Burkina Faso's President Resigns After Riots

Burkina Faso's embattled president Blaise Compaore has been ousted, following days of protests against efforts to extend his rule.

In a statement read on the country's news and television stations, Mr Compaore said: "I declare a vacancy of power with a view to allowing a transition that should finish with free and transparent elections in a maximum period of 90 days."

He did not say who would take power until then but military chief General Honore Traore announced he has taken over as head of state.

Burkina Faso's parliament was dissolved on Thursday, however, and the military has been very visible during the recent crisis.

The official statement came just minutes after the army's Colonel Boureima Farta addressed thousands of protesters in front of the army headquarters saying: "As of today, Compaore is no longer in power."

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1. Gallery: Deadly Violence In Burkina Faso Protests

   Thousands of protesters have taken to the streets in Burkina Faso forcing President Blaise Compaore to scrap a plan to extend his 27-year rule

2. At least three protesters have been shot dead and several others wounded in the violence

3. The unrest has seen the parliament building set on fire and and state television offices ransacked

4. The government had proposed to change the law so that the president can be re-elected twice, sparking concerns other leaders in the region could follow suit

5. An anti-government protester suffered a gunshot wound in the capital Ouagadougou

6. The state television offices were taken over by demonstrators

7. The parliament building was also occupied before being torched

8. Demonstrators are demanding the president steps down

He was greeted with an outburst of cheering from the crowd in the former French colony.

Mr Compaore has been in power 27 years and had been seeking a change in the law to allow him to rule for longer.

The bid prompted rioting, with protesters taking over the national television station, setting the parliament building on fire and storming various other official buildings in the capital Ouagadougou.

Mr Compaore had on Thursday rejected calls for him to stand down, instead saying he would no longer seek another term but would stay in power until a transitional government had completed its work in 2015.

The European Union said the people of Burkina Faso must be able to decide their future.

A spokesman said the EU was "working with all actors on the ground to find a solution" and consulting with international partners over the crisis.

"We are ready to work with the people of Burkina Faso to ensure a return to normality, including the organisation of elections."

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One Dead As Virgin Galactic Spaceship Crashes

By Sky News US Team

One pilot has been killed and another is seriously injured after a Virgin Galactic spacecraft crashed on a powered test flight over California's Mojave Desert.

The tragedy occurred after SpaceShipTwo fired up its rocket following a high-altitude drop from Virgin Galactic's WhiteKnightTwo mothership.

The co-pilot suffered moderate to major injuries when he ejected from the rocket plane and parachuted to the ground.

Virgin Galactic, part of British billionaire Sir Richard Branson's Virgin Group, was aiming to begin tourist flights to the edge of space next year.

Company chief executive George Whitesides told a news conference: "Space is hard and today was a tough day."

SpaceShipTwo on an earlier flight

Stuart Witt, chief executive of the space port, said the cause of the crash was not clear.

Sir Richard said his thoughts were with all those at Virgin Galactic and partner business Scaled Composites.

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1. Gallery: Images Showing Wreckage Of SpaceshipTwo In The Mojave Desert

   SpaceShipTwo and its mother ship WhiteKnightTwo are pictured before the test flight. Pic: Virgin Galactic/Scaled Composites/Jason DiVenere

2. Part of the wreckage from the Virgin Galactic SpaceshipTwo lies in California's Mojave Desert after it crashed

3. Photographer Ken Brown said the craft was released from the plane that carries it to high altitude, ignited its rocket motor and then exploded

4. Two pilots were on board. California authorities said one died and the other was badly hurt

5. A witness said the space tourism craft exploded during a test flight over the desert

6. The aim of such flights was to assess SpaceShipTwo in preparation for suborbital trips to the edge of space about 62 miles above the Earth

7. Hundreds of people have already reserved seats and paid a deposit on the $250,000 (£156,000) ticket price for the flights. Pic: Virgin Galactic

8. After several delays, Sir Richard Branson's company had hoped to start taking passengers to the edge of space in 2015

9. But space expert Marco Caceres said: "You are not going to see any commercial space tourism flight next year or probably several years after that."

"Thanks for all your messages of support," he tweeted. "I'm flying to Mojave immediately to be with the team."

He is expected to arrive on Saturday morning.

The company said earlier in a statement to Sky News that SpaceShipTwo had "suffered a serious anomaly resulting in the loss of the vehicle". 

WhiteKnightTwo landed safely.

Virgin Galactic said it would work with the authorities to determine the cause of the accident. The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating.

Video: Space Crash 'An Incredible Tragedy'

It is the second disaster involving a US spacecraft this week.

On Tuesday, another private company's unmanned rocket exploded six seconds after launch on a resupply mission to the International Space Station.

Virgin Galactic's 60ft (18 metre) long SpaceShipTwo was testing a redesigned rocket motor as it made its first powered flight since January.

The rocket plane, which was attached to the underside of WhiteKnightTwo, took off at 9:19am local time (4:19pm GMT) on Friday from the Mojave Air and Space Port in California.

It is not the first accident involving SpaceShipTwo.

Video: Deadly Crash May Hit Space Tourism

During testing for the development of its rocket motor in July 2007, an explosion at the Mojave spaceport killed three workers and critically injured three others.

It is the commercial version of SpaceShipOne, the first private spacecraft to reach the edge of space in 2004, now on display at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington DC.

Virgin Galactic aims to become the world's first commercial "spaceline", sending customers willing to pay up to $250,000 (£156,000) for a short journey into zero gravity and a glimpse of the planet from the edge of space.

The company previously said it has accepted more than $80m (£50m) in deposits from hundreds of people who hope to be among the first space tourists.

British physicist Stephen Hawking, comedian Russell Brand, actors Leonardo DiCaprio and Ashton Kutcher, and singer Justin Bieber are said to have signed up. 

Video: Rocket To Space Station Explodes

After launching from New Mexico, it is envisaged that each spaceship will take six passengers on a journey of between two and three hours just over 62 miles (100km) from Earth.

Sir Richard has said he hopes eventually to build a hotel in space.

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Battle For Kobani: Iraqi Kurds Join The Fight

Iraqi Kurdish peshmerga fighters have crossed into Syria from Turkey to help defend the embattled town of Kobani from Islamic State militants.

Around 150 fighters cheered and brandished rifles as they made the short trip across the border. They were applauded by fellow Kurds who lined the road leading to Syria.

The fighters will join Syrian Kurds in Kobani who - backed by US-led airstrikes - have been engaged in fierce clashes against IS.

The fighters will reinforce Syrian Kurds battling IS in Kobani

Turkey finally gave in to US pressure to allow the Iraqi Kurdish forces to join the battle last week.

Ankara's decision was condemned by Damascus, which called it a "flagrant violation of Syrian sovereignty".

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1. Gallery: Kurds Celebrate Peshmerga's Kobani Mission

   Air strikes have been taking place ahead of the peshmerga's arrival to take part in the battle for Kobani

2. A series of explosions took place in Kobani on Wednesday morning

5. A Turkish army vehicle is seen in the foreground as smoke rises from Kobani following the air strikes

6. A Kurdish boy in Turkey welcomes the peshmerga with a US and Kurdistan flag painted face

7. Kurdish people in Turkey welcome fellow Kurdish fighters from Iraq

8. A peshmerga fighter makes the V for victory sign as their convoy arrives at the Habur crossing along the Turkey-Iraq border

9. The peshmerga appeared upbeat after receiving the authority of both Turkey and Iraq to travel to the under seige town

10. Crowds along the Kurdish section of the road lined the route to wish them well

11. About 150 peshmerga entered Turkey from Iraq, where they were due to travel on to Syria

12. A senior official in the Kurdistan Democratic Party said that a number of others were due to fly to Turkey and then travel on overland

13. The fighters were expected to reach Kobani late on Tuesday night

14. Many in Arbil, capital of Iraqi Kurdistan, celebrated late into the night

15. Kurdistan's Minister of Peshmerga, Mustafa Sayyid Qader, said there was no limit on how long the forces would remain in Kobani

16. Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu had said earlier that airstrikes alone would not be enough to push back the insurgents

The battle for Kobani, which has been under siege for six weeks, has left an estimated 800 people dead and forced over 200,000 people to flee into Turkey. 

Further fighting was reported by the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights on Friday, which said coalition airstrikes had destroyed IS artillery pieces and left a number of militants dead. 

"Kurdish fighters were able to advance towards an IS position in the north of the town after an operation that killed dozens of jihadists," it said.

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1. Gallery: US-Led Airstrikes on Kobani

   Smoke and flames rise over a hill near the Syrian town of Kobani after an airstrike, as seen from the Mursitpinar crossing on the Turkish-Syrian border in Sanliurfa province

2. US military forces again focused airstrikes on the area near the Syrian city in their campaign to turn back Islamic State forces and also hit oil facilities held by the militant group

7. Three IS fighters pray as others inspect a hill in the outskirts of Kobani

9. A Kurdish fighters position in the outskirts of the Syrian town

11. Members of media watch Kobani from a hill near the Mursitpinar border crossing

13. Syrians wait to cross to the northern Syrian city of Tal Abyad at the Akcakale border gate in Sanliurfa province, southeastern Turkey

14. Kurdish refugee children from Kobani in a camp in the southeastern town of Suruc

16. A Turkish army tank drives downhill, in front of ruins of Kobani

17. A Turkish flag flutters on the top of a silo in the Syrian town

18. Turkish Kurds watch Kobani from a hill near the Mursitpinar border crossing

Britain has so far limited its involvement in the US-led operation against IS to airstrikes in Iraq.

The Foreign Office (FCO) has warned that in light of the UK's contribution, Britons abroad could be targeted by possible revenge attacks.

It updated its travel advice to reflect a "heightened threat" of attacks across the globe from "groups or individuals motivated by the conflict in Iraq and Syria".

Video: IS Hostage Appears In New Video

The FCO urged all Britons living or travelling overseas to remain "vigilant," but specified that the move was not a response to a specific threat.

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1. Gallery: Human Cost Of Battle For Kobani

   A Syrian Kurdish woman and her children at a refugee camp at Suruc, Turkey. These images have emerged as Islamic State (IS) continues to fight for control of the border town of Kobani in Syria

2. Turkey dropped its refusal to allow Kurdish fighters over the border to defend besieged Kobani, saying it was now helping Iraqi peshmerga to cross the frontier in a major policy shift

3. A woman boils a kettle of tea as her children gather around in Suruc

4. Children try to get warm around the fire

5. Children look out from their tent

6. A Kurdish refugee child from the Syrian town of Kobani sits on a makeshift swing

7. A woman boils a pot of tea in front of her tent

8. The centre of Kobani is seen from near the Mursitpinar border crossing

9. A US-led coalition aircraft flies over Kobani

10. Smoke rises as bullets with tracers fly through the air after an explosion in Kobani during a reported suicide car bomb attack by IS militants

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Internet Tax Scrapped In Hungary After Protests

A controversial proposal for an internet tax in Hungary has been scrapped following mass demonstrations.

Prime Minister Viktor Orban said he was dropping a draft internet tax law that would have seen service providers charged by the gigabyte.

Mr Orban said in a radio interview: "The internet tax cannot be introduced in its current form."

He added that the demonstrations meant the introduction of the planned tax was now "impossible".

He said a "national consultation" would instead take place next year on whether the internet should be taxed, which would take "a long time".

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1. Gallery: Thousands March In Hungary Over Internet Tax

   Thousands of people have marched on Hungary's economy ministry over plans to impose a tax on internet usage

2. A woman sits in front of a police line in the centre of Budapest

3. A man prepares to the throw part of a computer

4. The budget plans have provoked widespread opposition

On Sunday evening, more than 10,000 people marched through the centre of Budapest while chanting and waving signs.

Members of the crowd held up banners outside the economy ministry with messages including: "Free Wifi! Free internet! Free Hungary!"

Earlier this month economy minister Mihaly Varga announced a proposed tax of 150 forints (38 pence) for every gigabyte of traffic handled by internet service providers.

But within hours thousands of people had signed petitions demanding the plan be scrapped.

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Burkina Faso President Defies Violent 'Coup'

Burkina Faso's long-time leader has refused to step down despite violent unrest which saw anti-government protesters set the country's parliament building ablaze.

President Blaise Compaore has appeared on television to confirm he will stay in power as the head of a transitional government until elections are held, defying opposition calls for his immediate resignation.

Opposition leader Benewende Sankara said the president's departure was "non-negotiable" following what he said had amounted to a "coup".

Burkina Faso's parliament was stormed, ransacked and set ablaze

The head of the country's armed forces, General Honore Traore, intervened to dissolve parliament on Thursday after violent protests spread across the country.

Hundreds of people stormed the National Assembly building in the capital Ouagadougou, setting it ablaze, in protest against plans to allow the president to run for a fifth term in office.

Video: Thousands Riot In Burkina Faso

Three people were reportedly killed and scores injured in the ensuing chaos, in which tens of thousands of people were reported to have taken to the streets.

Government offices were ransacked, cars set alight and Ouagadougou's national television headquarters attacked.

The city hall and ruling party headquarters were in flames and the city's airport was closed.

Crowds at the presidential palace have been held back by troops from the presidential guard, who fired warning shots into the air.

Protests have been reported in a number of towns across the country, including Burkina Faso's second-largest city Bobo Dioulasso.

News agency AFP put the death toll as high as 30 people nationwide.

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1. Gallery: Deadly Violence In Burkina Faso Protests

   Thousands of protesters have taken to the streets in Burkina Faso forcing President Blaise Compaore to scrap a plan to extend his 27-year rule

2. At least three protesters have been shot dead and several others wounded in the violence

3. The unrest has seen the parliament building set on fire and and state television offices ransacked

4. The government had proposed to change the law so that the president can be re-elected twice, sparking concerns other leaders in the region could follow suit

5. An anti-government protester suffered a gunshot wound in the capital Ouagadougou

6. The state television offices were taken over by demonstrators

7. The parliament building was also occupied before being torched

8. Demonstrators are demanding the president steps down

The riots took place just before the country's politicians were due to vote on a law that would allow President Compaore, who took power in the coup of 1987, to run for election next year.

With a very young population - 60% are aged under 25 - many of the country's 17 million citizens have spent their entire lives under the rule of Mr Compaore.

Constitutional limits were brought in during 2005 and Mr Compaore, who has already been re-elected four times, is coming to the end of his second five-year term. The other two terms were for seven years.

The vote, which has since been scrapped, could have allowed him to stay in power for another 15 years.

President Compaore said elections would now be held within 12 months and he was open to discussions with other parties over forming a unity transitional government.

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Shares Soar As Japan Boosts Economic Stimulus

Japan's Nikkei stock market climbed to a seven-year high after the country's central bank surprised investors by expanding stimulus to boost economic growth.

The Bank of Japan (BoJ) said it would increase its asset purchases by between 10 trillion yen and 20 trillion yen (£57bn to £114bn) to about 80 trillion yen (£454bn) annually.

The bank also announced it would triple its purchases of exchange-traded funds and real estate investment trusts, saying the loosening of monetary policy would continue as long as was needed to attain an inflation target of 2%.

Its governor, Haruhiko Kuroda, said: "We can say the Japanese economy is now at a critical moment in its process of getting out of deflation.

"The measures this time show the Bank of Japan's unwavering determination to exit deflation."

Deflation has dogged Japan's economy for two decades.

The measures followed the publication of the country's key economic indicators for September, which showed inflation and household spending both falling with unemployment rising.

Japan's central bank was under pressure to increase stimulus to support growth as Prime Minister Shinzo Abe weighs approval of another sales tax hike next year.

He and the central bank have sought to spur inflation as a way of encouraging consumers and businesses to spend more and thus support faster growth.

But a sales tax hike in April, from 5% to 8%, slowed a recovery that began in late 2012.

He is due to decide before the end of the year whether to raise the tax to 10% in 2105.

Economists say Japan needs to counter a huge public debt mountain of more than one quadrillion yen (£6.5trn) but increases have proved deeply unpopular.

The bank's action helped the yen weaken further against the dollar - to a seven-year low - with a gradual weakening of the currency a crucial factor in a return to recent profits growth among many Japanese exporters.

The stimulus stoked investor confidence in Europe, with the FTSE 100 rising 1.25% in early trading.

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Ebola: Better Maps Could Have Helped Fight Virus

By Tom Cheshire, Technology Correspondent

Better maps could have helped contain the deadly Ebola virus, according to Medecins Sans Frontieres.

Ivan Gaytan, technology advisor to MSF, told Sky News the disease is "preventable" and could have been "easier to contain" if there was more knowledge of the region.

He said: "In any country where Ebola or any other infectious disease arrives, if you already have a good map which actually reflects the way people describe geography, you set up your clinical activities to take that data in the first place in the right way."

MSF, also known as Doctors Without Borders, will launch a project next month called Missing Maps, which lets anyone, anywhere in the world, annotate maps to show dwellings and infrastructure.

Volunteers are mapping regions within the Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan in the hope that, if an outbreak occurs, more accurate maps will help health workers respond quicker.

Video: Using Phone Tech To Map Movement

Knowing where people live and what infrastructure they use is vital to dealing with public health emergencies.

These maps will provide important information for NGOs and public health officials.

Liz Hughes, the CEO of MapAction, told Sky News: "You could look at Ebola and say it's an emergency that is a geographic emergency.

"It's really important to stop the transmission of disease, and you do that by identifying where the highest infection rates are - so being able to map that picture.

"Where people have contracted Ebola, where they're moving to, where the treatment centres are, whether they're in the right places - all of that can be mapped to help decision makers work out where to put resources."

Mobile phone data is also helping to create new types of maps.

Video: DEC launches appeal

This week, IBM Research unveiled a system to let people in Sierra Leone report Ebola-related issues and to track the disease.

Swedish NGO Flowminder has also been analysing the movements of thousands of mobile phone users.

Video: Ebola: Busting The Myths

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Sri Lanka Mudslide: Tragic Stories Emerge

A hugely destructive mudslide at Sri Lanka's Koslanda tea plantation is thought to have left no survivors.

There were widely conflicting reports about how many people had been buried alive under the rubble and mud, with initial estimates saying more than 250 people have died.

Government minister Mahinda Amaraweera said the number was less than 100, adding: "I have visited the scene and from what I saw I don't think there will be any survivors."

However, villagers say the figure is likely to be higher.

A woman sit nexts to her baby in a displacement centre

The landslide was caused by heavy monsoon rains, which destroyed 120 workers' homes at the tea plantation, located about 140 miles east of Colombo.

The plantation was one of many in the higher altitudes of the former Ceylon, one of the world's leading producers of tea.

Scores of children who had left for school early in the morning returned to see their homes had vanished without a trace, along with their parents.

One woman, who gave her name as Saroja, said she had lost her only daughter in the mudslide when a boy asked her to leave the house after they all heard a loud noise.

"There was a loud noise, like a helicopter, and a boy asked my daughter to come and out and see (what was happening)," she said.

"Then soil came and buried them almost immediately. A woman saw the two children buried. We managed to remove them but I lost my only daughter."

A 48-year-old truck driver said he lost all five members of his household - his wife, two sons, daughter-in-law and his six-month-old grandchild.

"I left for work early morning and got a call asking me to rush back because there is an earth slip near my home," the man said.

"I came back and there is no trace of my home, everyone was buried."

The monsoon season in Sri Lanka runs from October through December.

Most of Sri Lanka has experienced heavy rain over the past few weeks, and the Disaster Management Centre (DMC) had issued warnings of mudslides and falling rocks.

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Mosque Closure Is 'Declaration Of War' - Abbas

Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas has condemned the closure of Jerusalem's Al-Aqsa mosque as a "declaration of war".

The mosque, in the Al-Aqsa complex which contains sites holy to Muslims and Jews, was closed by Israel following the shooting of a Jewish activist.

Speaking hours after the closure, Mr Abbas said: "This dangerous Israeli escalation is a declaration of war on the Palestinian people and its sacred places and on the Arab and Islamic nation.

"We hold the Israeli government responsible for this dangerous escalation in Jerusalem that has reached its peak through the closure of the Al-Aqsa mosque this morning.

Protesters throw fireworks at police in east Jerusalem

"This decision is a dangerous act and a blatant challenge that will lead to more tension and instability and will create a negative and dangerous atmosphere.

"The state of Palestine will take all legal measures to hold Israel accountable and to stop these ongoing attacks."

Video: Sky's Tom Rayner is in Jerusalem

Minutes after the comments, the Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered a hike in police numbers.

He said: "I have ordered a significant increase in forces as well as in means (available to them) so we can both ensure security in Jerusalem and also maintain the status quo in the holy places."

American-born activist Yehuda Glick was shot by a gunman on a motorbike as he left a conference, in an incident that has seen tensions rise in Jerusalem.

He is a well-known ultranationalist and advocate of greater Jewish prayer access at the Al-Aqsa complex.

His attacker was described as speaking in "heavy Arabic-accented Hebrew", according to Moshe Feiglin of the Likud party.

Mr Glick, 48, is in a serious condition in hospital and his shooting comes after days of clashes between Palestinian protesters and Israeli police. 

Police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said police surrounded the home of a man suspected of the shooting on Thursday. The suspect, identified as Muataz Hijazi, 32, then opened fire before police shot back and killed him.

Residents said hundreds of Israeli police and special units had been involved in trying to capture Hijazi, an Islamic militant recently released from prison.

Afterwards, local youths began throwing stones at police and dragged a rubbish skip into the middle of the road as police fired back with rubber bullets and tear gas.

Sky News Middle East reporter Tom Rayner said: "This is a very explosive situation and there will be great concern about whether or not the security forces here can keep a lid on this."

He said the closure at Al-Aqsa was the first in 14 years, adding: "It sits right at the heart not just of arguments and conflict in Jerusalem but at the very heart of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict altogether because sovereignty of that area defines what could be a two-state solution.

"Any attempts to block off access to that holy site are inevitably read as attempts to take sovereignty over the wider area of Jerusalem. That is why it is such an explosive issue when it comes to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict as a whole."

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Funeral For Canadian Soldier Killed By Gunman

The funeral of a soldier killed by a gunman in Ottawa has taken place in his home town.

Thousands lined the streets as a full military procession escorted Corporal Nathan Cirillo's coffin to Hamilton's Christ's Church Cathedral, where mourners paid tribute to the 24-year-old soldier.

Cpl Cirillo was shot in the back as he stood on guard at a war memorial in the Canadian capital on 22 October in what Prime Minister Stephen Harper called a terrorist attack.

Nathan Cirillo, 24, was shot dead in Ottawa on 22 October

The gunman, Michael Zehaf-Bibeau, went on to storm Canada's parliament complex before he was shot dead.

Speaking at the service, Mr Harper said Cpl Cirillo had united and inspired Canadians.

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1. Gallery: Funeral Of Shot Canadian Soldier Nathan Cirillo

   Members of Nathan Cirillo's Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders Regiment escorted the coffin on a procession through his home town Hamilton

2. Thousands lined the streets as the procession marched through the town

3. Marcus Cirillo, Nathan Cirillo's five-year-old son, is among the first in the procession at his father's funeral

4. Marcus is led by the hand throughout the journey

6. Nathan Cirillo's mother, Kathy, is supported by soldiers as the procession makes its way towards Christ's Church Cathedral

8. Marcus covers his ears during a salute as Cirillo's mother and sister Natasha look on

9. Relatives and Canadian dignitaries were among those who attended the funeral service

10. Prime Minister Stephen Harper and his wife Laureen Harper were both moved to tears during the ceremony

11. Mr Harper said Cpl Cirillo had inspired and united Canadians

12. Cpl Cirillo's cousin Jenny Holland paid tribute to the soldier on behalf of the family, describing him as "Canada's hero"

"Our hearts are broken for his loss, but our spirits are grateful for his memory," he said, at times appearing to choke back tears.

"May his son, young Marcus Daniel Cirillo, someday find comfort in the fact that our entire country looks up to his Dad with pride, with gratitude, with deep, abiding respect."

Cpl Cirillo's cousin, Jenny Holland, spoke on behalf of the family, sharing childhood memories of the soldier who she described as "Canada's hero".

Video: Soldier's Regiment Leads Procession

His Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders regiment  - dressed in ceremonial kilts, white boots and garters - played a prominent role throughout the ceremony, having earlier led the procession through Hamilton. 

The soldier's five-year-old son Marcus followed the coffin on foot, carrying a Canadian flag, along with Cpl Cirillo's mother and various other family members.

They were joined by a unit of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP).

Video: 'We Knew Nathan Was Special'

A flag, belt, bayonet and the soldier's regimental badge were placed on his coffin.

Public mourning for Cpl Cirillo began on Friday when thousands lined the 300-mile route between Ottawa and Hamilton to pay their respects.

Cpl Cirillo was the second soldier killed in attacks in Canada, a week after the country announced it would step up its involvement in airstrikes against Islamic State militants in Iraq.

Video: Family's Tribute To Shot Soldier

Patrice Vincent, 53, was killed on 20 October when a man ran over him and another soldier in a separate attack near Montreal.

The RCMP said on Monday that Zehaf-Bibeau had left a video claiming his attack was motivated by opposition to Canadian foreign policy.

Officials said Mr Vincent's killer, 25-year-old Martin Rouleau, was motivated by radical beliefs.

Video: CCTV Of Gunman Outside Parliament

The UK and the US have announced security measures would stepped up in the wake of the Canada shootings.

Armed soldiers are being stationed outside the entrance to Horse Guards Parade in Whitehall.

The US said it will boost security at government buildings in Washington and other cities after threats from Islamist groups.

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1. Gallery: How The Ottawa Attack Unfolded

   At around 10am on Wednesday, 32-year-old petty criminal Michael Zehaf-Bibeau killed a soldier standing guard at Ottawa's war memorial

2. He then ran into the nearby Canadian Parliament building where he was shot to death by the ceremonial Sergeant-at-Arms

3. Conservative and Liberal MPs were holding their weekly caucus meetings at the time

4. Cabinet minister Tony Clement tweeted that at least 30 shots were heard inside Parliament

5. In a national TV statement, Prime Minister Stephen Harper said: "We will not be intimidated. Canada will never be intimidated"

6. It was the second deadly attack in three days against members of the Canadian military

7. On Monday, a man Harper described as an "ISIL-inspired terrorist" ran over two soldiers in Quebec, killing one and injuring another before being shot to death by police

8. Witnesses said the soldier killed in the latest attack, Cpl Nathan Cirillo, was gunned down at point-blank range by a man carrying a rifle and dressed all in black, his face half-covered with a scarf

9. One said: "The honour guard dropped to the ground, and the shooter kind of raised his arms in triumph holding the rifle"

10. At least three people were treated for minor injuries

11. Some people fled the complex by scrambling down scaffolding erected for renovations

12. Others took cover inside as police with rifles and body armour took up positions outside and cordoned off streets

13. The two attacks have raised fears Canada is being targeted for reprisals for joining the air campaign against Islamic State extremists in Iraq and Syria

14. The National War Memorial contains an arched granite cenotaph, or tomb, with bronze sculptures commemorating World War I

15. The gunman had convictions for assault, robbery, drug and weapons offences, and other crimes. Swipe through for more images of the attack and its aftermath

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Rocket Explosion: 'Hazardous Materials' Warning

People have been warned to keep away from any hazardous debris they might find after an unmanned rocket carrying supplies to the International Space Station exploded seconds after lift-off.

NASA footage showed the Antares rocket, built and launched by Orbital Sciences Corp, bolting off its coastal launch pad at the Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia and exploding in a huge fireball seconds later.

Enveloped in flames, the rocket collapsed to the ground, as a cloud of dark grey smoke rose from the wreckage.

No one was injured and the damage so far appears to be limited to the facilities, according to the company.

Ronda Miller, manager of the Ocean Deli in Wallops Island, told the Reuters news agency she felt the force of the blast from five miles (8km) away.

Video: 'Holy Cow': Plane Captures Fireball

Investigators quickly secured the perimeter of the area and blocked any outside interviews of witnesses or staff, citing classified equipment that had been aboard.

The cause is not yet known, and NASA mission control in Houston, Texas, called it a "catastrophic anomaly".

Engineers said the countdown had gone according to plan and there were no issues apparent with the machinery.

Video: Beware 'Hazardous' Rocket Debris

Speaking at a news conference, Orbital Sciences executive vice president Frank Culbertson warned of the dangers of debris around the site.

He said: "I do want to caution the public…This is an accident site and it is a rocket. It had a lot of hazardous equipment, hazardous materials on board, that people should not be looking for or wanting to collect souvenirs over."

Anyone who finds anything should not touch it, keep others away from it and contact the local authorities, Mr Culbertson added.

Video: 'Launch Failures Do Happen'

The rocket was carrying a Cygnus spacecraft packed with nearly 5,000lb (2,200kg) of food, supplies and materials for space experiments.

One of the items on board was a nitrogen tank to manage the ISS' air supply, said Tariq Malik, managing editor of Space.com, who also added that some scientists had been waiting years to get their hardware on board.

Also among its payload were some Maryland crab cakes for the space station crew.

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1. Gallery: Antares Rocket Explodes In Huge Fireball

   These images capture the moment a rocket carrying supplies to the International Space Station exploded seconds after lift-off from Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia

2. The rocket was unmanned and no one is thought to have been injured

3. The cause of the explosion is unknown but authorities have warned people not to touch any of the debris as it could be "hazardous"

4. NASA confirmed that the crew of the ISS is not in danger because of the failed mission

5. The Cygnus spacecraft was carrying nearly 5,000lb (2,200kg) of food, supplies and materials for space experiments

6. A picture of the craft docking with the International Space Station on a previous mission. Continue through for more pictures

12. A map showing where the launch could be viewed from on the US east coast

The launch was postponed on Monday after a boat ventured into a restricted zone within 10 minutes of take-off.

NASA is paying Virginia-based Orbital Sciences and California-based SpaceX to keep the space station stocked after the space agency retired its own space shuttles.

Orbital has a $1.9bn (£1.1bn) contract with NASA for a total of eight supply missions. The rocket itself and the cargo ship were valued at $200m (£123m).

Video: What Was On Board Rocket?

The mission, known as CRS-3, was to be Orbital's fourth trip to the ISS.

After the launch, Cygnus was meant to remain in orbit until 2 November, then fly itself to the station so astronauts could use a robotic crane to snare the capsule and attach it to a berthing port.

NASA spokesman Rob Navias said there was nothing on the rocket that was urgently needed by the six people living on the station.

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Rocket Blast 'Catastrophe' Is Not The First

The "catastophic" Antares explosion off the US east coast is not the first failure of a rocket used in a NASA mission.

Most pass off without any serious glitches, but a few infamous missions, such as the Challenger disaster and Apollo 13, have given the space agency some its darkest days - and even threatened to bring a halt to America's space programme.

The Columbia crew were killed after their shuttle's wing was damaged

:: Apollo 1 - 27 January, 1967

Three astronauts died when a fire broke out during a launch-pad test.

NASA eased up in its space race with the Soviets after the deaths of Virgil "Gus" Grissom, Ed White and Roger Chaffee and made crucial design and safety changes.

:: Apollo 13 - 13 April, 1970

Immortalised in the Hollywood blockbuster starring Tom Hanks, the spacecraft was crippled when a tank carrying liquid oxygen exploded and cut off its power.

Apollo 13 was heading for the moon on America's third landing mission.

The three astronauts survived by decamping to the lunar module until they were able to fly the main craft back to earth.

:: Challenger - 2 January, 1986

One of the most iconic news events of the 1980s - the shuttle violently broke up 73 seconds after lift-off at Florida's Cape Canaveral.

The devastating images were broadcast around the world.

Seven crew, including teacher Christa McAuliffe, were killed and the shuttle programme was shelved for nearly three years.

An investigation found the explosion was caused when an O-ring seal in one of the rocket boosters failed, allowing pressurised hot gas to escape.

:: Columbia - 1 February, 2003

Seven more astronauts died when the shuttle disintegrated on re-entry, spewing debris over Texas and Louisiana.

The shuttle's left wing was damaged during launch, said investigators, when foam insulation on the fuel tank broke off.

The damage meant gases from the atmosphere were able to penetrate and destroy the wing as it made its approach back to Earth.

:: Wallops Island - 22 August, 2008

Nasa destroyed another unmanned rocket by remote control just 27 seconds into its flight when it veered off course - again at Virginia's Wallops Island.

Carrying research satellites, it was downed to protect the public at a height of around 12,000ft (3,657m).

Experts said they did not know why it strayed from its flight path.

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Prosecutors To Appeal Oscar Pistorius Verdict

South Africa's state prosecutors say they will appeal against the conviction and sentence handed to Oscar Pistorius.

They say they are not happy with the five-year jail term that he was handed last Wednesday, or the manslaughter offence for which he was convicted.

National Prosecuting Authority spokesman Nathi Mncube said on his Twitter feed: "Oscar Pistorius judgement, NPA will be appealing both the conviction and sentence."

Mr Mncube said the next step was to file papers in court.

Pistorius started serving his prison sentence on October 21 after a seven-month trial.

Video: Pistorius Trial: The Sentence

Judge Thokozile Masipa acquitted him of murder and found him guilty of a lesser charge of culpable homicide, or manslaughter, for shooting his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp through a toilet door in his home.

As things stand, the Olympic runner is eligible for release after 10 months so he can complete his sentence under house arrest.

Sentencing options available to the judge in a culpable homicide case included up to 15 years in jail, a suspended sentence, a correctional supervision or a fine.

Video: ANC Women's League Reaction

Pistorius' legal team argued during the trial that he mistook Ms Steenkamp for an intruder and believed they were both in danger.

During the trial, state prosecutor Gerrie Nel had argued that only 10 years' imprisonment would satisfy the public.

He said that any lesser sentence could result in a widespread loss of faith in the justice system.

Video: South Africa's Appeal Process

Reeva Steenkamp's family initially said that the "verdict is not justice", but later welcomed the five-year term.

But the decision drew criticism from some legal experts who said the judge had made an error in her interpretation of a legal concept that holds a person accountable for the foreseeable consequences of their actions.

Known as Blade Runner because of his carbon-fibre prosthetics, Pistorius achieved global recognition at the London 2012 Olympics when he reached the semi-finals of the 400m against able-bodied athletes.

Video: Pistorius Faces First Night In Jail

Mr Mncube had previously refused to be drawn over whether prosecutors would appeal, saying only that: "The matter is under serious consideration and the announcement will be made in due course."

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IS Claims New Video Shows Cantlie In Kobani

Islamic State has released a new video purporting to show British hostage John Cantlie in the embattled Syrian border town of Kobani.

Narrating the video in the style of a news report, Mr Cantlie counters media claims that IS fighters are being driven out of the town.

He says IS has in fact gained control of large areas of Kobani, despite continual US-led airstrikes.

He adds that IS militants are "mopping up" against Kurdish fighters defending the town and that the weeks-long battle is "coming to an end".

"Contrary to what the Western media would have you believe, it is not an all-out battle here now. It is nearly over," he says.

Video: Analysis: Latest IS Hostage Video

"As you can hear, it is very quiet, just the occasional gunfire."

The 43-year-old photojournalist claims to be in an area of Kobani reported to be held by Kurdish forces, but says they are nowhere to be seen.

"Urban warfare is about as nasty and tough as it gets," he says.

"And it is something of a speciality of the mujahideen."

Video: Hostage Families' 'Mental Torture'

The Foreign Office says it is aware of the tape and is analysing its content.

Sky News cannot independently verify the authenticity of the video or whether the British hostage is in Kobani.

The five-minute, 32-second video, entitled "Inside 'Ayn al-Islam'", opens with what IS claims is an aerial shot of the town. 

It then shows Mr Cantlie purportedly walking through the war-torn streets, addressing the camera.

Video: Hostage's Family In Video Appeal

He refers to several Western media reports published within the last two weeks. 

IS has now released seven videos  featuring the British hostage since August.

In the latest footage, Mr Cantlie is dressed entirely in black. In previous videos, Mr Cantlie speaks from behind a desk wearing an orange jumpsuit.

He appears to be in good health.

Video: Dad Of John Cantlie Appeals To IS

Mr Cantlie was captured in northern Syria in late 2012 while working as an independent photojournalist.

Family members have issued numerous impassioned appeals for his release. 

His father Paul, 80, died last week, shortly after recording a final video message for his son's captors from his hospital bed.

IS, also known as ISIS and ISIL, controls large swathes of Iraq and Syria. 

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1. Gallery: US-Led Airstrikes on Kobani

   Smoke and flames rise over a hill near the Syrian town of Kobani after an airstrike, as seen from the Mursitpinar crossing on the Turkish-Syrian border in Sanliurfa province

2. US military forces again focused airstrikes on the area near the Syrian city in their campaign to turn back Islamic State forces and also hit oil facilities held by the militant group

7. Three IS fighters pray as others inspect a hill in the outskirts of Kobani

9. A Kurdish fighters position in the outskirts of the Syrian town

11. Members of media watch Kobani from a hill near the Mursitpinar border crossing

13. Syrians wait to cross to the northern Syrian city of Tal Abyad at the Akcakale border gate in Sanliurfa province, southeastern Turkey

14. Kurdish refugee children from Kobani in a camp in the southeastern town of Suruc

16. A Turkish army tank drives downhill, in front of ruins of Kobani

17. A Turkish flag flutters on the top of a silo in the Syrian town

18. Turkish Kurds watch Kobani from a hill near the Mursitpinar border crossing

Since August it has published a number of videos showing the beheadings of four Western hostages.

They include British aid workers Alan Henning and David Haines and US journalists Steven Sotloff and James Foley.

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Rob Ford: Era Of Crack-Smoking Mayor At An End

The brother of Rob Ford, the Toronto mayor notorious for his public drinking and illegal drug abuse while in office, has failed in his attempt to take over the job.

John Tory, a moderate conservative, claimed victory instead, with 40% of the vote - ahead of Doug Ford who took 33%.

Rob Ford's four-year tenure as mayor of Canada's largest city was marred by his drinking and crack cocaine use.

He announced last month that he would not seek re-election as he battles a rare form of cancer. His brother, a city councillor, ran in his place.

Conservative John Tory beat Doug Ford to become Toronto's new mayor

Doug Ford's supporters booed when he congratulated Mr Tory on his victory. Doug Ford later said the scandals played a part in the loss but said he was "super proud" of his brother.

"I still believe he's the best mayor ever," Doug Ford said.

Video: Ford: 'You Name It, I've Abused It'

On winning, Mr Tory told his supporters: "The people have spoken and tonight we begin the work of building one Toronto.

"Torontonians want to see an end to the divisions that have paralysed city hall for the last few years. I hear you."

But Rob Ford is not disappearing from Toronto politics. He won his old city council seat, held by his brother, in a landslide on Monday night and pledged to return to reclaim the mayor's office in 2018.

"We (Fords) never ever give up," he told his supporters. "In four more years, you're going to see another example of the Ford family never ever giving up."

Video: Rob Ford On Going To Rehab

Rob Ford has previously said the doctors have told him he has a 50-50 chance of surviving the rare cancer in his abdomen, malignant liposarcoma.

His drug abuse was first revealed last year when an alleged drug dealer tried to sell a video of him smoking crack to the media.

At first, Rob Ford denied using the illegal drug, but later acknowledged he had smoked crack while in a "drunken stupor".

Since then, the 45-year-old has been filmed numerous times in public behaving erratically and once smoking crack with his sister. He began rehab for his drugs and alcohol problems earlier this year.  

Video: Toronto Mayor 'A Little Bit' Drunk

The City Council stripped him of most of his powers but lacked the authority to force him out of office because he was not convicted of a crime.

Rob Ford won the last mayoral election in 2010 with 47% of the votes cast.

Mr Tory, 60, is a long-time moderate conservative politician and adviser. He formerly was chief executive of a major cable company Rogers Communications, and also served as commissioner of the Canadian Football League. More recently, he hosted a radio talk show. He ran for mayor in 2003 and lost.

A record 53.4% of voters turned out in the latest mayoral race. 

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Death Penalty Bid For South Korea Ferry Captain

Prosecutors in South Korea have revealed they are seeking the death penalty for the captain of a ferry that capsized, leaving 304 people dead.

The prosecution closed its argument on Monday by telling the court that Lee Joon-seok should be sentenced to death for failing to execute his duty, which lawyers claim amounted to homicide.

Lead prosecutor in the case, Park Jae-eok, told the court: "Lee supplied the cause of the sinking of the Sewol... he has the heaviest responsibility for the accident.

"We ask that the court sentence him to death."

The trial has taken place against a backdrop of public anger towards the crew, who have been blamed for the disaster.

The Sewol capsized and sank during a routine voyage in April, prompting an outpouring of nationwide grief and criticism of how the government handled the rescue operation.

South Korea's government has been blamed for its response to the disaster

Most of those killed were secondary school pupils.

Lee was one of 15 crew members accused of abandoning the stricken ship after telling passengers to stay put in their cabins.

Four, including the captain, face homicide charges. The rest face lesser charges, including negligence. A three-judge panel is expected to announce its verdicts in November.

No formal pleas have been made but Lee has denied intent to kill.

Several defendants have been sentenced to death in South Korea in recent years, but none have been executed since 1997.

The prosecution has sought life sentences for the other three charged with homicide and prison terms varying from 15 to 30 years for the rest.

The crew members on trial say they thought it was the coastguard's job to evacuate passengers.

Video footage of their escape triggered outrage, especially after survivors testified that they repeatedly told passengers to stay put.

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Nigeria Girls Detail Horrific Boko Haram Abuse

Girls who escaped Nigerian terror group Boko Haram have described the physical torture, rape and forced marriage that many endure in their secret forest camps.

Some victims are also forced to take part in attacks and carry ammunition for fighters during battle. Others have been used as 'bait' to lure Christian men to their deaths.

The abuse is detailed in a Human Rights Watch report, which includes first-hand accounts from some of the schoolgirls who escaped after April's Chibok kidnappings.

The group has waged war with a long-running bombing campaign

More than 270 were taken from a boarding school in the north-east of the country, prompting a high-profile political and social media campaign using the hashtag #Bring Back Our Girls.

It comes after a weekend during which another 30 youngsters - some of them girls aged as young as 11 - were abducted in northeast Nigeria by suspected Boko Haram rebels, according to a local village chief.

Video: 12 May, 2014: Taken Girls On Show

In a video released after the abduction the group's leader, Abubakar Shekau, said the girls were "slaves" and threatened to "sell them in the market".

The Nigerian government has said a ceasefire deal with the militant Islamist group is on the verge of freeing the group, but last week more were kidnapped.

Human Rights Watch says new "shocking details" emerged from its interviews.

It reports that the group targets students and Christians, threatening them with whipping, beating, or death unless they convert to Islam, stop attending school, and wear the veil or hijab.

Forced marriage, forced labour, physical torture and rape are also common.

Video: 20 June 2014: Fighting Boko Haram

A 19-year-old student, from Borno State, described how militants ambushed her and five friends and threatened to kill them for going to school.

One of the men shouted: "Aha! These are the people we are looking for, so you are the ones with strong heads who insist on attending school when we have said 'boko' is 'haram.' We will kill you here today."

The girls were held for several days in the Sambisa forest and only released after they promised to convert to Islam and give up school.

Boko Haram translates roughly from the Hausa language as "Western education is forbidden" and has carried out a campaign of bombings in Nigeria over the past five years, killing 7,000 people, according to Human Rights Watch.

More than 500 girls and woman are said to have been been kidnapped by the group since 2009.

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1. Gallery: Profile: Boko Haram Leader

   Abubakar Shekau is the leader of Boko Haram. He took control of the Islamist group after the death of founder Mohammed Yusuf in 2009.

2. Little is known about him, although he was born in Shekau village in the northeastern state of Yobe and is now thought to be in his early 40s.

3. Shekau is Nigeria's most-wanted man and was designated a terrorist by the U.S. government in 2012. A reward of $7m (£4.6m) and 50m Nigerian naira (£182,000) has been issued for information leading to his location.

4. Shekau is also known as "Darul Tawheed", a reference to his knowledge of an orthodox doctrine of Islam centred on the oneness of Allah.

5. Nigerian authorities thought he had been killed in 2009 during clashes with security forces, but he reappeared in a video in 2010 to claim leadership of Boko Haram.

6. Shekau is believed to have been behind the August 2011 bombing of the UN compound in the capital Abuja, which killed at least 21 people.

7. In a video released after the abduction of 276 girls from a boarding school in the village of Chibok on April 14, he described the youngsters as "slaves" and threatened to "sell them in the market".

Girls who escape the group's clutches are often ignored despite having vital intelligence about Boko Haram's inner workings, says the report.

For example, they often have information on chain of command, ammunition, and how the fighters keep tabs on Nigeria's military.

But Human Rights Watch claims the government "rarely, if ever" interviews the girls.

The report - called Those Terrible Weeks in Their Camp: Boko Haram Violence against Women and Girls in Northeast Nigeria - includes evidence from 46 witnesses and victims of the group.

Daniel Bekele, Africa Director at Human Rights Watch, says the Nigerian government must do more to protect and rehabilitate the girls, and also to track down those behind the abuse.

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Ebola: New York Boy, Five, Under Observation

A five-year-old boy is reportedly under observation at a New York hospital for possible Ebola symptoms.

ABC News reported that the boy had returned to the US from Guinea at the weekend.

He was taken to hospital after experiencing a temperature of 103 degrees F (39.5 C), the report said.

However, he has not been tested for the virus and is not under quarantine, ABC said, citing officials with New York City's health department.

The New York Post reported that the boy had been vomiting and was transported from his home in the Bronx by emergency medical workers.

Video: Ebola Cases Diagnosed In The US

If confirmed, it would be the second case to be diagnosed in America's largest city, after doctor Craig Spencer tested positive last week after returning home from treating Ebola patients in Guinea.

Dr Spencer, who went to the African country with the Doctors Without Border humanitarian group, is also being kept in isolation at Bellevue Hospital.

More follows...

Video: Ebola Response: Science Not Fear

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Teen Isolated Over Ebola Fears In Australia

A woman who recently travelled from West Africa to Australia is in isolation and has been tested for possible Ebola.

The patient, whose nationality has not been revealed, had developed a fever and is now at the Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital.

The 18-year-old was one of nine family members who had flown from Guinea to Queensland 11 days ago.

Officials were notified a few days before that their arrival and they were met at the airport.

The nine were then put into home quarantine in Brisbane, where eight of them remain, while the 18-year-old is now in hospital being assessed.

Video: Liberia Gripped By Ebola Virus Fear

The patient, who was not a health worker, was coming to live in Australia permanently, say officials.

They said she did not have any known contact with anyone who was sick with Ebola in West Africa but came from an area that had a "reasonably large number of cases".

Queensland state chief health officer Jeannette Young said: "There is no risk to the community at all because she hasn't left the house or had any visitors in the time that she has been here in Brisbane."

The teenager has already had one test for Ebola and the results are expected in the coming hours.

Video: Suiting Up In An Ebola Hotspot

The patient will then have a second test in three days' time, Ms Young added, saying it was unlikely she was suffering from Ebola.

She said Queensland health authorities were monitoring four families from Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone, where the vast majority of Ebola cases have occurred.

The number of Ebola infections has passed the 10,000 mark and the death toll is almost 5,000 worldwide, mainly in the three West African nations.

There have been no confirmed Ebola cases in Australia.

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US Ebola Nurse Slams Quarantine Process

An American nurse who has been treating Ebola patients in Africa has criticised quarantine rules that keep her isolated despite testing negative.

Doctors Without Borders worker Kaci Hickox returned to the US from Sierra Leone on Friday and was taken to a New Jersey hospital in case she had the killer virus.

She has now been told she is free from the disease, but will be unable to leave quarantine for another 21 days.

Illinois joined New York and New Jersey on Saturday night in introducing a mandatory 21-day quarantine period for anyone who has been involved in treating victims in west Africa.

Other states, including Virginia and Georgia, are also considering whether to impose the same regime.

Video: '10,000 Ebola Orphans By Christmas'

It follows 33-year-old doctor Craig Spencer falling ill with ebola having spent several days travelling around New York, riding the subway and visiting a bowling alley.

Writing in the Dallas Morning News, Ms Hickox said: "This is not a situation I would wish on anyone, and I am scared for those who will follow me.

"I am scared about how health care workers will be treated at airports when they declare that they have been fighting Ebola in West Africa.

"I am scared that, like me, they will arrive and see a frenzy of disorganisation, fear and, most frightening, quarantine."

Video: Ebola Response: Science Not Fear

She said on telling a border official she had just arrived back, she was immediately ushered into a private room before having questions "barked" at her.

She said she was made to wait hours with little to eat, only to later test negative for the virus.

Despite the test, she must wait in a secure facility in New Jersey until it is certain she has not contracted the disease.

She said: "I... thought of many colleagues who will return home to America and face the same ordeal. Will they be made to feel like criminals and prisoners?

Video: New York Fears After New Ebola case

"The US must treat returning health care workers with dignity and humanity."

The number of Ebola cases worldwide has now exceeded 10,000, with nearly 5,000 not surviving.

President Barack Obama urged Americans on Saturday to be guided by the facts about Ebola and "not fear".

Dr Spencer, who is being held at the Bellevue Hospital Center in New York, was described by officials overnight on Saturday as "entering the next phase of his illness".

Video: Cured Texas Ebola Nurse 'Blessed'

A health service statement said: "The patient is awake and communicating. In addition to the required supportive therapy, we initiated antiviral therapy within hours of admission. We also administered plasma therapy yesterday."

Meanwhile, in Sierra Leone, a team from the British Army has started training residents in how to use protective equipment to reduce the spread of the disease.

Many of the locals who have volunteered to help fight the virus have no medical background.

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Britain's War In Afghanistan Comes To An End

By Alistair Bunkall, Defence Correspondent

Britain's war in Afghanistan is officially over.

In a symbolic ceremony at Camp Bastion, the Union Flag was lowered for the last time, marking the formal handover of power to Afghan Forces.

That simple act brought the 13-year war to an end for British forces - the longest conflict in modern times.

At a peak, 9,500 British military personnel were based in Afghanistan as part of Operation Herrick.

Camp Bastion was the epicentre of operations. A further 136 smaller bases were dotted around Helmand Province in the south of the country.

Towns such as Musa Qala, Sangin and Nad Ali, were scenes of bloody fighting. They became infamous in Britain for the toll fighting took on British forces.

Video: Key Moments In The Conflict

In total, 453 British lives were lost fighting the Taliban. Thousands more were injured, many permanently.

The deadliest year was 2009, when 108 British troops were killed.

Defence Secretary Michael Fallon told Sky News: "Afghanistan is now a safer, most prosperous and democratic place than when we started.

"We've not eliminated the insurgency but what we have done, through the British troops' sacrifice, is given Afghanistan the best possible chance of a safer future by training a 300,000-strong Afghan army and security force."

Video: Fallon: Afghanistan Now Safer Place

Camp Bastion grew out of nothing to become a monstrous fortress in Helmand to accommodate ever-growing numbers of troops and the increasing demands of a vicious fight against the Taliban insurgency.

Early on the British Government sought to wipe out the illegal opium poppy trade, but that failed and the mission moved on.

An 11,500 ft runway was built allowing the largest transport planes to fly in at any time of the day or night. Bastion became the third busiest British airport after Heathrow and Gatwick.

The first rotations of troops deployed with sub-standard equipment, when the initial emphasis was on reconstruction.

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1. Gallery: A Timeline In Pictures

   October 7, 2001: US President George W Bush announces the US and Britain have started bombing Afghanistan

2. March 26, 2006: The first regular British troops of the Helmand Task Force unload their kit after arriving by helicopter to an American-run base in Lashkar Gah in Helmand

3. April 25, 2006: Defence Secretary John Reid announces Britain's GR7 Harriers would stay on in Afghanistan until at least 2007

4. January 2, 2008: Prince Harry sits with a group of Gurkha soldiers after firing a machine gun from the observation post on JTAC Hill, close to forward operating base Delhi, in Helmand Province

5. February 21, 2008: Prince Harry riding an abandoned motorcycle past his Spartan armoured vehicle, in the desert in Helmand

6. The Ministry of Defence announced in February 2008 that the then 23-year-old Prince, an officer in the Household Cavalry regiment, had spent the past 10 weeks secretly serving in Helmand

7. February 20, 2008: Prince Harry sitting below the turret of his Spartan armoured vehicle as he communicates with other units by radio

8. July 13, 2009: US Marine Sergeant Anthony Zabala runs to safety as an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) explodes in Garmsir district of Helmand

9. 2009 saw the most IED attacks of the war so far, with 7,228 IED attacks killing 280 coalition soldiers

10. November 10, 2009: Friends and family react as hearses carrying the coffins of six dead soldiers pass mourners lining the High Street in Wootton Bassett, Wiltshire

11. November 14, 2010: Prince William salutes the memorial to the British soldiers killed in Afghanistan, during a remembrance day ceremony at Camp Bastion

12. Capt Judith Gallagher with the Dragon Runner developed by Qinetiq which can remotely disarm IEDs and can be carried by a soldier in a back pack

13. July 20, 2010: Soldiers from Scots Guards during an operation at an Afghan National Police base on Punjab hill, Helmand

14. January 28, 2011: Mr Miliband arrives at Camp Bastion in Helmand for his first visit to Afghanistan

15. January 29, 2011: Labour leader Ed Miliband, shadow defence secretary Jim Murphy and shadow foreign secretary Douglas Alexander watch a landmine detection exercise at Camp Bastion

16. April 9, 2011: British troops, most of whom are new in theatre starting their tour, travel in a chinook helicopter to Lashkar Gah in Helmand

17. April 10, 2011: A Chinook makes a delivery at Patrol Base Attal in Helmand

18. July 20, 2011: Afghan elders wait for beginning of a handing over ceremony of control of security in the town of Lashkar Gah to the Afghan police and army

19. July 27, 2011: Cpl Ryan Wordsworth of X-Ray Company, 45 Commando Royal Marines, brushes his teeth at Patrol Base Kalang in Afghanistan

20. November 14, 2011: A soldier from the Alpha (Grenadier) company, the 3rd Battalion Royal regiment for Scotland meets a young child on a patrol in Nad e-Ali

21. March 22, 2012: Sergeant Jon Van Zyl of the Princess of Wales' Royal Regiment stands in front of two Mastiff vehicles and beneath Venus and Jupiter in the clear Helmand desert sky

22. December 18, 2012: The Princess Royal talks to Lieutenant Colonel Ben Wrench, Major Angus Watson and Sergeant Gardner in Camp Tombstone during her visit to Camp Bastion

23. January 21, 2013: Prince Harry does a pre-flight check of his Apache helicopter after starting his 12 hour VHR (very high ready-ness) shift

24. Harry scrambles to his Apache

25. April 2, 2013: Petty Officers inspect a Chinook airframe for small arms fire damage as part of the ongoing battlefield maintenance and repair on Camp Bastion

26. October 5, 2013: Soldiers approach a Chinook aircraft in the Nahr-e Saraj district, Helmand

27. October 11, 2013: An Afghan National Army (ANA) soldier from 3 Brigade 209 Kandak looks through his rifle scope as he is trained on marksmanship skills at ANA Camp Shorabak, Helmand

28. December 23, 2013: Private Zina Saunders, a dog handler, gives Hazel Christmas presents which were sent by the handler's friends and family in the UK

29. December 23, 2013: Soldiers based at Patrol Base Lash Durai, Afghanistan get into the festive spirit

30. October 3, 2014: David Cameron addresses British troops at Camp Bastion in Helmand for the final time before troops wind down their mission in Afghanistan

Very quickly they found themselves in close-quarter fights. New technology had to hurried through to protect against the Taliban's maturing tactics, principally roadside IEDs.

A shortage of helicopters to move troops, equipment and supplies, was finally addressed after considerable public and media pressure on the government and senior military chiefs.

The hospital in Bastion became a world leader in trauma medicine, attracting and training the brightest surgeons and nurses from the military and NHS.

If a casualty made it to the hospital within an hour of being wounded on the battlefield they had an incredible 98% chance of survival.

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1. Gallery: Life In Camp Bastion

   Soldiers from 2nd Royal Tank Regiment relax in transit accommodation as they prepare to leave Camp Bastion in Helmand Province, Afghanistan after a gruelling six month tour

2. British troops cross themselves during prayer as they stand at ease on the parade square at Camp 501, Camp Bastion

3. The coffin containing the body of British Army soldier L/cpl Paul "Sandy" Sandford is carried by his fellow soldiers during his repatriation ceremony

4. Troops from various regiments including Sandford's, the Worcestershire and Sherwood Foresters Regiment held a repatriation ceremony for the British soldier killed in action on 6 June, 2007

5. British soldiers play a game of Scrabble as they watch the live broadcast of the Royal wedding

6. Soldiers wait to talk to then Chancellor Gordon Brown, with a cross in the foreground - part of a monument in the memory of fallen comrades

7. Merlin Pilot Wing Commander Nigel Colman Officer Commanding 78 Squadron sits at the back of a Merlin at Camp Bastion

8. Troops observe the minute's silence at Camp Bastion during a special Armistice Day Parade on the 93rd anniversary of the end of the First World War

9. Lieutenant Chris Millen, serving with 2nd Royal Tank Regiment, relaxes in his bedspace in transit accommodation as he prepares leave Camp Bastion

10. Capt Robbie Robertson (left) and Capt Olly Denning spar at Camp Bastion

11. Troops from 1st The Queen's Dragoon Guards with a Scimitar tank

12. Trooper Ben Rakestrow (right), 21, from Egypt squadron, 2nd Royal Tank Regiment, sits on his rather colourful bedspread with friends in transit accommodation at Camp Bastion

13. Royal Military Police (RMP) as they clear their vehicle and its shelter of snow following a rare snow shower

14. British soldier Jamie Anderson lifts weights as he passes time at Camp Bastion

15. A British soldier controls the ball during a football match as comrades (background), and an Afghan National Army soldier, right, look on during a football training session at Camp Bastion

Although combat operations are now over, British involvement in Afghanistan will continue for a number of years.

A few hundred will be based at the Qargha Officer Training Academy outside Kabul.

It has been nicknamed "Sandhurst in the Sand" and is Britain's contribution to Operation Resolute Support, the name for the training and advisory mission to Afghan forces.

Special Forces operations will also continue in the country for the foreseeable future. 

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