fetishistic hang-up that the previous US-led interventions in Iraq and Afghanistan have ended in what looks to many like failure, and that there can never be public support for a return to war in the Islamic world.

But this is a coalition that is made up now of a huge number of Sunni Arab states that have most to lose from the spread of the IS and its ideology.

The movement poses a theoretical threat to the West. It poses an immediate danger to its neighbours.

But the Saudis, Egyptians, Jordanians, Gulf States, the Lebanon have all followed the lead set by the West, notably the US and UK, and refused to countenance sending troops to fight on the ground.

This makes the coalition look cowardly. It also means the coalition will have to rely heavily on a disorganised patchwork of militia groups spread across two nations, many of who have very different priorities.

In Syria, moderate rebels can expect more funding, training, and weapons. But their main aim is to depose the regime of Bashar al Assad.

Iraqi security forces look for IS fighters near Haditha

In Iraq, the national army has proven ineffective after tens of billions have been spent on its equipment and training.

The Kurdish pershmerga has lost some of its famed fighting spirit and cannot be relied upon to fight in the interests of an outside coalition rather than for its own territory.

Iraqi's Shia militia are being thrown into the fight - and some have proven as venal as IS - murdering Sunnis and torching their homes.

Sunni militia will be key and need to be turned against IS - but how far their loyalties would lie once they have secured their own local security is impossible to gauge.

If the IS is the threat to its neighbours and beyond that the world's leaders now say it is, it is striking that they are only prepared to fight by remote control to destroy it.

A refusal to even think about ground troops will signal decadence and weakness to the proclaimed enemy.

Over the next few days, former US General John Allen will be drawing up a plan for which states will contribute what.

He will start out a frustrated man. Only last month he issued a call to arms in an article for the website Defence One.

"IS must be destroyed and we must move quickly to pressure its entire 'nervous system,' break it up, and destroy its pieces," he thundered.

Then he added this: "The US military is not war weary and is fully capable of attacking and reducing IS throughout the depth of its holdings, and we should do it now, but supported substantially by our traditional allies and partners."

He's saying the military are not afraid - but the politicians are.

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US Threatens Airstrikes In Syria To Fight IS

Barack Obama IS Strategy: Speech In Full

Updated: 2:20am UK, Thursday 11 September 2014

Barack Obama has outlined his strategy to defeating Islamic State in a televised address.

Here is his statement in full:

My fellow Americans - tonight, I want to speak to you about what the United States will do with our friends and allies to degrade and ultimately destroy the terrorist group known as ISIL. 

As Commander-in-Chief, my highest priority is the security of the American people. Over the last several years, we have consistently taken the fight to terrorists who threaten our country. We took out Osama bin Laden and much of al Qaeda's leadership in Afghanistan and Pakistan. We've targeted al Qaeda's affiliate in Yemen, and recently eliminated the top commander of its affiliate in Somalia. We've done so while bringing more than 140,000 American troops home from Iraq, and drawing down our forces in Afghanistan, where our combat mission will end later this year. Thanks to our military and counter-terrorism professionals, America is safer. 

Still, we continue to face a terrorist threat. We cannot erase every trace of evil from the world, and small groups of killers have the capacity to do great harm. That was the case before 9/11, and that remains true today. That's why we must remain vigilant as threats emerge. At this moment, the greatest threats come from the Middle East and North Africa, where radical groups exploit grievances for their own gain. And one of those groups is ISIL - which calls itself the "Islamic State."

Now let's make two things clear: ISIL is not "Islamic." No religion condones the killing of innocents, and the vast majority of ISIL's victims have been Muslim. And ISIL is certainly not a state. It was formerly al Qaeda's affiliate in Iraq, and has taken advantage of sectarian strife and Syria's civil war to gain territory on both sides of the Iraq-Syrian border. It is recognised by no government, nor the people it subjugates. ISIL is a terrorist organisation, pure and simple. And it has no vision other than the slaughter of all who stand in its way.

In a region that has known so much bloodshed, these terrorists are unique in their brutality. They execute captured prisoners. They kill children. They enslave, rape, and force women into marriage. They threatened a religious minority with genocide. In acts of barbarism, they took the lives of two American journalists - Jim Foley and Steven Sotloff.

So ISIL poses a threat to the people of Iraq and Syria, and the broader Middle East - including American citizens, personnel and facilities. If left unchecked, these terrorists could pose a growing threat beyond that region - including to the United States. While we have not yet detected specific plotting against our homeland, ISIL leaders have threatened America and our allies. Our intelligence community believes that thousands of foreigners - including Europeans and some Americans - have joined them in Syria and Iraq. Trained and battle-hardened, these fighters could try to return to their home countries and carry out deadly attacks.

I know many Americans are concerned about these threats. Tonight, I want you to know that the United States of America is meeting them with strength and resolve. Last month, I ordered our military to take targeted action against ISIL to stop its advances. Since then, we have conducted more than 150 successful airstrikes in Iraq. These strikes have protected American personnel and facilities, killed ISIL fighters, destroyed weapons, and given space for Iraqi and Kurdish forces to reclaim key territory. These strikes have helped save the lives of thousands of innocent men, women and children. 

But this is not our fight alone. American power can make a decisive difference, but we cannot do for Iraqis what they must do for themselves, nor can we take the place of Arab partners in securing their region. That's why I've insisted that additional U.S. action depended upon Iraqis forming an inclusive government, which they have now done in recent days. So tonight, with a new Iraqi government in place, and following consultations with allies abroad and Congress at home, I can announce that America will lead a broad coalition to roll back this terrorist threat.

Our objective is clear: we will degrade, and ultimately destroy, ISIL through a comprehensive and sustained counter-terrorism strategy.

First, we will conduct a systematic campaign of airstrikes against these terrorists. Working with the Iraqi government, we will expand our efforts beyond protecting our own people and humanitarian missions, so that we're hitting ISIL targets as Iraqi forces go on offence. Moreover, I have made it clear that we will hunt down terrorists who threaten our country, wherever they are. That means I will not hesitate to take action against ISIL in Syria, as well as Iraq. This is a core principle of my presidency: if you threaten America, you will find no safe haven. 

Second, we will increase our support to forces fighting these terrorists on the ground. In June, I deployed several hundred American service members to Iraq to assess how we can best support Iraqi Security Forces. Now that those teams have completed their work - and Iraq has formed a government - we will send an additional 475 service members to Iraq. As I have said before, these American forces will not have a combat mission - we will not get dragged into another ground war in Iraq. But they are needed to support Iraqi and Kurdish forces with training, intelligence and equipment. We will also support Iraq's efforts to stand up National Guard Units to help Sunni communities secure their own freedom from ISIL control.

Across the border, in Syria, we have ramped up our military assistance to the Syrian opposition. Tonight, I again call on Congress to give us additional authorities and resources to train and equip these fighters. In the fight against ISIL, we cannot rely on an Assad regime that terrorizes its people; a regime that will never regain the legitimacy it has lost. Instead, we must strengthen the opposition as the best counterweight to extremists like ISIL, while pursuing the political solution necessary to solve Syria's crisis once and for all. 

Third, we will continue to draw on our substantial counter-terrorism capabilities to prevent ISIL attacks. Working with our partners, we will redouble our efforts to cut off its funding; improve our intelligence; strengthen our defences; counter its warped ideology; and stem the flow of foreign fighters into - and out of - the Middle East. And in two weeks, I will chair a meeting of the UN Security Council to further mobilize the international community around this effort.

Fourth, we will continue providing humanitarian assistance to innocent civilians who have been displaced by this terrorist organisation. This includes Sunni and Shia Muslims who are at grave risk, as well as tens of thousands of Christians and other religious minorities. We cannot allow these communities to be driven from their ancient homelands. 

This is our strategy. And in each of these four parts of our strategy, America will be joined by a broad coalition of partners. Already, allies are flying planes with us over Iraq; sending arms and assistance to Iraqi Security Forces and the Syrian opposition; sharing intelligence; and providing billions of dollars in humanitarian aid. Secretary Kerry was in Iraq today meeting with the new government and supporting their efforts to promote unity, and in the coming days he will travel across the Middle East and Europe to enlist more partners in this fight, especially Arab nations who can help mobilize Sunni communities in Iraq and Syria to drive these terrorists from their lands. This is American leadership at its best: we stand with people who fight for their own freedom; and we rally other nations on behalf of our common security and common humanity. 

My Administration has also secured bipartisan support for this approach here at home. I have the authority to address the threat from ISIL. But I believe we are strongest as a nation when the President and Congress work together. So I welcome congressional support for this effort in order to show the world that Americans are united in confronting this danger.

Now, it will take time to eradicate a cancer like ISIL. And any time we take military action, there are risks involved - especially to the servicemen and women who carry out these missions. But I want the American people to understand how this effort will be different from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. It will not involve American combat troops fighting on foreign soil. This counter-terrorism campaign will be waged through a steady, relentless effort to take out ISIL wherever they exist, using our air power and our support for partner forces on the ground. This strategy of taking out terrorists who threaten us, while supporting partners on the front lines, is one that we have successfully pursued in Yemen and Somalia for years. And it is consistent with the approach I outlined earlier this year: to use force against anyone who threatens America's core interests, but to mobilise partners wherever possible to address broader challenges to international order. 

My fellow Americans, we live in a time of great change. Tomorrow marks 13 years since our country was attacked.  Next week marks 6 years since our economy suffered its worst setback since the Great Depression. Yet despite these shocks; through the pain we have felt and the gruelling work required to bounce back - America is better positioned today to seize the future than any other nation on Earth.

Our technology companies and universities are unmatched; our manufacturing and auto industries are thriving.  Energy independence is closer than it's been in decades.  For all the work that remains, our businesses are in the longest uninterrupted stretch of job creation in our history.  Despite all the divisions and discord within our democracy, I see the grit and determination and common goodness of the American people every single day - and that makes me more confident than ever about our country's future.

Abroad, American leadership is the one constant in an uncertain world. It is America that has the capacity and the will to mobilize the world against terrorists. It is America that has rallied the world against Russian aggression, and in support of the Ukrainian peoples' right to determine their own destiny. It is America - our scientists, our doctors, our know-how - that can help contain and cure the outbreak of Ebola. It is America that helped remove and destroy Syria's declared chemical weapons so they cannot pose a threat to the Syrian people - or the world - again. And it is America that is helping Muslim communities around the world not just in the fight against terrorism, but in the fight for opportunity, tolerance, and a more hopeful future.

America, our endless blessings bestow an enduring burden. But as Americans, we welcome our responsibility to lead. From Europe to Asia - from the far reaches of Africa to war-torn capitals of the Middle East - we stand for freedom, for justice, for dignity. These are values that have guided our nation since its founding.  Tonight, I ask for your support in carrying that leadership forward. I do so as a Commander-in-Chief who could not be prouder of our men and women in uniform - pilots who bravely fly in the face of danger above the Middle East, and service-members who support our partners on the ground.

When we helped prevent the massacre of civilians trapped on a distant mountain, here's what one of them said. "We owe our American friends our lives. Our children will always remember that there was someone who felt our struggle and made a long journey to protect innocent people."

That is the difference we make in the world. And our own safety - our own security - depends upon our willingness to do what it takes to defend this nation, and uphold the values that we stand for - timeless ideals that will endure long after those who offer only hate and destruction have been vanquished from the Earth.

May God bless our troops, and may God bless the United States of America.

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US Strategy Risks Pushing Sunnis Into IS Arms

US To Lead 'Broad Coalition' To Destroy IS

Updated: 9:38am UK, Thursday 11 September 2014

Barack Obama has authorised airstrikes in Syria for the first time in a major escalation of the military campaign against the Islamic State.

In a live televised address, the US President also announced expanded strikes in Iraq as part of "a steady, relentless effort" to root out IS extremists.

"We will hunt down terrorists who threaten our country, wherever they are," Mr Obama told Americans.

"That means I will not hesitate to take action against ISIL in Syria, as well as Iraq," he said, using an acronym to describe the group.

"This is a core principle of my presidency: If you threaten America, you will find no safe haven."

The prime-time address came on the eve of the 13th anniversary of the September 11 attacks. 

The President said that while there was no evidence IS was plotting to strike America, "if left unchecked, these terrorists could pose a growing threat beyond that region, including to the United States."

The decision to authorise airstrikes in Syria marks a turnabout for the President, who had been wary of dragging the US military into a country embroiled in a three-year civil war.

Last year, he shied away from airstrikes to punish Syrian President Bashar al Assad for using chemical weapons against his own people.

The plans also amounted to a striking shift for a President who rose to political prominence in part because of his early opposition to the Iraq war.

Mr Obama said he was dispatching nearly 500 more US troops to assist Iraqi security forces and conduct intelligence and reconnaissance flights, bringing the total number of American forces sent there this summer to more than 1,500.

But he insisted the military would not be dragged into another ground war, saying that "these American forces will not have a combat mission" and that the campaign "will not involve American combat troops fighting on foreign soil".

The President also urged Congress to authorise a programme to train and arm Syrian rebels who are fighting both the Islamic State militants and the Assad regime.

IS has been on the warpath in Iraq and Syria, taking large swathes of territory and putting US lives at risk, according to the White House.

In the last few weeks, IS has released videos of its militants beheading kidnapped American journalists James Foley and Steven Sotloff.

"This counter-terrorism campaign will be waged through a steady, relentless effort to take out ISIL wherever they exist using our air power and our support for partner forces on the ground.

"This strategy of taking out terrorists who threaten us, while supporting partners on the front lines, is one that we have successfully pursued in Yemen and Somalia for years."

On Wednesday the US announced it will provide another $48m (£29.8m) to UN agencies and other aid organisations to help ease the suffering of 1.8 million people who have been displaced by IS militants.

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Ukraine 'Regrouping' Forces To Defend East

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko says his forces are "regrouping" in the east of the country after provocation from Russian "terrorists".

The move does not amount to a new offensive against pro-Moscow separatists, but is simply a move to defend Ukraine's territory, he said.

Mr Poroshenko said the four-day ceasefire has been difficult to maintain because of the rebels' actions.

On Wednesday morning, he signed a law which allowed for fresh economic sanctions to be imposed on Russian individuals and companies who have been backing rebels in eastern Ukraine. 

Pro-Russian rebels at a checkpoint near the airport in Donetsk

There are also parliamentary plans for a "special status" - giving greater autonomy - for Donetsk and Luhansk within the next week.

Despite the concerns raised during a televised government meeting in Kiev, a spokesperson for the Kremlin said Russia and Ukraine are happy with how the ceasefire is holding "on the whole".

It came as the World Health Organisation (WHO) warned that Ukraine could be facing a health emergency because its medicine supplies are dwindling.

Ukrainian refugees wait to receive food on the outskirts of Mariupol

Dorit Nitzan, the UN health agency's representative in Kiev, warned: "Ukraine has no vaccines ... they don't have any vaccines in their storage. Even before the crisis began they had low (immunisation) coverage."

The professor's main concern is that there could be an outbreak of polio, a disease which mainly affects young children, as it "usually comes in countries of turmoil".

The European Union is set to discuss when its new sanctions against Russia, which were formally agreed on Monday, should be implemented.

President Poroshenko unveiled his latest measures in a government meeting

EU President Herman van Rompuy confirmed there would be "an assessment of the implementation of the ceasefire agreement and the peace plan".

The Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) is also planning to deploy drones in the region to monitor whether the ceasefire is holding.

Mr Poroshenko said Russia had moved 70% of its forces "back across the border" from eastern Ukraine.

"This further strengthens our hope that the peace initiatives have good prospects," he said.

There were concerns earlier this week as fighting continued in east Ukraine

Meanwhile, Amnesty International says it has evidence that both sides have committed war crimes.

At a news conference in Moscow, the group's secretary general, Salil Shetty, warned that some separatists, along with Ukraine's Aidar battalion, were responsible for human rights abuses.

"Amnesty International has called the conflict in Ukraine an international conflict, and Russia a party to that conflict," he added.

More than 3,000 people have been killed in the conflict.

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'Solid Family' Massacred On Australian Farm

By Jonathan Samuels, Australia Correspondent

Police divers have found the body of a man at a dam in Australia after a woman and her three children were discovered shot dead at a remote farmhouse.

Farmer Geoff Hunt has been missing since the bodies of his wife Kim, 41, and his children Fletcher, 10, Mia, eight and Phoebe, six, were found at a property near Wagga Wagga in New South Wales on Tuesday.

Divers at Lockhart Dam, not far from the farmhouse, found a gun on the dead man and police said the body had injuries "not inconsistent" with wounds found on the woman and children.

Police earlier on Wednesday described the death scene of the mother and her three young children as "horrific" and like nothing they had ever encountered.

"I don't think even the most hardened professional could remain unmoved by what's out there," Wagga Wagga local area commander Superintendent Bob Noble said.

"It's certainly not something I've encountered anything similar to before, and I hope not to ever again."

Local media reported the alarm was raised when the children failed to turn up to school.

The fatal shootings happened at a property near Wagga Wagga

Emergency services were called to the farmhouse on Tuesday afternoon and found the children's bodies inside the property and their mother on the path outside.

The Hunt family were well loved by the local community, Supt Noble said.

"It's going to send quite a shock wave through those communities and throughout the whole area," he said.

"These people were well integrated into the local community through work, through social events, through sport. Three young children attended the local school.

"It is going to devastate everyone."

Lockhart Mayor Peter Yates said the 900-strong town community was in severe shock, according to the Australian Associated Press.

"It's just really, really, really traumatising," he said.

Deputy mayor Roger Schirmer said the mood was sombre.

"They were a highly regarded solid family. It will rock this town," he said.

Mrs Hunt had just returned to nursing in April after recovering from a serious car accident two years ago.

The local parish priest, Father Tony Schipp, said nobody in town had suspected anything was amiss with Mr Hunt.

"He was happy. He was making arrangements for events that were coming up, that he was going to be part of," Father Schipp said.

It is understood police have found a suicide note.

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Father Held Over Deaths Of His Five Children

A father is being held after the bodies of his five children - aged between one and eight - were found hundreds of miles away from his home.

Timothy Ray Jones Jr is suspected of killing the youngsters and dumping their bodies in rural Alabama.

The bodies had been buried in individual garbage bags and left in an isolated spot about 10 miles east of Camden, Wilcox County, according to CBS.

Wilcox County Sheriff Michael Jackson said: "This is a very tragic situation. These kids' lives were snuffed out before they had a chance to enjoy life. Justice will be served."

Jones, 32, was stopped for driving while under the influence in Raleigh, Mississippi, on Saturday.

The scene where the five children's bodies were found in Alabama. Pic: NBC

An inspection of his SUV led police to find what they described as evidence of a crime.

Smith County Sheriff Charlie Crumpton told WLTX that a chemical smell could be detected coming from Mr Jones' Cadillac Escalade when he was detained at a driver's licence checkpoint.

Officers found what they believed were ingredients used to make the drugs crystal meth and a synthetic form of marijuana.

Deputies also found what appeared to be bleach, muriatic acid, blood, and other bodily fluids in the car, Sheriff Crumpton said.

A search for Jones' name on police databases led Smith County officers to discover that he was connected to a missing persons report.

Lexington County Sheriff Lewis McCarty said the children's mother had reported Jones and the five children missing just after 6pm on Wednesday, September 3.

Timothy Ray Jones Jr is led away be police in Mississippi. Pic: NBC

The five youngsters lived with Jones, who was the children's "primary legal custodian", but the mother, from whom he is divorced, had told deputies that she had been unable to contact him, according to Fox10tv.

Jones was arrested and questioned, before according to Sheriff Crumpton, confessing to officers late on Monday.

He then led them to the site where the bodies had been left.

The children have not been named.

The bodies are being transported to Lexington County, South Carolina, to be formally identified.

Jones has been charged with child neglect. He is also facing a number of other charges, Lexington County Sheriff Lewis McCarty said.

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Ukraine 'Regrouping' Forces To Defend East

Ukraine is "regrouping" its forces in the east of the country, President Petro Poroshenko has said, accusing "terrorists" of provoking his forces.

The move does not amount to a new offensive against pro-Russian separatists, he insisted, but is simply a move to defend the country's territory.

Mr Poroshenko said the ceasefire in Ukraine had been difficult to maintain because of the actions of the separatists.

On Wednesday morning, he signed a law which allowed for fresh economic sanctions to be imposed on Russian individuals and companies who have been backing rebels in eastern Ukraine battlegrounds. 

There are also parliamentary plans for a "special status" - giving greater autonomy - to be granted to Donetsk and Luhansk within the next week.

Despite the concerns raised during a televised government meeting in Kiev, a spokesperson for the Kremlin insisted that Russia and Ukraine are happy with how the ceasefire is holding "on the whole".

President Poroshenko unveiled his latest measures in a government meeting

It came as the World Health Organization (WHO) warned that Ukraine could be facing a health emergency because its medicine supplies are dwindling.

Dorit Nitzan, the UN health agency's representative in Kiev, warned: "Ukraine has no vaccines... they don't have any vaccines in their storage. Even before the crisis began they had low [immunisation] coverage."

The professor's main concern is that there could be an outbreak of polio, a disease which mainly affects young children, as it "usually comes in countries of turmoil".

The WHO has warned that Ukraine has a shortage of 'every kind of vaccine'

The European Union is set to meet on Wednesday to discuss when its new sanctions against Russia, which were formally agreed on Monday, should be implemented.

EU President Herman van Rompuy confirmed there would be "an assessment of the implementation of the ceasefire agreement and the peace plan".

The Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) is also planning to deploy drones in the region, so it can monitor whether the ceasefire is holding.

There were concerns earlier this week as fighting continued in east Ukraine

According to Mr Poroshenko, Russia has moved 70% of its forces "back across the border" from where they were based in eastern Ukraine.

"This further strengthens our hope that the peace initiatives have good prospects," he said.

Meanwhile, Amnesty International has claimed it has evidence that both sides of the conflict have committed war crimes.

At a press conference in Moscow, the group's Secretary General, Salil Shetty, warned that some separatists, along with Ukraine's Aidar battalion, were responsible for human rights abuses seen during the crisis.

"Amnesty International has called the conflict in Ukraine an international conflict, and Russia a party to that conflict," he added.

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Russia Denies Jets Buzzed Canada Navy Ship

Ukraine Conflict 'Impossible' To Win Militarily

Updated: 9:25pm UK, Monday 08 September 2014

By Katie Stallard, Moscow Correspondent

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has told Sky News the conflict in his country cannot be solved by military means alone.

Speaking in the southern city of Mariupol, close to the frontline between his forces and pro-Russian rebels, he said foreign troops must be withdrawn for peace to be achieved.

"We should understand that it is impossible to win the conflict only by military means," he said.

"The more we increase the pressure, the more Russian troops come into our territory.

"If you ask me the quickest way to make stability and peace here it's very simple: withdraw foreign troops and close the border."

The president met activists and civil defence volunteers during a surprise visit to Mariupol, leading workers at the city's vast metal factory in a rendition of the national anthem.

"This city was, is, and will be Ukrainian," Mr Poroshenko told the crowd, from a stage decorated with the blue and yellow colours of his country's flag.

"Mariupol proved that we won't let anybody burn our city to the ground. This workers' Mariupol protected peace and calm in the city."

He called Mariupol a "hero city", evoking the title given to Soviet cities such as Leningrad and Stalingrad after the Second World War.

A ceasefire which came into force on Friday appeared to be largely holding, despite shelling on the eastern outskirts of Mariupol overnight on both Saturday and Sunday.

Mr Poroshenko denied that the ceasefire deal meant effectively ceding control of large areas in the east of his country.

"In all the documents we signed, it was especially mentioned that the question of territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of my country is not a matter of negotiation," he said.

Colonel Andriy Lysenko, Ukraine's National Security Council spokesman, said rebel forces had stopped using heavy artillery and were only using mortar and rifle fire.

He said no servicemen had been killed in the past 24 hours.

"That's a big achievement," he said.

The Interfax-Ukraine news agency reported that 15 Ukrainian soldiers had been released by rebel forces, as part of a prisoner exchange.

Mr Lysenko said the exchange of prisoners was "task number one" for the government during the ceasefire.

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Ukraine Conflict 'Impossible' To Win Militarily

By Katie Stallard, Moscow Correspondent

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has told Sky News the conflict in his country cannot be solved by military means alone.

Speaking in the southern city of Mariupol, close to the frontline between his forces and pro-Russian rebels, he said foreign troops must be withdrawn for peace to be achieved.

"We should understand that it is impossible to win the conflict only by military means," he said.

"The more we increase the pressure, the more Russian troops come into our territory.

"If you ask me the quickest way to make stability and peace here it's very simple: withdraw foreign troops and close the border."

Mr Poroshenko speaks in the port city of Mariupol

The president met activists and civil defence volunteers during a surprise visit to Mariupol, leading workers at the city's vast metal factory in a rendition of the national anthem.

"This city was, is, and will be Ukrainian," Mr Poroshenko told the crowd, from a stage decorated with the blue and yellow colours of his country's flag.

"Mariupol proved that we won't let anybody burn our city to the ground. This workers' Mariupol protected peace and calm in the city."

He called Mariupol a "hero city", evoking the title given to Soviet cities such as Leningrad and Stalingrad after the Second World War.

A ceasefire which came into force on Friday appeared to be largely holding, despite shelling on the eastern outskirts of Mariupol overnight on both Saturday and Sunday.

A Ukrainian serviceman rides on an armoured vehicle in Kramatorsk

Mr Poroshenko denied that the ceasefire deal meant effectively ceding control of large areas in the east of his country.

"In all the documents we signed, it was especially mentioned that the question of territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of my country is not a matter of negotiation," he said.

Colonel Andriy Lysenko, Ukraine's National Security Council spokesman, said rebel forces had stopped using heavy artillery and were only using mortar and rifle fire.

He said no servicemen had been killed in the past 24 hours.

"That's a big achievement," he said.

The Interfax-Ukraine news agency reported that 15 Ukrainian soldiers had been released by rebel forces, as part of a prisoner exchange.

Mr Lysenko said the exchange of prisoners was "task number one" for the government during the ceasefire.

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Flight MH17 Downed By 'High-Energy Objects'

Crash investigators say flight MH17 was probably downed by "a large number of high-energy objects".

An initial report by the Dutch Safety Board, which is leading the investigation into the July 17 disaster, found it likely the Malaysia Airlines plane broke up in the air as a result of "structural damage", caused by the items which "penetrated the aircraft from outside".

The fuselage of the passenger plane had numerous puncture holes

Available images showed pieces of the aircraft fuselage were pierced in numerous places, while the pattern of wreckage on the ground, scattered over a large area, indicated it had broken up in-flight.

This would also explain the abrupt end to the recording of flight data on the plane's black boxes, the loss of contact with air traffic control, and the plane's disappearance from radar.

The report said: "There are no indications that the MH17 crash was caused by a technical fault or by actions of the crew."

Wreckage was scattered over a large area indicating it broke up in-flight

All 298 passengers and crew on board the plane were killed when the aircraft, which was flying from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur over an area in eastern Ukraine controlled by pro-Russian separatists.

The rebels in Ukraine have publicly denied responsibility for shooting down the aircraft.

But the preliminary findings are consistent with the claims it had been hit by a ground-to-air missile.

Newcastle fans Liam Sweeney and John Alder were among the victims

Tjibbe Joustra, chairman of the Dutch Safety Board, said: "The MH17 crash has shocked the world and raised many questions.

"The Dutch Safety Board wishes to determine the cause of the crash, for the sake of the loved ones of the victims and for society at large.

"The initial results of the investigation point towards an external cause of the MH17 crash.

"More research will be necessary to determine the cause with greater precision.

A memorial in Kuala Lumpur to the victims of both MH17 and MH370

"The Safety Board believes that additional evidence will become available for investigation in the period ahead."

The body aims to publish its final report into the crash by next July.

Only 193 of those on board the Malaysia Airlines jet have been positively identified, including Newcastle United fans Liam Sweeney, 28, and John Alder, 63, who were travelling to New Zealand to watch their team play.

Forensic teams are still trying to identify remains found in the wreckage of the aircraft.

Most of those on board were Dutch, but there were also people from Malaysia, Canada, Germany, Indonesia, New Zealand, the Philippines and the UK.

The crash occurred just months after the still-unexplained disappearance of Malaysia Airlines flight MH370.

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Ayatollah Ali Khamenei Has Prostate Surgery

Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is recovering in hospital after having prostate surgery, state media has said.

The country's official news agency, IRNA, described the operation which took place this morning as "routine" and said it was successful.

The 75-year-old leader was admitted to a government hospital in the capital Tehran, IRNA reported.

Mr Khamenei has the final say on all state matters in Iran.

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has been Iran's top leader since 1989

Media reports on the state of his health are extremely rare.

The Ayatollah has been the country's top leader since the death in 1989 of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, who led the Iranian revolution.

Iranian state television said that, before he went in for the surgery, Mr Khamenei told the station that there was "no room for concern".

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Russia Threatens To Block Flights Over Sanctions

Russia has warned that it will hit back against the West if tougher sanctions are imposed over the conflict in Ukraine - as a shaky ceasefire in the region holds.

Dmitry Medvedev blamed countries backing Ukraine for damaging the Russian economy with "stupid" sanctions and suggested Moscow could retaliate by stopping flights over Russian airspace.

The Russian prime minister told the Vedomosti newspaper Russia may have been too patient in responding to sanctions imposed so far by the United States and European Union over the Kremlin's role in Ukraine - and warned the mistake would not be repeated.

He said: "If there are sanctions related to the energy sector, or further restrictions on Russia's financial sector, we will have to respond asymmetrically. 

Russia PM Dmitry Medvedev suggested Moscow may have been too patient

"If Western carriers have to bypass our airspace, this could drive many struggling airlines into bankruptcy. This is not the way to go.

"We just hope our partners realise this at some point."

A new package of EU-agreed sanctions, which would hit oil and gas giants Rosneft and Gazprom, is due to come into force on Monday but could be suspended if Russia is judged to be working towards a resolution of the Ukraine conflict.

A ceasefire agreed on Friday by envoys from Ukraine, the leadership of pro-Russian separatists fighting Kiev government forces, Russia and Europe's OSCE security watchdog has been tested by fighting in eastern Ukraine.

A tentative truce is to be holding amid tension around Donetsk and Mariupol

OSCE chair Thomas Greminger said on Monday that the truce was holding, although "it is still shaky".

Ukrainian forces said they had come under sporadic fire overnight from pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine and listed rebel violations of the agreement in five sites, while the separatists accused government forces of preparing to storm a town near rebel-held Donetsk, the region's industrial hub.

There were no reports of any overnight casualties.

Both the rebels and the Ukrainian military insist they are strictly observing the ceasefire and blame their opponents for any violations.

One woman was killed after shelling resumed near the port of Mariupol on Saturday, while the area around Donetsk airport was hit by blasts on Sunday.

Before the ceasefire was agreed in Minsk, Russian-backed separatists had been advancing on Donetsk airport and Mariupol - a key city between Russia and Crimea, which Moscow annexed in March.

The Ukraine crisis could provide a tense backdrop to talks on Thursday between Russia and the US over a 1987 arms treaty agreement - which a Russian general suggested pulling out of earlier this year.

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Inside The House Where Pistorius Killed Reeva

Sky News has gained access to the house where Oscar Pistorius shot dead his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, as the athlete prepares to learn the outcome of his murder trial.

The double amputee, 27, has denied murdering Ms Steenkamp, 29, on Valentine's Day last year at his home in Pretoria.

Pistorius has sold the property to pay his legal bills and removed his belongings from the house.

Sky's Special Correspondent Alex Crawford said: "The house is a shell now, cleared of all his belongings, including his medals and running trophies.

"It's a silent, empty reminder of the event which changed his life for ever and violently cut short his model girlfriend's."

The model died after Pistorius fired four bullets from a 9mm pistol through the toilet door.

Pistorius has sold his Pretoria home to pay his legal bills

Pistorius has said he believed there was an intruder behind the door but prosecutors have been pushing for him to be convicted of premeditated murder. 

Judge Thokozile Masipa is due to explain her verdict on Thursday after a trial that has lasted six months.

Reeva Steenkamp died on February 14, 2013, after being shot

Barry Roux, defending Pistorius, has argued he had no motive for killing his girlfriend and said the athlete's disability meant he could not be expected to respond like an able-bodied person to the fear associated with an intrusion.

But prosecutor Gerrie Nel alleges the gold medallist intended to shoot and kill Ms Steenkamp when he fired into the toilet where she was hiding after they had an argument.

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Residents Fearful Amid Fragile Ukraine Truce

Deep Divisions Amid Fragile Ukraine Peace

Updated: 12:27pm UK, Saturday 06 September 2014

By Katie Stallard, Moscow Correspondent in Mariupol

Ceasefire is a temporary state. It's not the same as lasting peace.

What has been agreed so far is a halt in the bloodshed - the reasons people took up arms in the first place have so far not been addressed.

The Ukrainian President sounds optimistic - a prisoner exchange could begin as soon as this weekend, a second Russian aid convoy could be allowed in.

The self-proclaimed prime minister of the separatist Luhansk People's Republic is less encouraging.

He said the status of the people's republics had not been discussed, and the ceasefire should not be taken to mean they had abandoned their plans to separate from Ukraine.

The commander of one of the pro-Ukrainian battalions outside Mariupol said they would use the time to regroup and retrain.

The divisions run deep, and not just among the militia.

Plenty of people in the east did not support the winter revolution - from their perspective what they saw was their democratically elected president overthrown, and a government now in Kiev they believe seized power in a coup d'etat.

Some want more regional autonomy, others want their region to secede and join Russia.

On the other side are the pro-Ukrainians who fought for the future of their country on the Maidan, some of whom have now joined volunteer battalions in the east.

They have already seen part of their country annexed by President Vladimir Putin, and believe the Russian army is fighting on the side of the rebels, intervening in their sovereign state.

They want their country to be united, to be allowed to move towards the European Union, and they want their land back.

Militarily we're back to relative stalemate - that in itself is quite a reversal of fortunes.

A couple of weeks ago it seemed the Ukrainian army was in the ascendant - the rebels seemed to be on the backfoot, retreating and largely restricted to the centres of Luhansk and Donetsk.

Over the course of the last fortnight, the rebels have had a sudden and mysterious resurgence - opening a new front in the south threatening the strategic port city of Mariupol, and simultaneously taking villages and towns to the east of the regional capital Donetsk.

Now it's the Ukrainian army losing ground, and the overall balance is roughly back to where it was.

Kiev says that's because Russia is sending troops and equipment across the border - not in sufficient quantities to look like an overt invasion and force the west to act, but enough to stop the rebels from being defeated.

The Kremlin insists any Russian soldiers in Ukraine are either on holiday or lost.

A return to stalemate would quite suit President Putin.

He doesn't necessarily need the rebels to win, and he doesn't seem to want to occupy, and have to defend, eastern Ukraine.

A frozen conflict, that could be thawed as and when necessary, could be just fine.

In terms of domestic Russian politics, President Putin doesn't want the Maidan revolution to be followed by success - his administration has long feared a colour revolution, in the manner of Ukraine or Georgia, fomenting outside the Kremlin walls in Moscow.

Much better that that revolution is synonymous in Russian minds with violence and chaos.

Russian state TV is pushing that narrative heavily at home.

In terms of broader geopolitics, the Kremlin doesn't want a united Ukraine leaving its sphere of influence to join the EU, and maybe one day Nato.

They don't want to find Nato bases on their western border in five years' time.

Keeping a level of control of the east, and an insurgency that has not been defeated, could give Moscow just the leverage it needs.

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Ukraine Ceasefire Threatened By New Fighting

Residents Fearful Amid Fragile Ukraine Truce

Updated: 12:15pm UK, Sunday 07 September 2014

By Katie Stallard, Moscow Correspondent, in Mariupol

On the outskirts of Mariupol you could see the remains of Ukrainian artillery still smouldering.

We saw them recovering another piece that had been abandoned in a field.

In the middle of the main road, east outside the city, there is a Ukrainian army tank.

It has ended up disabled in what were meant to be its own side's defences - a tank trap incongruously painted with anti-war slogans and doves of peace.

The force of the impact had flung the barrel right round and destroyed part of a huge concrete block.

On one side of the tank the crew had written "Glory" and "Death to the enemies!" On the other it said "To Moscow!"

Further up the road we found the new rebel front line - they've advanced about 15 kilometres west in three days.

They turned us around and told us to leave.

We saw a T-80 battle tank dug in to the corner of the field behind them.

The pro-Russian rebels are now just a few hundred metres outside the village of Shyrokyne.

We found Ukrainian positions above the village unmanned, the hills leading up to them pockmarked with the impact of artillery fire.

One shell had landed just outside a church - its windows were shattered by shrapnel.

Another had hit a house nearby.

Tamara Spitsa, a retired music teacher, told Sky News she had never imagined this could happen in her village.

"We were hiding in the bathroom with my husband when they started shooting, very loud explosions, shrapnel like this hit my house and broke the roof."

Another man, who gave his name as Andrei, said there was no electricity in the village now.

"Scared is not the right word," he said of his feelings during the shelling.

"[President] Poroshenko should sit right here in the cellar with Litsenko [the Ukrainian Security Council spokesman] - they should be right here and then ask them if they're scared or not?

"Everyone was hiding in their cellars."

In the next village a mortar landed in front of the school, showering the canteen with fragments.

The force sliced branches off trees in the playground.

A woman was killed nearby by a mortar outside her house. She had worked selling vegetables in the market.

Her neighbour, Viktor, blamed the Ukrainian side for firing from outside their village.

"Two Grad rockets came this way," he said, "They started shooting on the rebels' positions on the outskirts.

"As a result they started answering and here is the result - we have people who are dead and injured."

We saw them digging fresh graves in the village cemetery - they want to lay the dead to rest while the ceasefire lasts.

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Iraq: US Launches Airstrikes Around Vital Dam

The US has launched airstrikes around Haditha Dam, targeting Islamic State (IS) militants in the area for the first time.

IS, which is also known as ISIS or ISIL, is trying to capture the vital dam in the west of the country.

US officials say that while Anbar Province remains in control of the Iraqis, the offensive is an effort to push back fighters who have been trying to take over dams across the country.

Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said: "At the request of the Government of Iraq, the US military today conducted coordinated air strikes against Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) terrorists in the vicinity of the Haditha Dam in Anbar province.

IS fighters have also tried to take Mosul Dam in the north of the country

"We conducted these strikes to prevent terrorists from further threatening the security of the dam, which remains under control of Iraqi Security Forces, with support from Sunni tribes."

US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said the four airstrikes had been carried out at the request of the Iraqi government.

He said: "If that dam would fall into ISIL's hands or if that dam would be destroyed, the damage that that would cause would be very significant and it would put a significant, additional and big risk into the mix in Iraq."

Sheik Ahmed Abu Risha, the leader of a pro-Iraqi government paramilitary force said the strikes were "very accurate".

US airstrikes drove IS fighters from Mosul Dam last month

He said: "There was no collateral damage ... If Islamic State had gained control of the dam, many areas of Iraq would have been seriously threatened, even Baghdad."

It is Washington's first offensive in Anbar province since it started hitting IS forces in the north of the country in August.

Since then the US has conducted more than 130 airstrikes.

IS fighters tried to capture Haditha Dam, which has six power generators located alongside the country's second largest reservoir, last month.

Iraqi forces supported by Sunni tribes held them off.

A F/A-18E comes in to land after striking targets in Iraq

IS took control of the Mosul Dam in northern Iraq last month, but US airstrikes helped to dislodge them.

The militants seized a dam outside Falluja in April and flooded areas on the rural outskirts of western Baghdad, forcing thousands of people to leave their homes.

IS has overrun large areas of northern Iraq and declared a cross-border Islamic caliphate (state), including territory it controls in neighbouring Syria.

Iraq's government has meanwhile welcomed US President Barack Obama's plan for an international coalition against the jihadists, calling it a "strong message of support".

Mr Obama outlined the plan at this week's Nato summit, amid growing international concern about IS.

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