IS Threatens To Kill American Hostage Next

By Dominic Waghorn, US Correspondent

Islamic State (IS) has threatened to kill American hostage Peter Kassig next, after releasing a video showing the murder of British aid convoy volunteer Alan Henning.

The former soldier appeared at the end of a YouTube clip which showed the killing of Mr Henning by IS, which is also known as ISIS or ISIL.

An IS fighter says in the video: "Obama, you have started your aerial bombardment in Sham. So it's only right we continue to strike the necks of your people."

Speaking after the video was released, President Barack Obama said: "The United States strongly condemns the brutal murder of United Kingdom citizen Alan Henning by the terrorist group ISIL.

"Mr Henning worked to help improve the lives of the Syrian people and his death is a great loss for them, for his family and the people of the United Kingdom.

"Standing together with our UK friends and allies, we will work to bring the perpetrators of Alan's murder - as well as the murders of Jim Foley, Steven Sotloff and David Haines - to justice.

Peter Kassig set up his own charity to deliver aid to Syrians

"Standing together with a broad coalition of allies and partners, we will continue taking decisive action to degrade and ultimately destroy ISIL."

Lisa Monaco, Homeland Security adviser to the White House, described Mr Henning's murder as "yet another clear example of the brutality of this group", which has previously killed two American journalists - James Foley and Steven Sotloff.

Video: 'Another Example Of IS Brutality'

Mr Kassig, who is in his mid-20s and from Indiana, went to the region to volunteer in hospitals in Lebanon after serving in Iraq.

After spending time in Lebanon, Mr Kassig then set up his own charity to deliver aid to Syrians - Special Emergency Response and Assistance (SERA).

Mr Kassig was undertaking a project for SERA when he was detained on 1 October 2013 on his way to Deir Ezzour in eastern Syria.

Video: IS Hostage Alan Henning Beheaded

His family say that Mr Kassig has converted to Islam since being captured and has taken on the first name Abdul-Rahman.

Former hostages have told them that his faith has given him comfort in captivity.

In a statement his parents, Ed and Paula Kassig, said: "The Kassig family extends our concern for the family of Alan Henning.

Video: Terry Waite: Beheading 'Tragic'

"We have read about his work and his generous character with great respect and admiration.

"We ask everyone around the world to pray for the Henning family, for our son, and for the release of all innocent people being held hostage in the Middle East and around the globe."

SERA has suspended operations while efforts continue to secure Mr Kassig's release.

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United Outrage Over Alan Henning Murder

Condemnation of Alan Henning's murder has been swift and fierce, with the Prime Minister calling the killing "repulsive" and Muslim leaders labelling it "despicable and offensive".

David Cameron said the beheading shows "just how barbaric and repulsive these terrorists are" and vowed to "hunt down these murderers and bring them to justice".

"My thoughts and prayers tonight are with Alan's wife Barbara, their children and all those who loved him," said Mr Cameron, who has just increased the jets targeting IS in Iraq from six to eight.

Labour leader Ed Miliband described the killing as "appalling and barbaric", while Deputy PM Nick Clegg said the UK was "resolved to defeat this evil".

RAF jets this week launched their first attacks against IS positions in Iraq after MPs voted overwhelmingly for military action.

Alan Henning went on several aid trips to Syria

They have carried out strikes against IS targets on four missions, destroying vehicles, command and control positions and machine gun posts.

Outspoken Respect MP George Galloway also took to Twitter to condemn what he described as "a depraved Satanic act committed by devils in human form".

Video: Islamic State: Audio Of Threat

President Barack Obama, who has seen two of his own citizens killed on camera by a masked IS militant, led international revulsion, condemning the "brutal murder".

"Standing together with our UK friends and allies, we will work to bring the perpetrators of Alan's murder - as well as the murders of Jim Foley, Steven Sotloff and David Haines - to justice."

He added: "Mr Henning worked to help improve the lives of the Syrian people and his death is a great loss for them, for his family and the people of the United Kingdom,"

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1. Gallery: Profile: Alan Henning

   Alan Henning, 47, was born in Salford, Greater Manchester. Friends gave him the nickname "gadget" due to his love of technology

2. He was married for 23 years and he had a teenage son and daughter

3. He worked as a self-employed taxi driver

4. Mr Henning saw the plight of Syrian people and volunteered with a Muslim charity. He had been to the region at least three times

5. He drove life-saving medical equipment from the UK to Syria in old ambulances. He left in December 2013 to make the 4,000-mile trip

6. He was kidnapped by IS in Syria by masked men. He may have been held in Ad Dana near Aleppo, then Raqqa

Meanwhile, French President Francois Hollande said he was "outraged by the heinous crime" and vowed that his country would continue their own airstrikes against IS.

Senior Muslim figures in the UK, whose direct appeals to the terror group to free Mr Henning fell on deaf ears, also hit out at the killing, labelling the group as having "no regard for Islam".

"It is quite clear that the murderers of Alan Henning have no regard ... for the Muslims around the world who pleaded for his life," said Dr Shuja Shafi, Secretary General of the Muslim Council of Britain.

Video: Wife Pleads For Henning's Release

"Alan was a friend of Muslims, and he will be mourned by Muslims," he added.

"They are nothing but criminals," said Sughra Amed, the President of the Islamic Society of Britain.

She told Sky News: "Every Muslim I know, or have come across, or have seen commenting on this in the public eye has said exactly that."

Video: 'Another Example Of IS Brutality'

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PM Vows Justice For Alan Henning's Killers

David Cameron has vowed to do "everything we can" to "hunt down" Alan Henning's killers and bring them to justice.

Mr Cameron, who arrived back in the UK on Friday night after visiting troops in Iraq, has been meeting with officials from the Foreign Office, intelligence agencies and the military at Chequers, his official country residence.

He said: "We must do everything we can to hunt down and find the people who are responsible for this."

And he added: "We will use all the assets we have as we have been up to now to try and find these hostages, to try and help these hostages, to help their families and do everything we can to defeat this organisation which is utterly ruthless, senseless and barbaric in the way it treats people."

The Prime Minister also paid tribute to Mr Henning for his "kindness, peacefulness and gentleness".

Video: Even Al Qaeda Could Not Free Alan

A video lasting one minute and 11 seconds and titled Another Message To America And Its Allies, was posted on YouTube on Friday evening.

It shows Mr Henning, a taxi-driver who was captured on an aid mission in Syria on Boxing Day, kneeling in front of a knife-wielding militant in a desert setting before being beheaded in front of the camera.

Mr Henning, who is dressed in red, says: "I am Alan Henning. Because of our Parliament's decision to attack the Islamic State, I, as a member of the British public, will now pay the price for that decision."

Video: Latest Analysis: Sky's Joey Jones

The masked killer, who speaks with a British accent and is believed to be the man responsible for previous beheadings, makes a direct statement to Mr Cameron: "The blood of David Haines was on your hands, Cameron. Alan Henning will also be slaughtered, but his blood is on the hands of the British Parliament."

Last week MPs voted by a majority of 481 to join the US-led coalition and take part in airstrikes against Islamic State fighters in Iraq.

At the end of the video another hostage, a former US soldier turned charity worker believed to be Peter Edward Kassig, is paraded in front of the cameras. The militant in the video says Mr Kassig will be the next victim.

Video: Eccles Pastor: 'It's Gut-wrenching'

French president Francois Hollande spoke of his "outrage" at the killing, US president Barack Obama condemned the "brutal murder", and the United Nations Security Council described it as "heinous and cowardly".

The UK Muslim community condemned Mr Henning's murder, which came on the eve of the Islamic festival Eid Al-Adha - the "great day of mercy".

Leaders said it was a "cowardly and criminal act" and called for action to be taken to bring the terrorists to justice. They say they are struggling to understand why disaffected young people born and brought up in Britain are travelling to Syria to join Islamic State fighters.

Video: Terry Waite: Beheading 'Tragic'

There are fears the beheadings could lead to a backlash against the Muslim community.

Mr Henning's wife Barbara had made a number of emotional appeals to her husband's captors urging them to release him - most recently after they issued footage of him begging for his life.

In her appeal, Mrs Henning said: "Some say wrong time, wrong place. Alan was volunteering with his Muslim friends to help the people of Syria. He was in the right place doing the right thing."

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1. Gallery: Profile: Alan Henning

   Alan Henning, 47, was born in Salford, Greater Manchester. Friends gave him the nickname "gadget" due to his love of technology

2. He was married for 23 years and he had a teenage son and daughter

3. He worked as a self-employed taxi driver

4. Mr Henning saw the plight of Syrian people and volunteered with a Muslim charity. He had been to the region at least three times

5. He drove life-saving medical equipment from the UK to Syria in old ambulances. He left in December 2013 to make the 4,000-mile trip

6. He was kidnapped by IS in Syria by masked men. He may have been held in Ad Dana near Aleppo, then Raqqa

Bill Green, a pastor in Mr Henning's home town of Eccles, said the news had been "gut-wrenching" for the close-knit community. 

Kasim Jameel, from Bolton, who was with Mr Henning on the convoys, said: "Everyone that knew him from the convoys just can't stop crying, grown men with beards. We keep expecting him to come round the corner, and say, 'I was only joking'."

It comes as Bilal Abdul Kareem, who played part in the initial negotiations for Mr Henning's release when the father-of-two was first captured during an aid delivery in Syria, told Sky News even al Qaeda had tried to convince Islamic State fighters to release him.

Video: Wife Pleaded For Henning's Release

He said the terrorist group had tried to negotiate with the jihadists and added that even they had thought taking British aid workers hostages was "not a good idea".

:: Full coverage now on Sky News – watch Sky 501, Virgin Media 602, Freesat 202, Freeview 132.

Video: UK Muslims 'Disgusted'

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Hong Kong Leader Rejects Call To Stand Down

Hong Kong's leader has said his top official will meet protest leaders in a last-minute olive branch to avoid protesters taking over government offices.

Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters have taken over central Hong Kong streets since the weekend in the so-called "umbrella revolution".

The demonstrators had warned they would occupy buildings if Chief Executive CY Leung did not step down by 5pm BST on Thursday.

A few minutes before the deadline, Mr Leung told the media he would not be quitting and warned of serious repercussions if protesters followed through with their threat.

"In any place in the world, if there are any protesters that surround, attack, or occupy government buildings like police headquarters, or the chief executive's office ... the consequences are serious," he said.

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1. Gallery: Hong Kong Protest Deadline Passes

   Protesters had warned they would occupy government buildings if Hong Kong's leader did not step down by 5pm BST on Thursday

2. Thousands had gathered outside his office to hear his last-minute news conference

3. CY Leung avoided potential clashes by offering talks between his government and pro-democracy protesters - but he refused to quit

4. Joshua Wong, leader of the student pro-democracy group scholarism, speaks to the crowds after the chief executive's speech

5. Demonstrators are angry over plans that will see them having to choose their leader from among approved Communist candidates. Continue on for more pictures

6. A protester holds an umbrella to protect the police from rain during a confrontation outside the legislative government complex

7. A pro-democracy demonstrator holds a placard

8. As the sun comes up, a protester reads a book at a sit-in blocking the entrance to the Chief Executive's office

9. Protesters sleep next to a barricade blocking the entrance to the office

10. Pro-democracy demonstrators recycle plastic bottles at a collection point in Hong Kong

11. A man jogs past plastic bottles collected by demonstrators

12. People look at messages of support displayed on a wall outside the government headquarters

14. Hong Kong police stand guard as protesters confront them outside the legislative government complex

16. Student protesters sleep as the stand-off continues

19. A man stands near umbrellas, which have become the symbol of this protest

But Mr Leung said his top civil servant, Chief Secretary Carrie Lam, would hold talks with protesters to discuss "constitutional development".

"I hope both sides will be satisfied," said Ms Lam.

"Students had wanted a public meeting but I hope that we can have some flexibility to discuss details."

The Hong Kong Federation of Students agreed to join the talks, focused specifically on political reforms.

They reiterated that Mr Leung resign, saying he "had lost his integrity".

Occupy Central, a wider pro-democracy group that had joined the protests, also welcomed the talks and also insisted that Mr Leung quit.

Video: Hong Kong: One Country, Two Systems

The protesters have been railing against plans that will force them to choose their leader from among approved communist loyalists in 2017.

Tensions were high ahead of Mr Leung's last-minute news conference after police had earlier been seen carrying what appeared to be supplies of rubber bullets and riot gear.

Police used tear gas and baton charges when the protests began last weekend.

Demonstrators - most of them students or young people - have taken to carrying umbrellas and wearing goggles and plastic macs as makeshift protection against another gas attack.

So far, however, the protests clogging the centre of Hong Kong have been mainly peaceful.

Sky News Correspondent Jonathan Samuels, at the scene, said thousands had gathered outside Mr Leung's office to hear his statement.

Video: How Protesters Use Social Media

Despite the leader refusing calls to step down, Samuels said the atmosphere remained calm with chanting but no signs of trouble.

"It seems to have brought both sides a little more time," said Samuels.

David Cameron told Sky News he is "deeply concerned" about the situation in the former British colony, which was handed back to China in 1997.

China has issued a stern warning to other countries not to meddle in its affairs.

Hong Kong now operates under Beijing's control using the principle of "one country, two systems".

People in the bustling financial centre are allowed far more freedom than those on the Chinese mainland, such as the right to demonstrate.

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How Long Will China Tolerate Hong Kong Unrest?

The direction of Hong Kong's protests will now probably be determined by two factors: Beijing's patience and the protesters' continued cohesion.

It's important to remember that neither side is looking for trouble. The protest leaders have made that clear throughout with consistent and repeated reminders to their numbers to keep it peaceful.

And despite the miscalculated use of tear gas last weekend, the Hong Kong authorities (and by extension the central government in Beijing) don't want violence on Hong Kong's streets.

But against that, is the length of time that Beijing is willing to allow this 'disobedience' to continue. Other than offering talks, it's almost inconceivable that Beijing would yield to any of the protesters' demands.

So, will the protesters sit it out? And if they do, what happens then?

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1. Gallery: Hong Kong Protest Deadline Passes

   Protesters had warned they would occupy government buildings if Hong Kong's leader did not step down by 5pm BST on Thursday

2. Thousands had gathered outside his office to hear his last-minute news conference

3. CY Leung avoided potential clashes by offering talks between his government and pro-democracy protesters - but he refused to quit

4. Joshua Wong, leader of the student pro-democracy group scholarism, speaks to the crowds after the chief executive's speech

5. Demonstrators are angry over plans that will see them having to choose their leader from among approved Communist candidates. Continue on for more pictures

6. A protester holds an umbrella to protect the police from rain during a confrontation outside the legislative government complex

7. A pro-democracy demonstrator holds a placard

8. As the sun comes up, a protester reads a book at a sit-in blocking the entrance to the Chief Executive's office

9. Protesters sleep next to a barricade blocking the entrance to the office

10. Pro-democracy demonstrators recycle plastic bottles at a collection point in Hong Kong

11. A man jogs past plastic bottles collected by demonstrators

12. People look at messages of support displayed on a wall outside the government headquarters

14. Hong Kong police stand guard as protesters confront them outside the legislative government complex

16. Student protesters sleep as the stand-off continues

19. A man stands near umbrellas, which have become the symbol of this protest

Here are a few factors to consider as the protests continue:

:: Leadership and unity

Although dedicated and motivated, the protest movement has no single leader, which could become a problem.

The movement is made up of three groups, all of whom have their own leadership: Occupy Central (a broad pro-democracy movement lead by Benny Tai), Scholarism (representing high school students led by Joshua Wong) and Hong Kong Federation of Students (representing university students led by Alex Chao Yong-kang).

As the stalemate continues, different groups could call for different tactics. The lack of a singular leadership spanning all the groups increases the prospect of a split.

:: Beijing's patience

The Chinese government does not want trouble; it would no longer be able to get away with a crackdown of the like seen in Tiananmen Square in 1989.

Video: Hong Kong Leader Refuses To Resign

China is a global player these days and despite significant human rights abuses, it is (surely) not about to slaughter unarmed protesters in Hong Kong.

But weighed against that, China cannot tolerate open-ended unrest.

It undermines the Communist leadership, shows weakness and could give the ideas to elements of the mainland population.

For now, a concerted programme of censorship is keeping the Chinese population in the dark about what's really happening in Hong Kong.

But for how long can that succeed? And for how long will Beijing put up with the protests?

Remember, no form of protest is tolerated over the border on the mainland.

Chinese President Xi Jinping will sit it out for a while, but if the protesters stay united and stand firm, a crunch point will come: tear gas, pepper spray, water cannon, rubber bullets?

Video: Protest Talks Buy Time In Hong Kong

:: The financial sector

Hong Kong is a key financial hub. With the exception of a blip in the stock market, when it opened up at a two-month low last Monday, the impact of the protests on the business community has been minimal.

Despite Chinese state media claims that the city is in turmoil with markets crashing, business life has continued largely as normal.

However, most of this past week has been a holiday period.

A key test of the patience and tolerance of the business community, who hold huge influence over the politics of the city, will come on Monday when businesses re-open again.

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PM Makes Last Visit To Afghan Combat Troops

By Alistair Bunkall, Defence Correspondent, at Camp Bastion

David Cameron has visited British combat troops in Afghanistan for the last time.

He flew to their Helmand base after meeting the country's new President Ashraf Ghani in Kabul.

Addressing the troops at Camp Bastion, the Prime Minister warned them that the fight against Islamist extremism will continue for many years.

He said: "I am afraid the work that you are doing here will go on in other parts of the world, maybe not in the same way, maybe not with troops on the ground.

"But the fact is that when we see the appalling extent of Islamist terrorism in terms of al Qaeda that disease is still present in so many parts of the world.

"I am afraid to say that this struggle against Islamist extremist terrorism, this is the struggle of our generation."

Mr Cameron arrived in Afghanistan for an unannounced visit early on Friday

Camp Bastion, until only very recently a fortress of occupation in the south of Afghanistan, is now a skeleton base and the last remaining British base in the country.

At the peak of the conflict, the UK had 137 bases in the country and 9,500 troops.

Video: PM Urges Taliban To End Violence

Only a few thousand remain and they will leave the country in the next few weeks.

The Prime Minister flew into the country overnight after making a surprise pit-stop in Cyprus to thank British troops who have carried out airstrikes on Islamic State extremists in Iraq.

His motorcade arrived at the presidential palace early on Friday ahead of meetings with President Ashraf Ghani - who was sworn into office four days ago after months of political turmoil.

At a joint news conference with Mr Ghani in the Afghan capital, Mr Cameron said Britain had "paid a heavy price" to secure stability and would always be a "strong partner and a good friend" to Afghanistan.

But he said there was no prospect of the UK going back to fight in Afghanistan.

Video: Ghani: 'We Will Remember Them'

"We are not going to send combat troops back to Afghanistan, because we have trained up an effective Afghan army and Afghan police force," he said.

Earlier, Mr Cameron announced two more RAF Tornado bombers would be joining the mission against IS in Iraq.

Mr Ghani thanked the families of the 453 British servicemen and women who have died while serving in Afghanistan.

He said: "They stood shoulder-to-shoulder with us, and we will remember them."

The trip comes days after Afghanistan's new president signed vital security agreements allowing foreign troops to remain in the country beyond the end of this year to train and mentor Afghan counterparts.

Video: PM: More Tornados Joining Fight

Mr Cameron held bilateral meetings with both President Ghani and his opponent in the elections, Abdullah Abdullah, who has been appointed chief executive in an power-sharing agreement that is hoped will bring peace to Afghanistan.

The Taliban has described it as a "US orchestrated sham".

But the Prime Minister warned the militants: "If the Taliban want to secure a role in the future of Afghanistan then they must accept that they have to give up violence and engage in the political process." 

President Ghani came to power at a risky moment for Afghanistan as foreign combat troops prepare to pull out at the end of the year.

Afghan forces will be responsible for their own security after 13 years of foreign occupation.

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1. Gallery: The Moment RAF Jet Attacks IS Truck

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

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

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

4. The targets were in the northwest of Iraq

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

6. A plume of smoke rose above the area

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

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

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

10. The aircraft began their combat missions on Saturday

International Security Assistance Force troops will remain in an advisory and mentoring role only while the British will operate the Officer Training Academy outside Kabul, nicknamed Sandhurst-in-the-Sand.

Special Forces soldiers will continue to operate in the country.

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Hong Kong Police Threaten 'Consequences'

Hong Kong police have warned of serious consequences if pro-democracy protesters charge or surround government buildings.

The demonstrators have given Hong Kong chief executive CY Leung until the end of Thursday (local time) to step down or face a significant escalation in the standoff.

Around 200 people gathered outside his office in the early hours as 50 police officers stood guard from behind metal barriers.

Police spokesman Steve Hui said urged the protesters to remain calm and restrained.

An occupation of buildings would mark a new stage in the peaceful demonstrations, raising fears police could again use tear gas to keep control.

A large crowd closed streets outside China's London embassy

China appears to be slowly losing patience with the protesters' refusal to move from the streets since late last week.

As the protesters gathered outside Mr Leung's office, the Communist Party-run newspaper People's Daily warned of "unimaginable consequences" if activists ignored calls to go home.

Video: Hong Kong Protests: Chat App Is Key

State TV, meanwhile, urged protesters to support efforts to "deploy police enforcement decisively" and "restore the social order in Hong Kong as soon as possible".

The demonstrators involved in the so-called "umbrella revolution" are railing against an order which means they will have to choose their leader, or chief executive, from among Communist Party loyalists chosen by Beijing.

Mr Leung has reportedly said he is willing to let the protests continue for weeks if necessary - but has refused to resign.

He was booed and heckled by hundreds of people on Wednesday as he arrived for a flag-raising event to mark China's National Day. People turned their back as the ceremony began.

Video: Hong Kong: One Country, Two Systems

Protester numbers swelled to the tens of thousands on the public holiday as many more people joined the student-dominated crowds.

A network of food and drink supply stations has formed as the demonstrators seemingly dig-in for the long haul.

Many are equipped with goggles, umbrellas and plastic macs in case police again resort to tear gas and baton charges, as they did at the weekend.

US Secretary of State John Kerry said he had "high hopes" authorities would use restraint, while David Cameron told Sky News he was "deeply concerned" about the situation in the former British colony.

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1. Gallery: Peaceful Protests In Hong Kong

   Student protesters shine lights as they chant pro-democracy slogans on the streets in Hong Kong

2. Thousands of pro-democracy supporters continue to occupy the streets surrounding Hong Kong's financial district

3. Protest leaders have set a deadline for 1 October for their demands to be met and are calling for open elections and the resignation of Hong Kong's Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying

4. The demonstrators have demanded full universal suffrage after Beijing said it would allow elections for the semi-autonomous city's next leader in 2017 but would vet the candidates, a decision branded a "fake democracy"

5. Pro-democracy demonstrators check their smartphones in the central district

6. Protesters let an ambulance go through the crowd

7. Some walk past the People's Liberation Army Garrison headquarters

8. Student protesters sleep on the streets

9. A protester covers her mouth with tape that reads "democracy"

10. A pro-democracy protester argues with a pro-Beijing demonstrator

11. Buses covered with messages of support stop at a main street at Mongkok shopping district

12. People look at messages left on a stranded bus by pro-democracy protestors

13. Hong Kong students create protest signs

14. Student pro-democracy group Scholarism organiser Joshua Wong (C) makes a gesture at the flag-raising Ceremony in Golden Bauhinia Square as part of China's National Day celebrations

15. Protesters rest on the street with placards outside the Hong Kong government complex

16. A Hong Kong student catches up with his school work during a quiet moment at the protest site

17. Protesters join hands during the National Day flag-raising ceremony attended by Hong Kong Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying

18. A pro-democracy protester (R) makes a gesture as a pro-Bejing supporter speaks to the public at a rally in Causeway Bay

19. Pro-democracy demonstrators gather near a ceremony marking China's 65th National Day

20. A sign announces that an Infiniti car dealership is closed temporarily "due to social unrest"

21. Hong Kong residents provide musical entertainment at the protest site

22. Umbrellas, which have come to symbolise the so-called 'Umbrella Revolution' of pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong, are hung up together next to the central government offices

23. A woman stands in front of a water distribution point

24. An "Umbrella Movement" sign is seen outside the Hong Kong Government Complex

25. Protesters look at placards on a fence outside the Hong Kong government complex

26. A couple take wedding photogtaphs in front of protesters

27. Demonstrators relaxing on the streets

28. Hong Kong student protesters help with the clean up recycling of the garbage during a quiet moment at the protest site

29. People walk through a highway tunnel barricaded off to traffic by pro-democracy protestors

30. Demonstrators chant slogans as they gather near National day festivities

31. People walk through the empty streets, where double decker buses and taxis usually drive by, near the venue for the National Day flag-raising ceremony

32. A Hong Kong student catches up with his school work during a quiet moment

33. Policemen stand guard as helicopters fly by displaying the Hong Kong (L) and Chinese national flag (R), near a ceremony marking China's National Day

34. A father stands next to his son as he shouts pro-democracy slogans

35. Demonstrators display placards

36. A student protester sleeps under umbrellas

37. A pro-democracy demonstrator stretches at a protest site

China has issued a stern warning to other countries not to meddle in its affairs.

"The Chinese government has very firmly and clearly stated its position. Hong Kong affairs are China's internal affairs," foreign minister Wang Yi told Mr Kerry ahead of talks.

Protesters also forced roads to be closed outside the Chinese embassy in London on Wednesday as a large crowd gathered peacefully to express their solidarity.

Around 5,000 people also massed in Taipei, the capital of Taiwan, a renegade province in the eyes of China's government.

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China May Be Using App To Spy On Protesters

A US security firm has claimed the Chinese government may be using smartphone apps to spy on pro-democracy protestors in Hong Kong.

The applications – disguised as tools created by activists – reportedly give an outside access to the phone's address book, call logs and other information.

Lacoon Mobile Security said the identities of the victims and the servers used "lead us to believe that the Chinese government are behind the attack".

The Chinese government has always denied carrying out cyber-espionage and insists it is one of the biggest victims of hacking attacks.

Lacoon said two similar "malicious and fake" apps were discovered – one targets Apple's iOS operating system, while the other targets Google's Android system.

Video: Hong Kong: One Country, Two Systems

It said the two apps appear to be related. Cross-platform attacks such as this are rare.

The company added that the "very advanced software" is "undoubtedly being backed by a nation state".

China is regarded as a leader in cyber warfare research.

Video: Hong Kong Protests: Chat App Is Key

In May, prosecutors in the US charged five Chinese military officers with cyberspying and stealing trade secrets from major American companies.

Meanwhile security firm Mandiant said last year it traced attacks on American companies to a military unit in Shanghai.

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Thai Murders: Man Admits Killing Britons

A Burmese man has confessed to the murders of British backpackers Hannah Witheridge and David Miller in Thailand, police said.

Mr Miller, 24, from Jersey, died from drowning and a blow to the head, while Miss Witheridge, 23, from Great Yarmouth, died from head wounds on Sairee beach last month.

Their semi-naked bodies were found on a beach on the southern island of Koh Tao, near where they were staying, in the early hours of September 15.

Officers near the scene where the backpackers' bodies were found

A bloodstained garden hoe, which is thought to be the murder weapon, was discovered nearby.

"The investigation has advanced considerably," deputy national police chief Lieutenant General Jaktip Chaijinda said.

Video: David Miller Seen On CCTV

"Three Burmese workers were detained and we took their DNA for testing. During the investigation one of them admitted to killing the two foreigners," he said.

He said the man who had confessed was being detained, but had not been arrested.

"We still have to wait for DNA tests results which we expect to have in 14 hours from now in order to confirm this," he added.

Reports suggested the man had been in detention since September 16 - the day after the killings.

Police had originally said they believed three men were involved in the attack.

On Wednesday, they revealed Miss Witheridge had been raped by her two killers, while a third man watched.

Two different semen samples were collected from her body.

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1. Gallery: Thailand Beach Murders

   The family of Hannah Witheridge in Thailand. Miss Witheridge was killed alongside David Miller on a beach on Koh Tao

2. Police outside the Ware family home on Jersey. Christopher and James Ware, who were childhood friends of Mr Miller, have been questioned in Thailand as part of the investigation

3. The pair suffered "gruesome" injuries, according to police

4. The victims were staying in this hotel

5. Thai police at the scene of the beach attack

Almost three weeks after the deaths police also announced they were offering a reward of more than £13,000 (700,000 baht) in an effort to catch the killers.

The island has a large community of migrant workers from neighbouring Myanmar, also know as Burma.

Thai authorities have been concerned the killings would lead to a further slump in tourism which has never recovered since the bloody protests on the streets of Bangkok that preceded a military coup in May.

On Tuesday, the country's tourism minister Kobkarn Wattanavrangkul announced plans to issue tourists with wristbands in the wake of the murders to help identify those who run into trouble.

Party curfews and restrictions on where they can be held are also being considered, as well as the idea of introducing a "buddy system" - pairing tourists with a local minder.

"The next step would be some sort of electronic tracking device, but this has not yet been discussed in detail," she said.

More follows...

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Mexico: 43 Students Still Missing After Shootings

Fears are growing for 43 students who vanished after shootings in Mexico that left six people dead and 25 wounded.

Some 57 students initially disappeared following a bout of violence in the town of Iguala in one of the country's poorest states last Friday and Saturday - but 14 have since turned up alive.

In one of the incidents, municipal police opened fire on three buses seized by the radical students, who are known to hijack buses, and had taken them to go home after a fundraising drive. Three students were killed.

State police officers armed with assault rifles guard Iguala's hospital

Survivors - some of whom are under armed guard in hospital - have claimed local police officers took away dozens of students in police cruisers and they have not been seen since, AFP reported.

Prosecutors said they were able to connect 22 officers who were detained to the six killings after ballistics tests linked their weapons to the shootings.

The officers are being investigated over the disappearances amid concerns the violence in one of Mexico's poorest states could be linked to organised crime, said state prosecutor Inaky Blanco. 

Student Andres Martinez recovers from his injuries in hospital

"Unfortunately most of Iguala's municipal police officers have links with organised crime," said Governor Angel Aguirre following reports unidentified masked gunmen were involved in some of the shootings.

He said street surveillance cameras captured officers taking away an unspecified number of students.

Francisco Ochoa, 18, told AFP he was among 14 students who managed to escape from a fourth bus stopped by police.

Troops check IDs against the list of those still missing

The group fled after the officers began to shoot in the air, he said. After hiding on the hills and other parts of town, they found other comrades in a marketplace.

"More patrol cars arrived from the right and the left, 12 to 13 of them," he said.

"I saw with my own eyes how they took away my comrades. I saw how they put 30-40 of them in patrol cars," he said at a wake attended by hundreds of people at the Raul Isidro teacher training school in Tixtla.

Students have held protests demanding justice over the deaths

Ramon Navarette, president of Guerrero's Human Rights Commission, raised hopes the 43 missing may still be alive, saying they could be hiding like the 14 students who reappeared.

"This tactic of dispersing to avoid harm or arrest is very frequent," he said.

Witnesses described a night of terror in Iguala.

Aureliano Garca Ceron, a 35-year-old taxi driver, had two passengers in his car in the early hours of Saturday when shots suddenly rang out.

"All I could see were the sparks of the guns," he said as he recovered from a broken leg shattered by a bullet.

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RAF Tornados Hit IS With Fresh Airstrikes

By Tom Parmenter, RAF Akrotiri, Cyprus

British jets have hit more Islamic State targets in Iraq as calls grow for further strikes against the group's Syrian strongholds.

The second round of airstrikes took place overnight west of Baghdad as RAF Tornado jets worked to support Iraqi Government forces below.

The Tornado crews identified a suspected Islamic state command and control position and fired four Brimstone missiles at two vehicles - one of which was an armed pick-up truck.

The Tornados landed safely at RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus before dawn.

The latest airstrikes were carried out by RAF Tornados based in Cyprus

A Ministry of Defence spokesman said: "Initial analysis indicates that the strikes were successful."

It is the second time RAF fighter jets have attacked IS positions, after a team took out a heavy weapon position and another armed truck on Tuesday.

1/10

1. Gallery: The Moment RAF Jet Attacks IS Truck

   The RAF has carried out its first airstrikes against Islamic State targets in Iraq. (All pictures: MoD)

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

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

4. The targets were in the northwest of Iraq

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

6. A plume of smoke rose above the area

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

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

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

10. The aircraft began their combat missions on Saturday

The MoD released footage of the aerial raids in support of Kurdish troops who were being attacked by IS insurgents in the northwest of the country.

The Brimstone missiles are often used to hit moving targets such as vehicles and cost around £105,000 each.

Five Brimstones have now been deployed so far, along with one Paveway bomb, which costs around £22,000.

Video: Tornado Returns From Strike Mission

Unlike the first strikes, the MoD said images of the latest attack would not immediately be released.

Security has been stepped up across Cyprus now British airstrikes have begun from RAF Akrotiri and security teams have been making checks outside the base itself.

The UK is supporting Iraqi and Kurdish forces battling Sunni Muslim extremists from IS, also known as ISIL and ISIS, which has taken over large parts of Iraq in recent months.

1/10

1. Gallery: RAF Tornados Pictured In Mission Over Iraq

   RAF Tornado GR4s were pictured over Iraq as they began their armed combat mission in support of Operation Shader

2. The images were taken as the Tornados were being refuelled in mid-air by a RAF Voyager aircraft

3. The Ministry of Defence says the Tornados are now flying daily over northern Iraq

4. They are supporting the US military in its efforts to target Islamic State militants

5. The RAF carried out two sorties over Iraq on Saturday

6. In both missions the fighter bombers did not use their weapons

7. But the Ministry of Defence said "invaluable intelligence" had been gathered using the planes' surveillance equipment

8. Click on to see more photos of the Tornados in action...

Despite IS also seizing territory in Syria, a vote in Parliament last Friday did not include the authorisation of airstrikes over the country.

But speaking at a fringe meeting at the Conservative conference in Birmingham, Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith said Cabinet ministers believe strikes against Syrian targets will also be necessary.

"I believe ultimately that is exactly what we will have to do ... The Prime Minister believes that. He said as much in his speech," he said.

Video: IS Threat: Baghdad 'Crisis Point'

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Twelve More Bodies Found On Deadly Japan Volcano

The death toll from the Mount Ontake eruption in Japan has risen to 48, after a dozen more bodies were discovered on the summit.

At least 12 people, some buried in ash, were found in a state of cardiac arrest – but could not be confirmed dead until seen by a doctor.

Military helicopters have been bringing the bodies to the foot of the mountain, where anxious relatives of those still missing have been waiting for updates.

The recovery operation is far from over and a crisis management official has warned: "We believe there are more people still missing, but we don't know how many there are."

The rescue effort has turned into a recovery operation since Saturday

Police have received scores of reports about missing people since the surprise eruption on Saturday, with some estimates suggesting hundreds remain unaccounted for.

"We don't know if there are people buried deep down under accumulated ash," a spokesperson added.

Tuesday's rescue efforts were hampered by treacherous conditions on Mount Ontake, with poisonous gas and rising volcanic activity forcing the military to call off their search for the day.

Confirmation of the 12 new bodies makes the volcanic eruption Japan's deadliest since 1926.

Prior to the Mount Ontake explosion, there had been no fatalities from seismic activity since 1991, when 43 people were killed on Mount Unzen in south-west Japan.

With 48 people dead, it is Japan's deadliest volcanic eruption since 1926

Sayuri Ogawa, a mountain guide who survived the latest eruption, has described how rocks the sizes of a fridge were hurtling past as she sought refuge from the ash cloud.

"I couldn't breathe, and rocks kept falling down like rain," she said. "I thought I was going to die."

In recent days, footage has emerged of Japanese hikers desperately trying to outrun plumes of volcanic ash from Mount Ontake.

The group were filmed rushing to an emergency hut as rock and ash showered down on them – but as the billowing clouds edged closer, they were forced to protect their mouths and wait for visibility to return.

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Kurds Plead For Western Troops To Battle IS

'Nothing Token' About Britain's Iraq Mission

Updated: 10:31pm UK, Sunday 28 September 2014

Defence Secretary Michael Fallon has rejected claims Britain's role in the fight against Islamic State (IS) is a "token" gesture, as he confirmed RAF Tornados are now flying daily over northern Iraq.

He told Sky's Murnaghan programme the United States welcomes the contribution of six aircraft to the mission.

Mr Fallon said: "There's nothing token about this. On the contrary, I spoke to the American Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel immediately after the vote and he welcomed the contribution that we're now able to make.

"They need our help, not simply with the Tornados, which are now flying daily from Cyprus, but also from the surveyance aircraft that we have overhead and very sophisticated surveyance and intelligence to add to the operations of Iraqi and Kurdish forces."

His comments come after Richard Williams, a former commanding officer of the SAS who served in Bosnia, Iraq and Afghanistan, wrote in the Independent on Sunday the deployment of RAF bombers was a "military sugar rush" that "risks looking fearful and half-cocked".

Lieutenant Colonel Williams said the sending in of RAF bombers had "taken on a military and political significance out of all proportion to their real military value".

Lord Richards of Herstmonceux, a former head of the UK military who stepped down as chief of the defence staff last year, also told The Sunday Times that a campaign involving ground troops would be needed to crush IS.

The RAF carried out two sorties over Iraq on Saturday, followed by a third mission on Sunday, after Parliament cleared the way for airstrikes on IS militants in a vote on Friday.

The jets, which fly in pairs, returned to their base at RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus at the end of their hours-long missions with their weapons payload intact.

Sky's Tom Parmenter, who is at the base, says that two Tornados flying on Sunday took off from the base at midday.

Prime Minister David Cameron has said he also wants to make the case for targeting Syria.

In an interview with the Sunday Times, the Prime Minister revealed he would argue that targeting Syria is both legal and appropriate.

"There are complications but there aren't legal difficulties," he said.

Mr Cameron said he would respond to the challenge thrown down by Ed Miliband to seek a UN resolution supporting attacks in Syria, if only to show that his request is impossible.

"We have to demonstrate to people that we'd like a UN security council resolution but it's very difficult to get one and to demonstrate that what we propose is legal. Attempts have been made but there's the existence of a Russian veto."

Ministers had cautioned not to expect a campaign of "shock and awe" and that after weeks of US airstrikes in the area it could take time to identify new targets.

Mr Cameron insisted the involvement of RAF combat aircraft showed Britain was there to "play our part" in the international coalition being assembled against IS.

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Obama Admits US 'Underestimated' IS Threat

US intelligence agencies underestimated the threat posed by the Islamic State extremist group, Barack Obama has said.

The President also said that, conversely, the US overestimated the ability of the Iraqi army to fight the militants.

Speaking on a 60 Minutes interview on CBS, he said that militants took advantage of the "chaos of the Syrian civil war".

"And so this became ground zero for jihadists around the world."

The US Central Command released footage of airstrikes near Irbil in Iraq

Asked if the rapid rise of the group came as a surprise, Mr Obama responded: "I think, our head of the intelligence community, Jim Clapper, has acknowledged that I think they underestimated what had been taking place in Syria."

The President last week expanded US-led airstrikes, which began in Iraq in August, to Syria and he has been seeking to build a wider coalition effort to weaken IS.

The group has killed thousands and beheaded at least two US journalists and a Briton while seizing parts of Syria and northwestern Iraq.

Mr Obama outlined the military goal against IS, which is also known as ISIL or ISIS.

"We just have to push them back, and shrink their space, and go after their command and control, and their capacity, and their weapons, and their fuelling, and cut off their financing, and work to eliminate the flow of foreign fighters."

Mr Obama (R) with the new Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al Abadi at the UN

Mr Obama said the chances of success are greater in Iraq than they are in Syria.

"I think that right now, we've got a campaign plan that has a strong chance for success in Iraq. I think Syria is a more challenging situation," he said.

In Syria, the US also faces the risk of inadvertently helping Bashar al Assad as it battles IS.

"I recognise the contradiction in a contradictory land and a contradictory circumstance," Mr Obama said.

"We are not going to stabilise Syria under the rule of Assad," whose government has committed "terrible atrocities", he said.

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IS Fighters Smuggled Into Syria For Just £15

By Sherine Tadros, Middle East Correspondent

For tens of thousands of Syrians, the Kilis border crossing is the official way in and out of Turkey from Syria.

But if you're an Islamic State fighter, Kilis is not an option.

Abu Mustafa (not his real name) is a Syrian people smuggler. He says he's helped hundreds of IS fighters get into Syria.

He's also brought militants - some of them injured - back out.

He took us to the spot where the smuggling happens several times a day, he says, and it didn't take long to see it in action.  

We waited on the side of the road barely 10 minutes before we saw a white car speed across the open field towards the border.

The Kilis border crossing is the official way into Syria from Turkey

The car stopped halfway there and six men got out each holding a big bag. The car sped off and the men headed towards the fence.

We couldn't tell if they were fighters or Syrians without passports, but they were illegally crossing into Syria.

Moments later, more people appeared at the border. It looked like a family including a woman and child.

This time the military police saw them and chased one man, possibly the smuggler, along the fence. 

And the reward for taking such a risk? Abu Mustafa charges just £15 per fighter.

He said: "Last time they caught three people there were seven in total trying to get across among them Turks and Arabs.

A people smuggler talks to Sky's Sherine Tadros

"But the three that got caught were foreigners. They spoke English and the police took them away.

"They often cross with their families - their wives and children. They tell us we're coming to fight with Islamic State and live there.

"Some of them don't even know where exactly they're going, they just say, we are going to the Islamic State."

It's a common story. Abu Ahmed fought with IS for 10 months in northwestern Syria.

We met him in Turkey where he agreed to speak with us as long as we covered his face and changed his name.

He joined IS at the start because they were the most effective force fighting Syrian President Bashar al Assad.

But when they turned against the Free Syrian Army (FSA) he left the group.

He explained why so many foreign fighters join the group.

"They go to Syria to be martyred, they say their former lives are over and there is no going back. Most of them rip up and throw away their passports when they arrive."

Abu Ahmed also thinks US-led airstrikes against IS are backfiring, bringing extremist groups closer together.

"After the recent strikes, more fighters are joining IS - like the Nusra Front. I know some of them who have joined," he said.

Abu Ahmed doesn't have much hope for Syria's future, or his own.

He thinks the situation is out of hand and too many players have a vested interest in keeping the war going.

"What will happen next?" he said. "Only God knows."

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Jordanians Fear IS Backlash After Airstrikes

By Tom Rayner, Middle East Reporter, in Amman

Jordan's involvement in the US-led airstrikes against Islamic State targets has led to growing concerns in the country of a potential backlash.

Reports of IS banners in areas like the eastern city of Ma'an have fuelled fears of destabilisation by a force wreaking havoc in neighbouring Syria and Iraq.

The installation of a public siren system in parts of capital Amman, days after Jordan confirmed it had carried out strikes, sparked panic on social media.

Fears the alert system was an indicator of an imminent retaliation forced authorities to reassure the public the installations were part of a long-planned programme.

Authorities say installation of new sirens are no cause for panic

Brigadier General Fareed Shariah of the Jordanian Civil Defence Authority said the sirens were part of a "comprehensive system for exceptional situations".

"We can use it to deliver all kinds of audio messages, to warn people of snow, floods or even terrorist attacks - any incident that could harm the Jordanian people," Mr Shariah said.

Information Minister Mohammed Momani also took to state television to dismiss rumours that US and French citizens were warned to avoid malls in the capital.

He said the revised travel advice notices simply called for "heightened vigilance".

Amman's tolerant atmosphere is a contrast to some areas of Jordan where more conservative attitudes prevail.

Asile Moussa says she believes airstrikes are the 'right thing to do'

The fact that it has been the target of terrorist attacks in the past, means some residents are wary it could be targeted once again.

Murad Faouri, a doctor in the city, said he believed Jordan's involvement in airstrikes made it an "obvious" focus for a potential backlash.

"We are more exposed now, to more attacks, because we just tried to attack Da'ash [Islamic State], so it's obvious they will now just be thinking how they can hit us back," he said.

However, Asile Moussa, an architecture student, said she backed her government.

"It's a good thing. After all, we're fighting terrorism, around the globe. It's attacking us now, it's near to our borders, so therefore I believe it's the right thing to do," she said.

Freed radical preacher Abu Qatada may influence opinions in Jordan

But it is not just the chaos in neighbouring Iraq and Syria that threatens the country's long-term stability.

Jordan's domestic Salafist Muslim community could also play a role in destabilisation, through its sympathies with jihadist movements.

The recent release from Jordanian prisons of radical preachers Abu Qatada and Abu Mohammed al Maqdisi may come to have a significant bearing on events.

Both have issued condemnations of IS which could stunt growth of support for the group.

But they also bitterly condemn the US-led coalition of which Jordan is a part, and support the al Qaeda-affiliated rebel group Jahbat al Nusra, fighting in Syria.

If they choose to voice their opposition to the airstrikes, more loudly than their opposition to Islamic State, their influence could yet disrupt the balance in Jordan.

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Abu Qatada Says He's Forgotten About Britain

Timeline: Qatada Legal Battle

Updated: 10:35am UK, Wednesday 24 September 2014

Abu Qatada challenged and ultimately thwarted every attempt by the Government to detain and deport him for many years.

Here is a timeline of the legal battle.

1993: Abu Qatada claims asylum when he arrives in Britain on a forged passport.

1994: Allowed to stay in Britain.

1995: Issues a "fatwa" justifying the killing of converts from Islam, their wives and children in Algeria.

1998: Applies for indefinite leave to remain in Britain.

1999: April - Convicted in his absence on terror charges in Jordan and sentenced to life imprisonment.

October - Speaks in London advocating the killing of Jews and praising attacks on Americans.

2001: February - Arrested by anti-terror police over involvement in a plot to bomb Strasbourg Christmas market. Officers find him with £170,000 in cash, including £805 in an envelope marked "For the mujahedin in Chechnya".

December - Becomes one of Britain's most wanted men after going on the run from his home in west London.

2002: Arrested by police in a council house in south London and detained in Belmarsh high-security jail.

2005: Freed on conditional bail and placed on a control order but arrested again in August under immigration rules as the Government seeks to deport him to Jordan.

2008: April: Court of Appeal rules deportation would breach his human rights because evidence used against him in Jordan might have been obtained through torture.

May - Granted bail by the immigration tribunal but told he must stay inside for 22 hours a day.

June - Released from Long Lartin jail in Worcestershire and moves into a four-bedroom house in west London.

November - He is rearrested after the Home Office tells an immigration hearing of fears he plans to abscond.

December - Qatada's bail is revoked by the Special Immigration Appeals Commission (Siac) after hearing secret evidence that the risk of him absconding has increased.

2009: Five Law Lords unanimously back the Government's policy of removing terror suspects from Britain on the basis of assurances from foreign governments and it is ruled he can be deported to Jordan to face a retrial on the terror charges.

He is awarded 2,800 euro (£2,500) compensation by the European Court of Human Rights after the judges rule that his detention without trial in the UK under anti-terrorism powers breached his human rights.

2012: January - European judges rule he can be sent to Jordan with diplomatic assurances but not while "there remains a real risk that evidence obtained by torture will be used against him".

February - He is released on strict bail conditions.

April - Rearrested as the Government prepares to deport him after Jordan gives assurances it will "bend over backwards" to ensure he receives a fair trial.

March - Qatada's legal team loses its bid to have the case heard by the Europe's human rights judges, clearing the way for deportation proceedings to continue.

May and August - Siac rejects Qatada's applications for bail.

October - Siac holds appeal hearing.

November - His appeal is granted and he is granted bail.

December - Qatada is moved to a larger residence in the greater London area.

2013: March 9 - It emerges Qatada has been arrested for allegedly breaching his bail conditions. He is ordered to stay in custody and sent to Belmarsh.

March 21 - Police reveal the cleric is being investigated over extremist material.

March 27 - Home Secretary Theresa May loses her appeal over Siac's decision to allow Qatada to stay in the UK. The Home Office vows to appeal.

April 17 - The Home Office formally announces that it is seeking leave from the Court of Appeal to take the case to the Supreme Court.

April 22 - The Court of Appeal refuses permission to go to the Supreme Court, forcing the Home Office to appeal directly to the highest court in the land.

April 23 - Theresa May tells MPs she has signed a new treaty with Jordan that should pave the way to deportation, but warns it might take "many months".

May 10 - Qatada's barrister says he will go back to Jordan voluntarily if the treaty on the use of evidence obtained by torture, guaranteeing he will not be tortured, is ratified by the Jordanian parliament.

May 20 - Qatada is refused bail by the Special Immigrations Appeals Commission after "jihadist material" is found on a computer memory stick.

July 2 - The new treaty between Jordan and Britain is fully ratified, sparking claims Qatada could be on a plane within days.

July 3 - A Jordanian government official tells AFP the cleric is due back on Sunday.

July 7 - Flown from RAF Northolt to Jordan

December 10: Pleads not guilty to terrorism charges at a state security court in the Jordanian capital, Amman.

2014: June 26 - Acquitted of conspiracy to commit acts of terrorism over 1998 bomb plots allegations.

September 24 - Acquitted over plot to target Western tourists over the New Year in Jordan in 2000.

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'Nothing Token' About Britain's Iraq Mission

Defence Secretary Michael Fallon has rejected claims Britain's role in the fight against Islamic State (IS) is a "token" gesture, as he confirmed RAF Tornados are now flying daily over northern Iraq.

He told Sky's Murnaghan programme the United States welcomes the contribution of six aircraft to the mission.

Mr Fallon said: "There's nothing token about this. On the contrary, I spoke to the American Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel immediately after the vote and he welcomed the contribution that we're now able to make.

"They need our help, not simply with the Tornados, which are now flying daily from Cyprus, but also from the surveyance aircraft that we have overhead and very sophisticated surveyance and intelligence to add to the operations of Iraqi and Kurdish forces."

His comments come after Richard Williams, a former commanding officer of the SAS who served in Bosnia, Iraq and Afghanistan, wrote in the Independent on Sunday the deployment of RAF bombers was a "military sugar rush" that "risks looking fearful and half-cocked".

Lieutenant Colonel Williams said the sending in of RAF bombers had "taken on a military and political significance out of all proportion to their real military value".

Lord Richards of Herstmonceux, a former head of the UK military who stepped down as chief of the defence staff last year, also told The Sunday Times that a campaign involving ground troops would be needed to crush IS.

The RAF carried out two sorties over Iraq on Saturday after Parliament cleared the way for airstrikes on IS militants in a vote on Friday.

In both missions the Tornado GR4 fighter bombers did not use their weapons, although the Ministry of Defence said "invaluable intelligence" had been gathered using the planes' surveillance equipment.

An RAF Tornado takes off from the Akrotiri base on Sunday

The jets, which fly in pairs, returned to their base at RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus at the end of their hours-long missions with their weapons payload intact.

Sky's Tom Parmenter, who is at the base, says that two Tornados took off on another mission just after midday on Sunday.

Prime Minister David Cameron has said he also wants to make the case for targeting Syria.

RAF crew at the base on Saturday morning. Pic: MoD

In an interview with the Sunday Times, the Prime Minister revealed he would argue that targeting Syria is both legal and appropriate.

"There are complications but there aren't legal difficulties," he said.

Mr Cameron said he would respond to the challenge thrown down by Ed Miliband to seek a UN resolution supporting attacks in Syria, if only to show that his request is impossible.

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

"We have to demonstrate to people that we'd like a UN security council resolution but it's very difficult to get one and to demonstrate that what we propose is legal. Attempts have been made but there's the existence of a Russian veto."

Ministers had cautioned not to expect a campaign of "shock and awe" and that after weeks of US airstrikes in the area it could take time to identify new targets.

Mr Cameron insisted the involvement of RAF combat aircraft showed Britain was there to "play our part" in the international coalition being assembled against IS.

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