Gaza High-Rise Blocks Wrecked By Airstrikes

Israeli airstrikes have destroyed much of one of Gaza's tallest apartment blocks.

Palestinian officials said 70 families lived in the block, known as the Italian Complex, which also housed offices and a shopping centre.

Gaza's health ministry said 25 people were injured.

Hundreds of people living nearby have been evacuated because of fears that the remaining part of the structure could collapse.

Another of Gaza's tallest blocks - the Basha Tower - was completely destroyed.

The buildings were evacuated before they were hit because warnings were issued by Israel, which said it had only targeted sites linked to militants.

Rockets fired from Gaza at Israel badly damaged a house

The Gaza government said at least nine people were killed in Israeli airstrikes elsewhere in the territory.

Israel said eight rockets had been fired at its territory from Gaza overnight. More rockets were also fired at it from across the Lebanese border, it said.

One of the rockets from Gaza injured up to a dozen people in Ashkelon and badly damaged a house.

It followed a day in which 130 rockets were fired from Gaza.

Israel said on Tuesday it had carried out 15 airstrikes in Gaza overnight. It also released a video showing targets where it said militants had been operating from.

The rocket strike on Ashkelon left more than a dozen injured

The latest strikes came as Egypt urged Israel and Hamas to restart indirect talks on establishing a permanent ceasefire.

Negotiators have been using the Egyptians as go-betweens to discuss the future of the blockade on Gaza, which Israel says is necessary to limit what it describes as terrorist attacks from the territory.

The Egyptians have suggested a gradual easing of restrictions on trade and movement in and out of Gaza and in exchange for giving Hamas' Palestinian rival, President Mahmoud Abbas, a foothold in the territory.

Hamas seized Gaza from Mr Abbas in 2007, triggering the blockade. Hamas and Israel blamed each other for delaying agreement.

At least 2,133 Palestinians have been killed in the latest conflict and more than 11,000 wounded, according to Palestinian health officials.

The UN estimates that more than 17,000 homes have been destroyed, leaving 100,000 people homeless.

A cat among the ruins of the Basha Tower

Israel says 68 of its citizens have been killed, all but four of them soldiers.

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Captured Russians: 'We Are Here As Cannon Meat'

Ukraine's security service has released video footage purportedly showing 10 Russian paratroopers who were captured by the army in the war-torn east of the country.

The UBS said it had opened a criminal probe after soldiers from the 98th airborne division based in central Russia were detained near the village of Dzerkalne, around 30 miles (50km) from rebel-held Donetsk.

A Ukrainian military spokesman said the men were on a "special mission".

But Russian military sources quoted by state news agencies have claimed the soldiers crossed the border by mistake.

Ukraine's President Poroshenko has arrived in Belarus for crucial talks

In footage posted on the official Facebook page of the Ukrainian government's "anti-terrorist operation," the men were shown dressed in camouflage fatigues.

One of them, who identified himself as Ivan Melchyakov, listed his personal details, including the name of the paratroop regiment he said is based in the Russian town of Kostroma.

"I did not see where we crossed the border. They just told us we were going on a 70-kilometre march over three days," he said.

"Everything is different here, not like they show it on television. We've come as cannon fodder," he said in the video.

Ukraine's Defence Minister Valeriy Geletey said the soldiers were captured on Monday.

"Officially they are at exercises in various corners of Russia.

Separatists walk in front of garages set ablaze by shelling in Donetsk

"In reality, they are participating in military aggression against Ukraine and their families know nothing about their true fate.

"I am addressing the relatives of Russian servicemen: find out immediately where your loved ones are. Take them out of Ukraine, where they are being forced to die."

The videos emerged as Ukranian President Petro Poroshenko prepares to meet Russian leader Vladimir Putin for the first time in months alongside top EU officials.

Even as the Ukrainian president landed outside Minsk, his country's military said an attack by Russian separatists on the town of Novoazovsk was ongoing.

A spokesman said a hospital was on fire and 12 Ukrainian service personnel had been killed in the last 24 hours - while government forces had destroyed 12 armoured infantry carriers in the area using artillery and aircraft.

Ukrainian soldiers inspect their bus, which was destroyed in fighting

Kiev also claimed four guards were killed in an attack on a border post by Russian MI-24 helicopters on Monday.

Mr Poroshenko has pledged to "talk peace" with President Putin, but insists the withdrawal of pro-Kremlin forces is the only way to end the conflict.

Kiev has accused its neighbour of stoking the separatist insurgency but this is the first time authorities have claimed to have captured Russian soldiers.

Moscow continues to deny any involvement in the rebellion.

Russian tanks and armoured vehicles are reported to have crossed the border near the towns of Shcherbak and Novoazovsk.

Associated Press reporters say they saw three similar military convoys driving through the town of Krasnodon last week, coming from the direction of Russia.

Mr Poroshneko has dissolved Ukraine's parliament and called early elections, accusing some politicians of supporting the rebels in the conflict, which has left more than 2,000 dead.

"Snap parliament polls are part of my peace plan," he said, adding a change of leadership was vital to stop the fighting.

Meanwhile, Moscow has announced plans to send another aid convoy into eastern Ukraine "this week".

Russia unilaterally sent about 230 lorries carrying what it claimed was 1,800 tonnes of humanitarian aid to the rebel-held city of Luhansk on Friday.

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US Launches Surveillance Flights Over Syria

The US has begun surveillance flights over Syria, a move that could pave the way for airstrikes against Islamic State militant targets there.

President Barack Obama has authorised the missions in order to garner reliable intelligence in Syria.

The intelligence and surveillance flights include drones, which are unmanned, as well as manned aircraft. The AP news agency said the flights got under way early on Tuesday.

The US had already run some surveillance missions over Syria, but the current wave appears to focus on IS sites as possible targets.

The White House has said that Mr Obama has not approved military action inside Syria, but Pentagon officials have been drafting potential options for the president, including airstrikes.

Mr Obama has been wary of any military intervention in Syria

Mr Obama has long resisted taking military action in Syria, even as the US began strikes against the Islamist group inside Iraq earlier this month.

He is wary of involvement in a country ravaged by a protracted civil war.

Mr Obama is also concerned launching airstrikes against the militants could unintentionally help embattled Syrian President Bashar Assad, whose regime the US has denounced.

Syria said on Monday any US airstrikes without consent from Damascus would be considered an aggression.

But Mr Obama's resolve to go after IS, the militant group formerly known as ISIS and ISIL, appears to have strengthened in recent weeks.

He has cited the threat to American personnel in the country and a humanitarian crisis.

The US has also been shaken by the beheading of American journalist James Foley by an IS militant.

James Foley, 40, was remembered in a memorial service on Monday

The group is also threatening to kill Steven Sotloff, another American journalist, and other US citizens held captive in Syria.

General Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said last week IS would eventually need to be addressed on "both sides of what is essentially at this point a non-existent border" between Syria and Iraq.

White House spokesman Josh Earnest insisted on Monday the president has demonstrated his willingness to order military action when necessary to protect American citizens.

"That is true without regard to international boundaries," he said.

The US ran surveillance missions over Syria ahead of an attempted mission to rescue Mr Foley and other US hostages this summer.

That mission failed, possibly due to imprecise intelligence, as the hostages had already been transferred by the time the special forces launched the raid.

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Kidnappers Release US Journalist In Syria

Kidnappers in Syria have released a US journalist who was abducted in 2012.

The United Nations (UN) confirmed Peter Theo Curtis, 45, was transferred to its peacekeeping force in the disputed Golan Heights region.

"After receiving a medical check-up, Mr Curtis was handed over to representatives of his government," the UN statement said.

Al Jazeera reported that the move followed diplomacy from Qatar.

US reporter James Foley

It comes six days after the Islamic State (IS) released a video of US reporter James Foley being beheaded in Iraq.

The UK says it is edging closer to identifying the apparently-British killer.

US Secretary of State John Kerry said: "Particularly after a week marked by unspeakable tragedy, we are all relieved and grateful knowing that Theo Curtis is coming home.

A map showing IS territory

"Over these last two years, the United States reached out to more than two dozen countries asking for urgent help from anyone who might have tools, influence, or leverage to help secure Theo's release and the release of any Americans held hostage in Syria."

Steven Sotloff is being held by IS in Iraq

The US-based Committee to Protect Journalists estimates that about 20 journalists are missing in Syria. Many of them are believed to be held by IS.

Mr Kerry said: "Every diplomatic, intelligence and military tool" is being used to secure the release of other American hostages.

A Qatari source told Reuters that "any captives with (Islamic State) will be very difficult for Qatar to free, while others with different groups would be easier".

IS has threatened to kill another US reporter, Steven Sotloff, if airstrikes sanctioned by President Barack Obama in Iraq continue.

Mr Curtis, who is from Boston and has written books under the name Theo Padnos, was abducted near the Syria-Turkey border in October 2012

In a video statement released by kidnappers during his captivity, Mr Curtis said he "had everything" he needed and "everything has been perfect, food, clothing, even friends now".

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Teen's Dad Calls For Peace Ahead Of Funeral

Timeline Of Missouri Unrest

Updated: 11:47am UK, Monday 25 August 2014

Sky News looks at crucial events in the wake of the shooting death of Michael Brown, which sparked protests in Ferguson, Missouri.

Here is a timeline:

:: August 9: Michael Brown is shot to death by police in Ferguson, a predominantly black suburb of St Louis, Missouri.

Police say the shooting took place during a scuffle where Mr Brown was shot multiple times. 

At least two witnesses say Mr Brown had his hands raised when the officer fired at him repeatedly.

:: August 10: St Louis County Police Chief Joe Belmar says Mr Brown was unarmed.

Violence erupts in the streets of Ferguson after a peaceful candlelight vigil. Several businesses are vandalised and looted.

:: August 11: Protests continue, with demonstrators demanding justice for Mr Brown.

The Justice Department announces an investigation.

Twitter users complain of alleged racial bias in the media portrayal of Mr Brown, and the hashtag "IfTheyGunnedMeDown" goes viral.

The teen's family appeal for calm and demand justice for their son. The family hire lawyer Benjamin Crump, who also represented the family of Trayvon Martin, the unarmed black teen who was shot dead in 2012 in Florida.

:: August 12: Police say death threats have been received and they withhold releasing the name of the officer who shot at Mr Brown.

President Barack Obama appeals for calm in his first statement on the case.

Protests continue.

:: August 13: Police say the officer involved in the shooting was injured in the confrontation.

Police chief Tom Jackson says "race relations are our top priority".

At violent protests during the night, two reporters are briefly detained by police. They are later released without any charges.

:: August 14: Mr Obama addresses the nation and urges calm, saying there is "no excuse" for "excessive force" by Missouri police.

The Missouri governor, Jay Nixon, names a State Highway Patrol captain to assume control of security in Ferguson. Captain Ron Johnson is an African-American who was born and raised in the area.

Peaceful demonstrations return to Ferguson as thousands of Americans hold rallies in 90 cities, including New York and Los Angeles, in memory of Mr Brown.

:: August 15: Police name Darren Wilson as the officer who shot Mr Brown. Mr Wilson is a six-year police veteran who had no previous complaints against him.

Police also give details of a robbery at a local convenience store that took place moments before the shooting. Documents distributed by police name Mr Brown as a suspect.

Violent protests resume.

:: August 16: Mr Nixon declares a state of emergency and imposes a curfew. But that fails to quell demonstrators, who clash with police in riot gear.

:: August 17: Attorney General Eric Holder orders a separate federal autopsy on the teen.

Mr Nixon tells CBS' Face The Nation that releasing CCTV video of the robbery "had an incendiary effect".

A private autopsy performed at the request of Mr Brown's family finds that the teen was shot at least six times, including twice in the head, according to the New York Times.

As protests continue, Mr Nixon announces the deployment of the National Guard.

:: August 18: Police clash with protesters overnight yet again, leading to 31 arrests.

Capt Johnson says bottles and Molotov cocktails were thrown from the crowd and two guns were confiscated from protesters. At least two people were shot.

Some of those arrested came from as far away as New York and California.

:: August 19: Tensions rise after "knife-wielding" suspect is been shot dead by police in north St Louis, some four miles from Ferguson, 

Despite fewer protesters in Missouri than in previous nights, police charge crowds and arrest 47 people.

:: August 20: Attorney General Eric Holder visits Ferguson, where he holds a private meeting with Mr Brown's parents.

He delivers a briefing on the Justice Department investigation into the killing and tells community leaders he understands why black people do not trust police, recalling being pulled over twice while in his car and accused of speeding.

:: August 22: As protests calm down, the National Guard begins a partial withdrawal.

:: August 25: Mr Brown's funeral in St Louis.

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Ukraine Troops Battle Rebel Armoured Convoy

Ukraine says its forces have clashed with a rebel armoured column it claims crossed the border from Russia.

The military said border guards were engaged in a battle with around 50 vehicles, including tanks, near the southeastern town of Novoazovsk, as it headed toward the port city of Mariupol.

The latest violence came as Moscow announced plans to send a second controversial aid convoy to rebel-held eastern Ukraine in a move which threatens to further escalate the bloody conflict.

There was heavy criticism of an earlier unauthorised Russian convoy

An earlier column of more than 200 trucks sent across the border by Moscow, with a cargo of what was said to be aid, without permission was branded by the government in Kiev as a "direct invasion", and was heavily criticised by the West.

There are concerns the aid convoy is a move to assist the insurgency or be used as a pretext to invade, but Russia insists it is to help the stricken region.

The continuing unrest comes on the eve of crucial talks between the Russian and Ukrainian presidents on Tuesday in a bid to find a diplomatic solution to defuse tensions, and end the deadly crisis.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said the aim was to "help Ukrainians agree among themselves".

But at the same time he ramped up tensions with plans to send a second aid convoy to eastern Ukraine.

Ukrainian prisoners were displayed in Donetsk in mockery of a Kiev parade

Mr Lavrov said: "The humanitarian situation is not improving but deteriorating."

Kiev is also likely to have been antagonised by Mr Lavrov's comments that there was nothing demeaning about parading Ukrainian prisoners through the rebel-held city of Donetsk.

There was condemnation after pro-Russian separatists displayed captives before baying crowds in mockery of the country's Independence Day celebrations in Kiev.

The captives were followed by rubbish trucks to "clean" where they had walked.

Germany has said it was quite likely a war crime.

A foreign ministry spokesman said: "It is completely distasteful and it's just not done."

But Mr Lavrov said: "I saw images of that parade and I didn't see anything close to what could be considered as humiliating."

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UK Steps Up Help For Kurds Amid Massacre Fears

Britain will supply Kurdish forces with "non-lethal" equipment, including night-vision goggles and body armour, in their fight against militants in northern Iraq.

No 10 said the Government was stepping up its efforts to help defeat Islamic State (IS) by also appointing a special representative to the country's Kurdistan region.

Security envoy Lieutenant General Sir Simon Mayall will support Kurdish and wider Iraqi efforts to counter IS and work with Iraq's leaders as they try to establish a unity government.

He will travel to the country next week to meet political chiefs in Baghdad and the Kurdistan regional government in Irbil to encourage all sides to unite against IS, formerly known as ISIS or ISIL.

Some of the Kurdish forces who are taking on Islamic State

Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond has said the Government was investing "significant resources" to tackle "a barbaric ideology".

And he warned that if the IS militants are not stopped in Iraq and Syria "sooner or later they will seek to strike us on British soil".

It comes as the United Nations warned of a "possible massacre" in an Iraqi town which has been besieged by IS insurgents.

The UN's special envoy to the country said immediate action was needed to protect 17,000 people in Amerli.

Nickolay Mladenov said reports "confirm that people are surviving in desperate conditions" and there is "unspeakable suffering".

Shia Turkmen residents of the town, in the Salaheddin province north of Baghdad, have been cut off from food and water supplies by IS for months.

An IS fighter in the city of Mosul

Sky's Stuart Ramsay, reporting from Kalar, about 25 miles from Amerli, said: "We understand the Iraqi military is north and south of the town and it is claimed they are attempting to get in to try and relieve the people who are in pretty terrible conditions.

"No food, no water and running very low on ammunition. How they have been holding out against IS I simply cannot imagine. I suspect IS have not tried to go in with any great force because they are well-organised and extremely well-armed."

Thousands of Kurdish peshmerga forces have been fighting Sunni extremists around northeastern towns including Jalula and Sa'dya, which have been controlled by IS for weeks.

Meanwhile, at least 30 people were killed on Saturday in explosions in Baghdad and the northern city of Kirkuk, where three blasts went off in a crowded commercial area.

In the capital, a suicide bomber drove a car full of explosives into the gate of the intelligence headquarters in the Karrada district - killing civilians and security personnel.

In Irbil, the capital of the Kurdistan region, local media said a car bomb had exploded.

After pouring in from Syria across a desert border that it does not recognise, IS has taken over large parts of both countries and declared its own caliphate.

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Video Shows Collapse Of 12-Storey Gaza Tower

Amateur video footage has emerged of the moment an apartment building in downtown Gaza City was hit by Israeli missiles.

Huge fireballs can be seen erupting after the missiles strike the 12-storey Zafer Tower, part of a group of high rises in the Tel al Hawa neighbourhood.

The building collapses in a cloud of smoke shortly afterwards.

Some 100,000 Gazans have become homeless, with more than 17,000 homes destroyed or damaged beyond repair so far during the conflict, says the UN.

However, Saturday's incident is the first time an entire apartment building has been destroyed.

Smoke billows from the collapsed apartments

The Israeli military said the target was a Hamas operations room in the building, but did not say why the whole tower with 44 apartments was brought down.

Police in Gaza said a warning missile was fired five minutes before impact and some residents were able to get out of the building in time.

Gaza hospital officials said 22 people were wounded, including 11 children and five women.

Resident Maher Abu Sedo said two strikes came within seconds of each other.

"People started shouting Allahu Akbar, and women and kids were screaming," he said.

A warning missile was fired by Israel five minutes before impact

"This is crazy. The state of Israel has resorted to madness.

"In less than a minute, 44 families have become displaced... They lost everything, their house, their money, their memories and their security."

Elsewhere in Gaza, an Israeli airstrike killed two Palestinians in the enclave on Sunday as militants in Gaza kept up rocket fire.

The pace of Israeli raids was slower than Saturday when at least 60 strikes pounded Gaza.

They came after a shell from the territory hit a farming village in southern Israel and killed a four-year-old boy.

Firemen at the scene of the mortar attack that killed a four-year-old boy

Israeli media reported that many residents of communities near the Gaza border were leaving their homes to head for safer areas following the death in the Nahal Oz kibbutz.

Since the fighting began on July 8, Israel has launched some 5,000 airstrikes on Gaza, while militants have fired almost 4,000 rockets and mortars, according to Israel.

More than 2,100 Palestinians, the majority of them civilians, have been killed, according to the UN and Palestinian health officials.

Sixty-four Israeli soldiers and four civilians have also died.

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Ukraine Military Parade On Independence Day

Ukraine is marking 24 years of independence from the Soviet Union with a military parade in Kiev - as fighting continues to rage in the east of the country between government forces and pro-Russian separatists.

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has told a crowd of thousands in the capital Kiev that the country would face a military threat "for the foreseeable future", and pledged $3bn (£1.8bn) to re-equip his nation's forces.

President Petro Poroshenko has pledged to re-equip his nation's military

"It is clear that in the foreseeable future, unfortunately, a constant military threat will hang over Ukraine," he said.

"And we need to learn not only to live with this, but also to be always prepared to defend the independence of our country."

He added: "I am convinced that the battle for Ukraine, for independence, will be our success.

Wreaths were laid to those killed in the winter protests in Kiev

"War has come to us from over the horizon where it was never expected.

"In the 21st century, in the centre of Europe, there is a flagrant attempt to breach the border of a sovereign state without declaring war.

"It is as if the world has returned to the 1930s, the eve of World War II."

Wreaths were also laid to those killed in the winter protests which forced former pro-Moscow president Viktor Yanukovych from power.

The bloody conflict in eastern Ukraine has killed an estimated 2,000 people

His overthrow led to the Russian invasion of Crimea, and triggered the current unrest in the east.

Many of those attending the event in Kiev wore the national colours of blue and yellow and sang the national anthem as the country's flag was raised.

Oleksandr Kaplya said: "It is a demonstration of the unity and independence of Ukraine. We want to show the world that we are one."

Shortly before the parade got under way, shelling struck a hospital in the rebel-held eastern city of Donetsk.

A hospital building in the rebel-held city of Donetsk was hit by shell fire

The morgue bore the brunt of the attack, taking a direct hit.

Stunned patients, being treated in nearby buildings, looked on as separatist fighters inspected the scene.

Rocket attacks on Donetsk have become common as government troops seek to drive out rebel forces, causing several hundred thousand civilians to flee.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Saturday pushed for a new ceasefire in crisis talks with Mr Poroshenko in Kiev.

During her visit to Kiev, Ms Merkel called for a "bilateral ceasefire and effective border controls" to help stop four months of fighting in Ukraine.

Her visit came ahead of crucial talks on Tuesday between Mr Poroshenko and Russian President Vladimir Putin alongside top EU officials.

Tensions surged on Friday when Russia sent a convoy of trucks it said were carrying aid to the rebel-held city Luhansk in an unauthorised move Kiev described as a "direct invasion".

The West sharply rebuked Russia over the convoy, which left on Saturday, with Washington describing it as a "dangerous escalation".

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IS Has Iraqi Towns In Lockdown As Battles Rage

Kurdish forces are struggling to defend themselves against Islamic State (IS) militants in northeast Iraq and are appealing for more international help.

There has been fighting around towns including Jalula and Sa'dya, which have been controlled by the well-armed Sunni extremists for several weeks.

The IS insurgents have seized large swathes of the country since a June offensive but have been hit by US airstrikes in some areas including around Mosul Dam.

However, Sky's Chief Correspondent Stuart Ramsay, reporting from outside Jalula, north of Baghdad, said the Kurdish peshmerga fighters want more weaponry from the outside world and are "getting little or no air support".

Thousands of peshmerga and counter-terrorism soldiers have been deployed, including many around the town.

Sky's Stuart Ramsay outside the town of Jalula

He said the Kurds have some heavy weapons but the equipment is old, while the jihadists "have modern equipment and lots of money".

Ramsay said the two sides are fighting to control territory not the towns themselves as IS have them "under total lockdown".

The Kurds are trying to cut their supply lines and one fighter told Sky News: "We need weapons to make the battle equal."

Ramsay said: "Peshmerga front-line positions are regularly hit from far away. There are scorch marks and burning patches everywhere."

Roadside bombs laid by the extremists are also "causing more casualties than ever before," he added.

Meanwhile, eight people have been killed after a suicide bomber blew up a vehicle packed with explosives at the interior ministry's intelligence headquarters in Baghdad.

PM designate Haider al Abadi is trying to form a more inclusive government

It comes a day after a sectarian attack at a mosque killed at least 68 Sunni Muslims, plunging efforts to form a united front against the jihadists into crisis.

Officials say a suicide bomber blew himself up in the Imam Wais mosque north of Baghdad, with Shia militiamen picking off fleeing worshippers with machine guns.

Diyala has seen heavy fighting between Iraqi troops and IS. File pic

Attacks on mosques are acutely sensitive and have in the past unleashed a deadly series of revenge killings and counter attacks in Iraq.

The attack, in Diyala province, is seen as a blow to government efforts to secure backing from Sunni groups in its battle against the extremists.

The US says the killing of James Foley was a "terrorist attack" on America

Prime Minister designate Haider al Abadi, a moderate Shia, is attempting to form a more inclusive government following the resignation of outgoing PM Nouri al Maliki.

But two influential Sunni politicians - Parliamentary Speaker Salim al Jabouri and Deputy Prime Minister Saleh al Mutlak - have now pulled out of talks with the main Shia political alliance after the massacre.

The US, which is carrying out airstrikes against militants, has ramped up its rhetoric over the beheading of journalist James Foley.

In Washington, Deputy National Security Advisor Ben Rhodes said the murder "represents a terrorist attack against our country".

He said the US would not be restricted by the Iraq-Syria border when it considers further action against IS militants.

Having poured in from Syria across a desert border that it does not recognise, the Islamist movement has declared its own caliphate.

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