Don't Drink Two Days In A Row, Government Says

People should only drink alcohol every other day to avoid health problems like cancer, heart attacks and liver disease, government officials are warning.

The new guidelines drawn up by Public Health England, a government quango promoting healthy living, will recommend drinkers follow a "one day on, one day off" rule.

The 92-page paper says: "Daily drinking is a key contributor to increased risk, so it is possible that promoting a simple approach such as never drinking two days in a row would have a positive impact."

However, the advice has been criticised as "nannying" and experts questioned whether it would decrease health risks and encourage heavy drinkers to cut back.

"Giving up alcohol on alternate days is not something most doctors would recognise as a helpful strategy to curb excessive drinking," GP Martin Scurr told the Daily Mail.

"It's hard to see how this plan from Public Health England will persuade excessive drinkers to rein back."

Conservative MP and former minister Gerald Howarth said the advice was "completely unrealistic" and an example of the "nanny state".

"People have the common sense to know how to look after themselves," he told the Mail.

The Public Health England strategy said changes to alcohol pricing as well as the availability and strength of alcohol are more likely to have "immediate positive impacts" and it would continue to work on those areas.

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Hundreds Of Women Captured By ISIS Fighters

Hundreds of women from the Yazidi religious minority have been taken captive by Islamist militants, Iraq's government has said.

Kamil Amin, a spokesman for the country's human rights ministry, said the women were kidnapped by Islamic State (IS) fighters.

He added that some of the women are being held in schools in Iraq's second city Mosul, and that the ministry learned of the kidnappings from the victims' families.

"We think that the terrorists by now consider them slaves and they have vicious plans for them," Mr Amin said.

"We think that these women are going to be used in demeaning ways by those terrorists to satisfy their animalistic urges in a way that contradicts all the human and Islamic values."

The aftermath of US airstrikes near Irbil, seen from the Khazer Checkpoint

A US official speaking on condition of anonymity said IS militants kidnapped the women so they could be sold or married off to extremist fighters.

Some 50,000 residents from the ancient Yazidi community fled the northern Iraqi town of Sinjar after IS militants overwhelmed Kurdish forces this month.

Many Yazidis are trapped on Mount Sinjar without food or water and are at risk of starvation as militants surround the base.

Kurdish media has reported that Peshmerga forces have rescued 11,000 of those trapped in the mountains.

The US has been carrying out airstrikes against the militants in the north of the country.

An F/A-18C Hornet aboard the USS George HW Bush on August 8

Two F/A-18 aircraft dropped 500lb laser-guided bombs on a mobile artillery piece near Irbil, the capital of the semi-autonomous Kurdish region.

Later on Friday, two further strikes were carried out near Irbil, targeting mortar positions and a convoy of IS vehicles.

On Thursday, the US also dropped thousands of gallons of drinking water and 8,000 packaged meals to Yazidis.

President Barack Obama said the airdrops were made at the request of the Iraqi government as IS fighters tightened their grip on northern Iraq.

In his remarks late Thursday, he mentioned "chilling reports" of fighters with the group "rounding up families, conducting mass executions, and enslaving Yazidi women".

IS believes the Yazidis, who are followers of a religion derived from Zoroastrianism, are "devil worshippers".

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US Planes Bomb Jihadists As Food Aid Dropped

US warplanes have bombed Islamist fighters in northern Iraq for a second time - as 30,000 meals were dropped for refugees.

Aircraft launched a second round of strikes on Islamic State (IS) - formerly known as ISIS - targets in northern Iraq after President Barack Obama said Washington must act to prevent "genocide".

In his weekly address on Saturday, Mr Obama vowed to continue the action against jihadists if necessary.

He stressed US combat troops would not be "dragged into fighting another war in Iraq", but added the US "can't just look away".

Water bundles loaded onto a plane for a humanitarian drop to refugees

"We will protect our citizens. We will work with the international community to address this humanitarian crisis. We'll help prevent these terrorists from having a permanent safe haven from which to attack America," he said.

Islamic State fighters, who have beheaded and crucified captives, have advanced to within a half an hour of Irbil, Iraq's Kurdish capital and a hub for US oil companies.

They have also seized control of Iraq's biggest dam, which could allow them to flood cities and cut off vital water and electricity supplies.

Iraq's government says hundreds of women from the Yazidi religious minority have been taken captive by fighters for IS, formerly known as ISIS.

The rough outline of the desired IS caliphate

The Pentagon said two  F/A-18 aircraft from a carrier in the Gulf had dropped laser-guided 500-pound bombs on the fighters' artillery.

Other airstrikes targeted mortar positions and an Islamic State convoy.

For the second night, the US also dropped relief supplies to members of the ancient Yazidi sect.

Tens of thousands of them are massed on a desert mountaintop seeking shelter from fighters who have ordered them to convert or die.

Iraqi military personnel distribute water to Shiite Iraqi Kurds

Three cargo planes escorted by two F/A-18 combat jets dropped the supplies - including 72 bundles which contained 28,224 individually packaged meals. Another 16 bundles contained 1,522 gallons of fresh drinking water.

"The Iraqi men, women and children who fled to that mountain were starving and dying of thirst. The food and water we airdropped will help them survive," said Mr Obama.

"I've also approved targeted American airstrikes to help Iraqi forces break the siege and rescue these families."

Mr Obama has authorised the first US airstrikes on Iraq since he pulled all troops out in 2011.

A rally in support of Prime Minister Nuri al Maliki in Baghdad

The action is aimed at halting the Islamist advance, protecting hundreds of thousands of Christians and other religious minorities who have fled for their lives.

A British cargo plane is also on its way to Iraq to drop supplies including tents, blankets, food, water and solar lanterns - which also charge mobile phones.

UK ministers will be attending a Cobra meeting later to discuss the situation in Iraq which will be chaired by British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond.

In the hours after the airstrikes, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) banned all US civilian flights over Iraq.

Warplanes launched a second wave of airstrikes in northern Iraq overnight

British Airways also decided to stop flying over the war-torn region.

Other international airlines including Turkish Airlines, Lufthansa and Austrian Airlines have halted their flights to Irbil until Monday.

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Oscar Pistorius Lawyers Sum-Up Defence

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10:42am UK, Friday 08 August 2014

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Pistorius Disability 'Provoked Him To Fight'

Oscar Pistorius' lawyer says his disability meant he had a "fight-not-flee" response when he thought he heard an intruder.

In his closing argument, Barry Roux repeated Pistorius' claim that he believed he was firing on an intruder when he shot and killed his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp.

Mr Roux said that when anxious and startled, people either fight, flee or freeze.

He said Pistorius' disability meant he had developed an "exaggerated fight response" over time, because fleeing was not an option.

Pistorius, a double-amputee, spent his whole life "knowing he couldn't run away," Mr Roux said.

Sky's Alex Crawford says Mr Roux is on 'fine form' in his closing statement

He referenced a number of experts who testified that Pistorius had what he called a "slow burn reaction" to having lived his life with the disability, which culminated in the moment he was startled by a noise and reacted. He used the analogy of an abused woman who shoots her husband after years of violence.

Mr Roux said Pistorius won't have known what he was doing when he opened fire and can therefore not be held responsible for murder.

The athlete's lawyer was picking up where he left off on Thursday when he began summing up the defence, taking over from prosecutor Gerrie Nel.

The victim's father, Barry Steenkamp, was in court again on Friday

Having put forward the crux of the defence relatively early, Mr Roux proceeded to go through a detailed timeline of events based on photo records and witness recollections. 

He said they backed up Pistorius' version of events, which the prosecution had described as a "crumbling mosaic."

He listed all the areas where the prosecution had fallen short, accusing them of selectively calling in witnesses who lived far away from the crime scene and not calling in witnesses who lived nearby and had testified they heard a man screaming on the night of the murder, not a woman.

Oscar Pistorius claims he did not intend to shoot model Reeva Steenkamp

He also sought to discredit a witnesses who claimed to have heard a woman sounding "fearful and emotional," saying he had altered his evidence after a lunch break.

Sky News' Special Correspondent Alex Crawford, who is in the courtroom in Pretoria, says Mr Roux is putting the defence case forward "hammer and tongs", having spent much of the trial in the shadow of Mr Nel who is nicknamed "the pitbull".

The prosecution alleges that Pistorius intended to shoot and kill Ms Steenkamp when he fired four shots through the bathroom door where she was hiding after an argument on February 14 last year.

In his closing argument, however, Mr Nel argued that regardless of whether he knew he was firing at his girlfriend, Pistorius intended to kill whoever he believed was behind the door.

Mr Nel said Pistorius therefore cannot escape a murder conviction.

The state is pressing for the athlete to be convicted of premeditated murder - which carries a life sentence.

Once the defence has finished summing up, judge Thokozile Masipa adjourns the trial to deliberate on her verdict with two legal assistants.

It is expected she will set a date for a verdict in the next few weeks.

More follows...

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US Threatens Strikes To Stop Iraq 'Genocide'

President Barack Obama has authorised airstrikes against Islamist militants in northern Iraq and ordered airdrops of supplies to besieged religious minorities.

Three aircraft delivered food and water to thousands of Iraqis trapped on a mountain, and left the drop zone after 15 minutes, according to the Pentagon.

In a late-night televised address, Mr Obama said targeted strikes would be launched - if needed - to stop the advance on Irbil by the Islamic State - the group previously known as ISIS or ISIL.

The President said the action would be aimed at defending Americans and protect civilians under siege, preventing a "potential act of genocide".

Thousands of Yezidis who fled their homes risk starvation

"Earlier this week, one Iraqi in the area cried to the world, 'There is no one coming to help,'" said Mr Obama.

"Well, today America is coming to help."

However, he stressed there was no intention of sending in any troops.

Prime Minister David Cameron called the attacks by IS "barbaric" and said he was "extremely concerned by the appalling situation in Iraq and the desperate situation facing hundreds of thousands of Iraqis".

However, Downing Street said there would be no UK military action in Iraq.

Some 40,000 residents from the ancient Yezidi community have been forced to leave the northern Iraqi town of Sinjar after the Sunni fighters overwhelmed Kurdish forces.

Some Yedizis took refuge in Dohuk province in northern Iraq

Many Yezidis are trapped on Mount Sinjar without food or water and are at risk of starvation as the militants surround the base.

"Children are dying of thirst, meanwhile ISIL forces have called for the destruction of the entire Yezidi people, which would constitute genocide," Mr Obama said.

"These innocent families are faced with a horrible choice: Descend the mountain and be slaughtered, or stay and slowly die of thirst and hunger."

Two F-18 fighter jets kept watch over the three cargo aircraft - one C-17 and two C-130s - during the Mount Sinjar aid mission.

Obama in discussion with his national security team

The planes dropped 72 bundles, containing more than 20,000 litres of drinking water and 8,000 pre-packaged meals.

Militants have been surging across the north of Iraq towards Irbil, the capital of the Kurdish region.

The US has a consulate in the city, where civilian and military staff work.

Mr Obama said airstrikes would target IS convoys "should they move toward the city".

The announcement was Mr Obama's most significant response yet to the crisis. The President had been reluctant to deepen US military re-engagement in Iraq after the last troops left in 2011.

ISIS issued an ultimatum toYezidis to convert to Islam

But he said the strikes had been approved to help Iraqi forces and stop a "massacre" of the Yezidis.

IS has issued the Yezidi people an ultimatum to convert to Islam, pay a religious fine, flee their homes or face death.

The group sees the Yezidis, who are followers of a religion derived from Zoroastrianism, as "devil worshippers".

Attacks on minorities in Iraq could constitute a crime against humanity, said the UN Security Council at an emergency meeting on Thursday.

Hundreds of thousands of people, mostly Christians, are fleeing from the jihadists who have swept through more than a dozen towns in recent days.

Militants have been surging across the north of Iraq towards Irbil

Among them, the militants captured Iraq's biggest Christian town, Qaraqosh, prompting many residents to leave, fearing for their lives.

The group has declared a caliphate - an Islamic state - across much of Iraq and Syria and wants to bring in a strict version of Islamic law.

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UK Student Murders: Four Face Death Penalty

Four Malaysian men are facing the death penalty after admitting killing two British medical students in Borneo.

Neil Dalton and Aidan Brunger, both 22, were stabbed to death after arguing with a group of men in a bar in Kuching, the capital city of Sarawak state.

Chai Khin Chung, the area's deputy police chief, said four male suspects, aged between 19 and 30, have confessed to the killings.

He said the two Newcastle University students had been drinking and began arguing loudly in a bar when the suspects confronted them and told them to be quiet.

"Then one of the British students slapped one of the locals, turned over a table, and walked out," he said.

The four men followed them in a car and one of them stabbed them with a knife.

Mr Dalton was from Ambergate, Derbyshire

The bodies of the students were found lying a few metres apart in a road near the bar.

The pair were on a six-week placement in a hospital in Kuching as part of their studies, said Newcastle University's Vice-Chancellor Professor Tony Stevenson.

"This has come as a huge shock to us all and our thoughts are with their families and friends at this very difficult time," he said.

Aidan Brunger's family released a photo showing him at his Borneo hospital

Malaysia is generally considered to be a safe place for foreigners, but some recent incidents have damaged that image.

In June, police found the body of 34-year-old British tourist Gareth Huntley on the resort island of Tioman.

They are yet to announce the cause of death.

Last month, a Malaysian shopkeeper was sentenced to death for killing French tourist Stephanie Foray in May 2011, also on Tioman.

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Marianne Faithfull: 'My Ex Killed Jim Morrison'

Singer Marianne Faithfull has told a magazine her former boyfriend accidentally killed The Doors singer Jim Morrison 43 years ago.

He was found dead aged 27 in the bathroom of his Paris apartment in July 1971.

Faithfull, 67, told Mojo magazine that her then-boyfriend Jean de Breteuil, known as the heroin dealer to the stars, had given Morrison drugs that were too strong and killed him.

Morrison died in 1971

The couple had travelled to Paris, and on their arrival de Breteuil said he had to visit Morrison's apartment. Faithfull stayed behind at their hotel.

"I could intuitively feel trouble," she said. "I thought, I'll take a few Tuinal (barbiturates) and I won't be there.

"And he went to see Jim Morrison and killed him. I mean I'm sure it was an accident. Poor b*****d. The smack (heroin) was too strong? Yeah. And he died ... everybody connected to the death of this poor guy is dead now. Except me."

De Breteuil himself was found dead in Morocco some weeks after Morrison's death.

A post-mortem examination was never carried out on Morrison's body.

The Doors were formed in Los Angeles in 1965 and their popularity has persisted, despite the remaining members disbanding in 1973.

The remaining members of the band went on to reunite in various forms over the years, including a post-Morrison album called An American Prayer, which was released in 1978. Their last live performance was in 2000.

Founding member and keyboard player Ray Manzarek died from cancer in May 2013.

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Oscar Pistorius: 'An Appalling, Vague Witness'

The chief prosecutor in the Oscar Pistorius trial has accused the athlete's lawyers of presenting a dishonest defence against his murder charge.

Prosecutor Gerrie Nel made the allegation in his closing speech against the athlete who shot dead his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp through a toilet door at his home in February 2013.

Mr Nel said a criminal trial was a "blunt instrument for digging up the truth," adding Pistorius' lawyers argued the athlete acted in self-defence as he feared an intruder was in his house, but also suggested he was not criminally responsible, shooting Ms Steenkamp because he was 'startled'.

Reeva's parents June and Barry Steenkamp arrive for the hearing

"It's two defences you can never reconcile," said Nel, who went on to accuse Pistorius of being an "appalling, vague" and "deceitful" witness.

Pistorius was "more interested in defending his life than telling the truth," Mr Nel said.

"His story is so improbable it's a clear indication of his mendacity."

As Mr Nel summed-up some 100 pages of evidence that were submitted to the court last week, Pistorious occasionally shook his head in disagreement and held his head in his hands.

Sky's Alex Crawford reporting from the court in Pretoria said: "It was like watching flashbacks from a horror film. Gerrie Nel picked up what he believed to be (Pistorius') most devastating moments in court.

"He drew a very ugly picture of Oscar Pistorius, the man and the personality. A hero who had fallen so low, in the view of Gerrie Nel."

Prosecution and defence lawyers will sum up their cases over the next two days in a final attempt to convince judge Thokozile Matilda Masipa before she reaches her verdict.

Pistorius, 27, faces a minimum of 25 years in prison if found guilty of premeditated murder. He could also be convicted on lesser charges, such as culpable homicide or murder without premeditation.

Prosecutor Gerrie Nel accused Pistorius of being a 'deceitful' witness

The prosecution says Pistorius intentionally shot Ms Steenkamp in anger after a quarrel. His defence insists he fired by mistake, thinking an intruder was in the toilet cubicle and that Ms Steenkamp was in the bedroom.

Ms Steenkamp's parents are in court listening to the closing speeches which are expected to last two days. It is the first time her father, Barry Steenkamp, has attended court since the trial began.

The hearing in Pretoria was put on hold last month after hearing from 37 witnesses.

More follows...

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Woman Arrested After Elderly People 'Poisoned'

A woman has been arrested for "administering a noxious substance" after 16 people fell ill at a care home, police have said.

The 23-year-old was held after a number of people at Goldfield Court in West Bromwich were taken ill with what police described as food poisoning symptoms.

Four of the people were taken to hospital for treatment, with two being kept in overnight.

The woman was arrested on Monday and is now at a secure unit after she was released on bail while investigations continue, a force spokeswoman said.

West Midlands Police spokeswoman Keiley Gartland said: "Further tests and enquires are underway to determine the exact nature and cause of the illness.

"An individual has been arrested and is currently assisting the police with their enquires.

"Anyone with information in relation to the investigation should contact Sandwell Police by dialling 101, anyone with any concerns should contact the extra care unit."

Goldfield Court, which is run by Housing & Care 21, is described as  "extra care housing" for older people. There are 93 flats at the site.

In a statement issued on its website, Housing & Care 21 confirmed a care worker had been suspended.

It said: "Housing and Care 21 can confirm that a care worker has been suspended from Goldfield independent living scheme in West Bromwich.

"We are providing information and assistance to the police and Sandwell Social Services and will support them with any further investigation.

"Our thoughts are with both residents and staff at the Goldfield community and we will ensure they are fully supported during this difficult time."

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Commuters Push Train Off Trapped Passenger

"People power" has saved a commuter after he became trapped between a train and a station platform.

Dozens of passengers helped tilt the carriage on Wednesday to free the man, who slipped as he was boarding just moments before the train was due to leave Sterling Station in western Australia for Perth.

Security cameras captured the fall which resulted in the passenger's left leg becoming wedged in a two-inch gap between the carriage and platform.

Station staff's attempts to pull him free failed, and passengers were initially told to move to the opposite side of the carriage in the hope their weight would shift it away from his leg, without success.

The man slipped as he was boarding the Perth-bound train

Eventually, they were asked to get off the vehicle and help push the train to free up enough space for him to be lifted back up to safety.

Claire Krol, a spokeswoman for train operator Transperth, said: "It is the first time we've seen something like this happen.

"We were really fortunate that the staff were there straight away ... and all of the passengers not only listened to the instructions from staff, but pitched in and helped.

"This is a real case of passengers of working together ... and people power are the perfect words to describe it."

The man was treated by paramedics but was able to catch a later train.

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Boris Johnson: 'I Will Stand As MP In 2015'

David Cameron has welcomed the news Boris Johnson will stand as an MP in 2015 saying he wants his "star players on the pitch".

At a speech on Europe in Central London Mr Johnson said it was time to "stop dancing around" and that "in all probability" he would "try to find somewhere to stand in 2015".

David Cameron, who is on holiday in Portugal, instantly welcomed the news tweeting: "Great news that Boris plans to stand at next year's general election - I've always said I want my star players on the pitch."

After backing the Prime Minister's stance on reforming the EU during his speech, Mr Johnson was asked about his intention to stand as an MP and replied: "I think we've danced around it an awfully long time now, and as you know the Prime Minister ages ago said he would welcome me back - very kind of him to say so  - and has also been pretty clear that I can't endlessly go on dodging these questions as I've tried to do.

David Cameron's response to Boris Johnson's announcement

"So, let me put it this way - I have not got any particular seat lined up but I do think in all probability - since you can't do these things furtively, I might as well be absolutely clear - in all probability I will try to find somewhere to stand in 2015."

There was speculation last month that Mr Johnson might try for a seat in Uxbridge, where veteran Conservative MP John Randall is standing down. Bury St Edmunds, where David Ruffley resigned last month after being cautioned for assaulting his partner, is also a possibility.

However, Mr Johnson would not be drawn on which seat he would pursue and said it was a matter for the Conservative Association.

There has been speculation that Mr Johnson is positioning for a leadership contest should Mr Cameron fail to deliver victory at the General Election next year.

Asked if his return would pave the way for him to lead the party, Mr Johnson said: "No, what I said was - I don't want to revert to the kind of weasel mode here - what I said was we've got party conference coming up in almost two months time exactly.

"I don't think we're going to have this thing go on endlessly ... I've said what I have to say on that. It may all go wrong but I think the likelihood is I am going to have to give it a crack..."

However, Mr Cameron will recognise the incredibly popular Mr Johnson will be a significant advantage in the 2015 election campaign. Commentators suggest he will be the perfect antidote to the UKIP surge.

In his speech in central London, Mr Johnson said Britain should not be afraid to leave the EU if the Prime Minister failed to thrash out a better deal with Europe but added that he "shared Mr Cameron's vision of Europe".

The mayor had consistently refused to discuss the possibility of a 2015 run but Mr Cameron and George Osborne had both made it clear they wanted him on the campaign team next year.

He has previously said he wanted to focus on the job of London Mayor - his tenure comes to an end in 2016 - indicating being MP at the same time would be too much.

Mr Johnson did hold the post of mayor while he was still MP for Henley for a month after he was elected in 2008.

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Foreign Office Minister Warsi Resigns Over Gaza

Foreign Office Minister Baroness Warsi has resigned delivering a damning verdict on David Cameron's failure to take firmer action on Gaza.

Lady Warsi said in her resignation letter that the Government's "approach and language" during the month-long conflict in Gaza has been "morally indefensible".

In a caustic appraisal of Mr Cameron's policy on the Middle East Peace Process she says it has caused significant damage to Britain's international standing. 

Lady Warsi announced her resignation on Twitter

Her resignation is serious blow to the Government and the Tories and will intensify pressure on David Cameron to be firmer in his condemnation of Israel as the bloody conflict nears its first month.

Lady Warsi is considered an asset to the Tories and has been a prominent member of David Cameron's Government, becoming the first Muslim to sit in the Cabinet. She was Conservative Party chairman and played a large part in the 2010 campaign.

She wrote in her resignation letter: "My view has been that our policy in relation to the Middle East Peace Process generally but more recently our approach and language during the current crisis in Gaza is morally indefensible, is not in Britain's national interest and will have a long term detrimental impact on our reputation internationally and domestically."

She has popsted a number of tweets condeming Israel's actions

Lady Warsi said there was also concern in the Foreign Office about the departure of William Hague as Foreign Secretary - he has been replaced by Philip Hammond - and the "way recent decisions have been made".

She announced her departure on Twitter, where she has been increasingly vocal in her condemnation of Israel's actions. Eleven days ago she wrote: "Can people stop trying to justify the killing of children. Whatever our politics there can never be justification, surely only regret #Gaza".

It follows Mr Cameron's failure on Monday to back the United Nations' position over the shelling of a UN-run school where Palestinian refugees were sheltering from the violence, killing at least 10 people.

Lady Warsi has condemned the attacks that have killed and injured children

The UN Secretary General Ban-Ki-moon called the attack "a moral outrage and a criminal act". When asked, Mr Cameron would say only that it was "an appalling loss of life".

There has also been increasing criticism over the £42m of arms exports licences British defence manufacturers have with Israel since 2010 to supply ammunition, drones and armoured vehicles.

The equipment has been used in the attacks on Gaza and the Government has agreed to review the licences.

Shadow foreign secretary Douglas Alexander said: "Most reasonably minded people across Britain will agree with the sentiments expressed by Baroness Warsi in her resignation statement today.

"It is a sad reflection of the Prime Minister's misjudgment of the crisis in Gaza that this capable minister has felt the need to leave the Government."

Chancellor George Osborne has said her resignation was "disappointing and frankly unnecessary".

Lady Warsi's highly critical resignation letter

A Downing Street spokesman said Mr Cameron regretted Lady Warsi's decision and added: "Our policy has always been consistently clear - the situation in Gaza is intolerable and we've urged both sides to agree to an immediate and unconditional ceasefire."

The number of Palestinians killed in "Operation Protective Edge" - Israel's action against Hamas in Gaza - has reached 1,800, most of whom have been civilians. Around 66 Israelis have died, most of whom have been soldiers.

Lady Warsi also took the opportunity in her letter to Mr Cameron to deliver a highly critical appraisal of his recent reshuffle saying that in recent weeks the "experience and expertise" of Dominic Grieve and Ken Clarke had been "very apparent".

Both had opposed Tory plans to limit the power of the European Court Of Human Rights in the UK in a move which could see Britain expelled from the Council of Europe which upholds the European Convention on Human Rights.

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Israel-Hamas Ceasefire As Troops Exit Gaza

The Battle To Win The War And Keep The Peace

Updated: 5:07pm UK, Monday 04 August 2014

By Sam Kiley, Foreign Affairs Editor

Israeli tanks chew through the rubble at Rafah. Another child is killed. Some ceasefire. Some war.

For all the bluster and public relations stunts attached to several 'humanitarian truces', the claims to be the 'most moral army in the world', and the blaming of Hamas for deliberately getting fellow Palestinians killed, the Israel Defence Forces prosecute conflict with a bald honesty.

The purpose of war is to bend an enemy's will to one's own.

It's about smashing and maiming, dismemberment and mass grief.

When the threat is perceived as existential, it's conducted without rules but with great deliberation.

The firebombing of Dresden and the nuclear attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki targeted women and children, the innocent, their homes, parks and pets - on purpose.

The Allies intended to break the will of the Axis powers utterly.

And that is the intent of the Israelis in Gaza.

The aim of the IDF is officially to 'dismantle the military capacity of Hamas (and other militant groups)'. It is to rid Israel of the threat posed by Gaza's rocket arsenal, and of its tunnel network with its tentacles that extend inside Israel.

The vast majority of Palestinian casualties, now numbering more than 1,700, are civilians, and many of them are women and children.

Israel's 'pinpoint accurate' munitions have been used to target hospitals and United Nations schools housing thousands of refugees with monotonous regularity.

It is true that Hamas has stored weapons in schools, fired rockets from close to playgrounds and hospitals, and used mosques as combat operations rooms.

Nonetheless Israel has come in for some bitter criticism from long-time ally the United States, from the United Nations, which the Israelis see as a hostile entity, and now from France.

On Monday French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius called for a political solution to be "imposed" by the international community in the Gaza conflict.

"How many more deaths will it take to stop what must be called the carnage in Gaza?" Mr Fabius stormed.

"The tradition of friendship between Israel and France is an old one and Israel's right to security is total, but this right does not justify the killing of children and the slaughter of civilians."

The cold truth is that Mr Fabius has missed the point here.

Israel sees itself engaged in a near-perpetual existential struggle against Palestinian militants, especially Hamas, which is committed to the destruction of the 'Zionist entity'.

Israelis are generally horrified and outraged by any suggestion that civilians are deliberately targeted by the IDF which, they point out, regularly conducts investigations into the actions of its forces when they are accused of egregious killing.

But Israel's tactical aims are clear.

To crush Hamas and to send a clear message to Gazans that their future does not rest with the militant group.

The IDF has used devastating force to deliver that message and to try to wreck Hamas' military and civil structures.

And the Israeli government enjoys overwhelming support for the way that Operation Protective Edge has been conducted.

It accepts that war is not a sport.

But does not, yet, appear to comprehend that in Gaza Israel may have won another battle but is very far from winning the war - much less the peace it so craves.

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Royals Plant Poppies At WWI Installation

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have joined Prince Harry at an art installation symbolising those killed during World War One.

The Royals will each plant a ceramic poppy at the Tower of London exhibition, entitled Blood Swept Lands And Seas Of Red, at the attraction's dry moat.

It is the site where more than 1,600 men swore an oath to the crown in August 1914 after enlisting for the war.

The three climbed the Middle Tower to view the entire artwork, before they walked through the field of poppies and planted their tributes to the war dead alongside General Lord Dannatt, Constable of the Tower of London.

The first ceramic poppy was planted in July and the final one will be installed in the Historic Royal Palaces artwork on Armistice Day, on November 11.

A total of 888,246 poppies - one for each British and Colonial death during the war - will be installed by a team of volunteers.

Profits from the artwork will be divided between six service charities including Help for Heroes and the Royal British Legion.

It comes after commemorative events were held in Belgium, Scotland and Westminster Abbey in London to mark 100 years since the start of the Great War.

An estimated 37 million people were killed or injured in World War One, which lasted from 1914 until 1918.

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Tourists Left On Drips After Sickness Bug

British holidaymakers have told how they needed intravenous drips after contracting a sickness bug while at a four-star Egyptian resort.

Tourists took to the TripAdvisor review website to express their anger after suffering from diarrhoea, sickness and fever at the Coral Sea Waterworld in Sharm el Sheikh.

One poster, Bristols, wrote: "Sickness and diarrhoea was rife throughout the hotel, seven out of our party of nine were really poorly including myself.

"I became ill on the second night and was unable to eat, drink, use the pools or waterpark for the whole holiday.

"I had two drips, injections, antibiotics, tablets coming out of my ears."

Another, tim308, wrote: "Just as I was recovering from my illness when my wife was struck down with one far worse, sickness, diarrhoea, stomach cramps and fever that continued for the duration of our holiday and is still not 100% now."

The Red Sea resort is popular with British holidaymakers

And Rebecca R added: "By 3am on the Tuesday morning went down with terrible diarrhoea, feeling sick and raging temperature, spent the next few days mainly lying on the bathroom floor, never felt so ill."

Reports claim staff at the resort were made to wear latex gloves after the sickness bug broke out and extra doctors were brought in to cope with the numbers of people becoming ill.

Simpson Millar LLP Solicitors is representing a group of between 70 and 80 people who became unwell while staying at the resort.

Nick Harris, head of international travel law at the firm, said: "At present we are representing approximately 70-80 holiday makers who fell ill with gastric infections, including Shigella, whilst on holiday at Coral Sea Waterworld in Egypt.

"This figure is rising sharply, as we continue to receive calls from holiday makers returning from the resort complaining of vomiting, diarrhoea and painful stomach cramps.

"This is a serious outbreak at a hotel supplied by the UK's most prominent tour operators, Thomson and First Choice."

On its website, Simpson Millar states: "Complaints include cases of faecal contamination incidents in swimming pools, undercooked buffet food and the use of what seemed to be untreated water to irrigate the hotel lawns and gardens."

A statement from First Choice Holidays said: "First Choice is aware of a small number of cases of sickness at the Coral Sea Water World, Egypt, with symptoms similar to a virus.

"Reported cases of sickness have reduced and an independent health and safety consultant has been undertaking a thorough investigation in resort, ensuring that the correct containment procedures are in place.

"We would like to reassure customers that we closely audit all the resorts to which we operate to ensure that health, hygiene and comfort levels are maintained."

In May 2013, five-year-old Chloe Johnson, from Forest Hill, southeast London, drowned in one of the swimming pools at the hotel.

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Gaza City 'Attacked Minutes Into Israel Truce'

Key Dates In The Gaza-Israel Conflict

Updated: 10:36am UK, Monday 04 August 2014

Israel's ground offensive in the Gaza Strip continues with forces attempting to destroy Hamas' weapons arsenal and rocketing-firing capabilities.

Here are the key events from the fighting that preceded and have followed Israel's operation:

:: July 8 - Israel launches "Operation Protective Edge" in a bid to quell near-daily militant rocket attacks in the aftermath of the abduction and killing of a Palestinian teenager in what appeared to be a revenge attack for the seizure and slaying of three Israeli teenagers in the West Bank in June.

:: July 9 - Hamas rockets rain deep into Israel as the military pummels Palestinian targets. The military says 74 rockets landed in Israel, including in the northern city of Hadera, the deepest rocket strike ever from Gaza. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says Hamas will pay a "heavy price".

:: July 10 - Israel intensifies its bombardment. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon urges an immediate ceasefire but neither side shows much interest in halting the fighting.

:: July 11 - Mr Netanyahu vows to press forward with a broad military offensive. The Israeli military says it has hit more than 1,100 targets, mostly rocket-launching sites, while Palestinian militants fired more than 600 rockets at Israel. The Lebanese military says militants there fired three rockets toward Israel and the Israelis retaliated with about 25 artillery shells.

:: July 12 - Gaza City becomes a virtual ghost town as streets empty, shops close and hundreds of thousands of people keep close to home. The death toll rises to more than 156 Palestinians after more than 1,200 Israeli air strikes.

:: July 13 - Israel widens its campaign, targeting civilian institutions with suspected Hamas ties, and briefly deploys ground troops inside Gaza to raid a rocket launching site. Four Israeli soldiers are hurt during the brief incursion. Egypt, a key mediator between Israel and Hamas, continues to work behind the scenes.

:: July 14 - Israel says it's downed an unmanned drone along its southern coastline. Egypt presents a cease-fire plan that is praised by President Barack Obama at a White House dinner celebrating the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

:: July 15 - Israeli Cabinet accepts Egypt's truce plan, halting fire for six hours but Hamas rejects the proposal, instead unleashing more rockets at Israel and prompting Israel to resume heavy bombardment. Rocket fire kills an Israeli man delivering food to soldiers, the first Israeli fatality in the fighting. Four Gaza boys, all cousins, are killed on a beach by shells fired from a navy ship.

:: July 16 - Hamas fires dozens of rockets into Israel, vowing not to agree to a ceasefire until its demands are met. The Gaza Interior Ministry's website says Israeli warplanes carried out dozens of airstrikes, targeting 30 houses, including those of four senior Hamas leaders. Later, both Israel and Hamas agree to a five-hour UN brokered "humanitarian" pause to start the following day.

:: July 17 - both sides trade fire in run-up to the brief truce, which Gazans use to restock on food and other supplies. Israel says it foiled an attack by 13 Gaza militants who infiltrated through a tunnel. Fierce fighting resumes after the truce expires, including an airstrike that kills three Palestinian children. After nightfall, the Israeli military launches a ground invasion into Gaza Strip.

:: July 18 - eight members of the same Palestinian family - two men, two women and four children - are killed by Israeli tank fire as the ground offensive to date claims the lives of 51 Palestinians and one Israeli soldier.

:: July 19 - Mr Ban says he wants to meet both sides to try to secure a truce as Israel pledges to step up its ground offensive. Hamas says its fighters are "behind enemy lines" as security alerts are triggered in southern Israel.

:: July 20 - Fresh airstrikes, artillery shelling and gun battles overnight kill 12 Palestinians and two more Israeli soldiers, as Israel intensifies its ground offensive in Gaza. Israeli minister Naftali Bennett defends the ground offensive in Gaza and accuses Hamas of "self-genocide" by using women and children as human shields.

:: July 21 - another airstrike kills 26 members of the same family, while seven more Israeli soldiers die in gun battles with Hamas fighters. Thirty of those wounded in the attack are reportedly medical staff.

:: July 22 - the Palestinian leadership proposes a ceasefire plan to mediators in Egypt which would be followed by five days of negotiations to stop the fighting which has claimed the lives of more than 600 Palestinians, many of them women and children, and 29 Israelis, including 27 soldiers.

:: July 23 - an international inquiry into Israel's actions in Gaza is launched, after the UN's Human Rights Commissioner says there is a "strong possibility" the country is guilty of war crimes. Several major airlines from the US, Europe and Canada suspend flights to and from Israel after a rocket fired from Gaza lands near Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion international airport.

:: July 24 - British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond warns Mr Netanyahu the West is losing sympathy for Israel amid the rising number of civilian deaths during its offensive in Gaza, as international efforts to end the conflict intensify. However, hopes of an effective ceasefire quickly diminish after Israel vows to continue hunting Palestinian cross-border tunnels under any humanitarian truce, while Hamas also rejects a truce without the lifting of Israel's eight-year blockade of Gaza.

:: July 26 - the number of Palestinians killed in the Gaza offensive reaches 1,000, according to the territory's health ministry. Meanwhile, Israel agrees to extend a temporary humanitarian ceasefire for a further day.

:: July 27 - Hamas agrees to a 24-hour temporary truce ahead of the Muslim festival of Eid.

:: July 28 - the UN Security Council calls for an "immediate and unconditional humanitarian ceasefire" in Gaza following an emergency session in New York. Both sides criticise the presidential statement, which is one step below a legally-binding resolution.

:: July 30 - a reported 128 Palestinians die in the bloodiest day of the three-week conflict. One attack, on the Jebalya refugee camp, provokes international condemnation, with UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon saying there is "nothing more shameful than attacking sleeping children".

:: July 31 - the UN says the total number of displaced people in Gaza now stands at 440,000.

:: August 1 - the Israeli army says 23-year-old Second Lieutenant Hadar Goldin has been kidnapped as a three-day ceasefire collapses within minutes.

:: August 2 - tanks and troops begin withdrawing from some parts of the Gaza Strip as an army spokesman says Israel is "quite close to completing" the destruction of Hamas' tunnels.

:: August 3 - Israel confirms missing soldier Second Lieutenant Hadar Goldin died in combat.

:: August 3 - Ban Ki-moon describes an apparent Israeli airstrike on a UN school-turned-shelter in Rafah as a "moral outrage and a criminal act". The US says it is "appalled" by reports of a "disgraceful shelling" in which 10 casualties are reported.

:: August 4 - Israel begins a seven-hour humanitarian truce but is immediately accused of breaching it with an attack on a refugee camp in Gaza City.

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World War One Centenary: Britain Remembers

Commemorations are taking place across Europe to mark the centenary of the day Britain entered the First World War.

An estimated 37 million people were killed or injured in the conflict which lasted from 1914 until 1918.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are attending a service to mark 100 years since the German invasion of Belgium at the start of World War One.

The Royals were received at L'Abbaye Saint-Laurent in Liege by King Philippe of Belgium, from where they walked to the Cointe Inter-allied Memorial for a service, during which Prince William gave a speech and spoke of the importance of reconciliation across Europe.

Prince Harry salutes during a WWI centenary event in Folkstone, Kent

"We were enemies more than once in the last century, and today we are friends and allies," he said.

"We salute those who gave us our freedom. We will remember them."

William and Kate with Mr Hollande at a ceremony in Liege, Belgium

Among the more than 50 heads of state joining them were French President Francois Hollande and German President Joachim Gauck.

It is one of a series of events marking Britain's entry into the Great War.

Prince Charles lays a wreath in George Square, Glasgow

Across the Channel, the Prince of Wales, dressed in the uniform of a British admiral of the fleet, was attending a Service of Remembrance at Glasgow Cathedral where the 1,400 invited guests included representatives of Commonwealth countries, senior military figures, charities and cross-faith groups.

He will later lay a wreath at the Cenotaph in George Square.

Thousands of poppies are on display at the Tower of London

At the other end of the UK his son, Prince Harry, inspected a parade of troops in Folkestone - marking the route taken by millions of young men who marched through the Kent harbour town on their way to northern France and Belgium. For some, it was their last glimpse of English soil.

He will officially open a Memorial Arch in dedication to the veterans of the Great War, before joining William and Kate, and Mr Cameron, later this evening at a special ceremony at Belgium's St Symphorien Cemetery, outside the town of Mons.

The Great War in numbers

Speaking outside Glasgow Cathedral this morning, Prime Minister David Cameron said the war "profoundly changed our world".

"It is right to commemorate this because this event had a massive impact on every community, every family in our country," he said.

"It is also right to remember the outbreak of the war because so many young British people thought they were rallying to a cause of defending the right of a small country, Belgium, to exist, and the prevention of the domination of Europe by one power.

The small Belgian cemetery of St Symphorien, nears Mons

"There are principles and thoughts that were in play at that time and are worth remembering today as well," he added.

Across the other side of the globe, Australia and New Zealand also marked the outbreak of the Great War with Prime Ministers Tony Abbott and John Key describing it as a conflict that shaped their nations too.

People are being urged to turn off their lights for an hour at 10pm to mark the moment the UK entered the war, 100 years ago.

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Miliband Slams Cameron's Handling Of Gaza Crisis

By Anushka Asthana, Political Correspondent

Labour leader Ed Miliband has accused David Cameron of failing to speak out about an Israeli military operation that he describes as "wrong and unjustifiable".

In a strongly worded statement, he said Mr Cameron had been right to call Hamas an appalling, terrorist organisation.

"But the Prime Minister is wrong not to have opposed Israel's incursion into Gaza," said Mr Miliband.

The Opposition leader added: "And his silence on the killing of hundreds of innocent Palestinian civilians caused by Israeli's military action will be inexplicable to people across Britain and internationally."

Downing Street reacted angrily to the statement, insisting the Prime Minister had been clear that both sides in the conflict need to observe a ceasefire.

"We are shocked that Ed Miliband would seek to misrepresent that position and play politics with such a serious issue."

A Labour source said the situation on the ground in Gaza had led Mr Miliband to speak out.

He said he supported Israel and believed it had the right to defend itself.

"But its military actions in the past two weeks have been wrong and unjustifiable.

The crisis in Gaza is set to continue

"The escalation of violence engulfing Gaza has led, and is leading, to suffering and destruction on an appalling scale, and is losing Israel friends in the international community day by day."

It came amid claims that Britain is selling arms to Israel that could be being used against Palestinian citizens.

Katy Clark, a Labour MP on the Committee on Arms Export Controls, told Sky News arms had been sold since 2010 under hundreds of licences that were still in place.

Her committee found the UK can sell 22 different types of equipment to Israel including components for military combat vehicles, communications equipment, sniper rifles and water cannon.

The Government said it had started a review into all the licences, with the ultimate decision to suspend any lying with the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.

It is led by Lib Dem minister Vince Cable, who will be under pressure to act given the outspoken interventions from senior figures in his party.

Deputy Prime Minister and Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg has called on Israel to open direct talks with the political arm of Hamas.

Writing in The Guardian, he said the "daily images of human torment in Gaza have been harrowing and heartbreaking".

And he insisted Israel's "disproportionate" military response was only worsening the long-term situation.

Mr Clegg pointed to how the Queen shook hands with the former IRA commander Martin McGuinness as a reminder "that even the most intractable conflicts can be resolved".

Former Lib Dem leader Paddy Ashdown said any arms sales contributing to this conflict should be stopped.

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Ten Dead As Israel 'Fires On UN Shelter'

Ten Palestinians have been killed in an apparent Israeli airstrike on a UN school turned shelter.

Another 35 people taking refuge after being driven from their homes were wounded at the shelter in the Gazan city of Rafah. The Israeli military has yet to comment on the attack.

The second strike on a school this week comes as Israel confirmed a solider they feared had been kidnapped by Hamas militants in fact died in combat.

Palestinians carry an injured man after an Israeli strike on a UN school

"A special committee led by the Israel Defence Forces Chief Rabbi, announced the death of the IDF infantry officer of the Givati Brigade, Lieutenant Hadar Goldin, who was killed in battle in the Gaza Strip on Friday, August 1, 2014," an army statement said.

Confirmation of the soldier's death comes after Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned Hamas he is prepared to continue the operation in Gaza for as long as it takes to return his citizens to safety.

"We do not accept a continuation of the shooting," he told reporters, referring to ongoing Hamas rocket attacks.

"It (Hamas) will have to understand, however long that takes, that it will pay an intolerable price, from its perspective, for continuation of the shooting."

The scene at a UN shelter apparently hit by an Israeli strike

Strikes claimed another 30 Palestinian victims overnight, emergency services in the territory said.

Meanwhile, a set of quadruplets born in Gaza on Wednesday have been discharged from hospital - but the shelling means they cannot return to their family home.

Grandfather Mefleh al Arjah said: "We live in Jenah but when the airstrikes and shelling started we fled to Tal Sultan, staying with extended relatives of our son, Ali. We left everything behind staying with them. We had nowhere else to go.

"We hope the war will end soon so we can return to our home."

Quadruplets born in Gaza this week

Israel launched its aerial offensive on July 8 with the declared aim of ending "persistent" rocket fire by militants.

It subsequently sent in ground troops, shifting the focus of the operation to the destruction of a complex system of cross-border tunnels, which Israel claims were used by Hamas to infiltrate the country.

Israeli military officials have reported that 31 tunnels have since been destroyed, fuelling speculation that the offensive could soon wind down. Tanks have been seen returning to Israel and Palestinians in northern Gaza have been told they can return to their homes.

The Palestinian death toll now stands at more than 1,700.

Troops in an Israeli tank give a thumbs up after withdrawing from Gaza

Another 440,000 people, a quarter of Gaza's population, have been displaced by the fighting.

On the Israeli side, 64 soldiers and three civilians have lost their lives.

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Fugitive UK Drug Dealer Found In South Africa

One of the UK's most wanted men has been captured in South Africa, Sky News has learned.

Convicted drug trafficker Martin Evans, 52, went on the run from prison in 2011 after a home visit.

According to the National Crime Agency (NCA), Evans led an organised crime group supplying cocaine, MDMA and ecstasy between 1999 and 2001.

The NCA said proceeds were converted into foreign currency and transported to the Netherlands to fund further drug consignments.

Evans was also wanted for fraudulent trading as director of an incorporated company, Ostrich Centre Limited, in 1995.

The NCA said Evans stole several hundred thousand pounds invested by members of the public.

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