Iraq Vote Shows Britain's Changed World Role

By Faisal Islam, Political Editor

The RAF in Akrotiri, Cyprus, now know that they will soon be taking part in airstrikes against IS in northern Iraq.

MPs have voted overwhelmingly in favour of their deployment; 524 Yes and and 43 Noes in favour of the motion.

At first we expect just six Tornados - already being used for surveillance - to be armed and ready for action.

The result came after a creditable, statesmanlike day-long debate.

But there were some political casualties - Shadow Education Minister Rushanara Ali resigned from the front bench, and Iain McKenzie, an aide to Shadow Defence Secretary Vernon Coaker, was sacked, after abstaining and voting against the motion respectively.

MPs voted overwhelmingly for military action

In reality there were two debates. A tightly worded formal debate motion on Iraq, and a shadow debate on Syria.

The PM's personal view, expressed in this debate, was: It would be justified and legal to extend action into Syria. And, in a "humanitarian disaster", it might not require an advance parliamentary mandate.

This muddied the waters a little. Number 10 later clarified that this would have to be a "Benghazi" style imminent massacre.

Given that the US and allies are already bombing IS in Syria, it would hardly come as a surprise. But it did not affect the result in Parliament.

George Galloway was a dissenting voice

The main vote's thumping majority was by design.

The PM had sought the backing of Ed Miliband in a phone call from the UN in New York on Wednesday.

The motion was accordingly tightly drafted on tactics (no combat troops) and territory (Iraq only).

But it was not just a consequence of Labour caution, the Liberal Democrats too have been a break on this process.

For Labour's part, Mr Miliband suggested that it would be better to get a UN Mandate for any extension of action to Syria.

Back in the chamber the critiques ranged in from different directions: "The mission creep hasn't even waited until the end of the debate," said George Galloway.

Ken Clarke pointed out that the action was basically symbolic, and involved six planes.

Senior Tory backbenchers including Liam Fox and Andrew Mitchell called for a mandate for airstrikes in Syria.

All this debate, the publication of legal advice, and front bench Labour resignations for late entry to just a part of ongoing military action, that would occur regardless.

So the airstrikes start soon, but perhaps the real significance is the cementing of Britain's changed world role.

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Iraq: Islamic State Threat Is World's Problem

Iraq's deputy prime minister has told Sky News that it is the "duty of the world" to stand up against Islamic State extremists.

Saleh al Mutlaq also said he welcomed the UK parliament's decision to back airstrikes against the militants in his country.

He said IS was "not just the problem of Iraq. It is the problem of all countries".

Iraq's deputy prime minister Saleh al Mutlaq speaks to Sky News

"Outsiders" from nations including Britain, Australia and the emirate countries were fighting for IS and the coalition aerial raids should target militias as well as the jihadist group, he said.

Mr al Mutlaq said: "It is an invitation for every country which can participate in this coalition to do what they can in order to get rid of IS forever.

"Iraq is now fighting on behalf of the world."

He added: "It's the duty of the world to stand against this danger which is coming, maybe now to Iraq, but it will separate everywhere if it is not going to be fixed in this country and ended."

And he said without also targeting militias who "facilitated the presence of IS" there would not be stability in Iraq.

The Sunni IS extremists have taken over large parts of Iraq and Syria in recent months and David Cameron said the group posed a direct threat to the UK.

RAF warplanes are poised to launch airstrikes against jihadists after Parliament on Friday gave the green light for military action in Iraq.

A RAF Tornado GR4

MPs voted by 524 to 43 - a majority of 481 - to endorse attacks on the insurgents in support of the US-led coalition, with Labour backing the Government motion.

Mr Cameron said the motion had been limited to Iraq in order to secure cross-party consensus.

And also to avoid a repeat of last year's damaging Commons defeat when Labour combined with Tory and Liberal Democrat rebels to block airstrikes against President Bashar Assad's regime in Syria.

The strikes, under Operation Shader, are expected to be carried out by six Tornado GR4s which have been based at RAF Akrotiri on Cyprus since last month where they have been deployed in a reconnaissance role.

Up to now, America and France have been conducting aerial strikes in Iraq in support of Iraqi forces and Kurdish Peshmerga fighters, while the US and Arab allies have attacked IS targets from the air in Syria.

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RAF Jets Poised To Strike Jihadists In Iraq

British fighter jets could begin airstrikes against Islamic State fighters in Iraq as early as today after MPs overwhelmingly backed action.

Parliament gave approval by 524 votes to 43 (a massive majority of 481) for Britain to join the US-led coalition in the Middle East.

The vote came after Prime Minister David Cameron said IS forces are "psychopathic terrorists trying to kill us".

Labour MP Rushanara Ali immediately resigned from the party's front bench after the result was announced.

Labour leader Ed Miliband told her afterwards: "I know that you have thought long and hard about this. I respect and accept your resignation."

Ian McKenzie, the Labour MP for Inverclyde, was sacked as a parliamentary aide to Shadow Defence Secretary Vernon Coaker for voting against military action.

Britain has six Tornado GR4 fighter bombers in Cyprus ready to strike northern Iraq, a figure which Cabinet minister Kenneth Clarke said would make the UK's military contribution "almost symbolic".

Mr Cameron, speaking on a visit in Oxfordshire ahead of the Conservative Party conference, said Britain was ready to play its part in dealing with Islamic State (IS).

He said: "We are one part of a large international coalition. But the crucial part of that coalition is that it is led by the Iraqi government, the legitimate government of Iraq, and its security forces.

"We are there to play our part and help deal with this appalling terrorist organisation."

The planes, which have been in RAF Akrotiri for the past six weeks carrying out surveillance missions in the Middle East, could begin airstrikes over the weekend.

Labour MP Rushanara Ali immediately resigned after the result was announced

Defence Minister Michael Fallon told Sky News: "You're not going to see immediate military action - a wave of shock and awe or anything like that ... not tonight no, absolutely not.

"We have to select our targets in accordance with the American and international effort that's going on in Iraq.

"There's fighting around these towns - we have to fit in to the day-to-day fighting and see where we can help best."

It came as the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said US-led airstrikes had already worsened a dire humanitarian crisis in Iraq and Syria.

Mr Cameron told the Commons debate that Islamist militants "have already murdered one British hostage" and are "threatening the lives of two more".

He described IS, which has invaded large areas of Syria and Iraq, as "a terrorist organisation unlike those we have dealt with before".

He said: "The brutality is staggering - beheadings, crucifixions, the gouging out of eyes, the use of rape as a weapon, the slaughter of children. All of these things belong to the dark ages."

During the six-and-a-half-hour debate, Mr Miliband said he understood the deep unease about taking military action, but said the UK could not stand by in the face of the threat from IS, also known as ISIL.

An RAF Tornado GR4 carrying Storm Shadow missiles

"ISIL is not simply a murderous organisation; it has ambitions for a state of its own - a caliphate across the Middle East, run according to their horrific norms and values," he said.

But in a typically firebrand intervention, outspoken Respect MP George Galloway said bombing would not work, and stressed the need to strengthen ground forces in the region.

He said: "ISIL is a death cult, it's a gang of terrorist murderers. It's not an army and it's certainly not an army that's going to be destroyed by aerial bombardment."

The Archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Rev Justin Welby, backed UK airstrikes, telling the House of Lords: "The action proposed today is right."

Some of the locations in Syria hit by US airstrikes

But he warned "we must not rely on a short-term solution" and a wider effort was needed to turn extremists away from the "evil of ISIL".

On Thursday, the Cabinet unanimously backed military action against IS, which could last up to three years.

The PM was desperate to avoid the embarrassment of the Commons defeat on Syria airstrikes last year, and tabled a cautiously-worded motion intended to win support from all parties for action in Iraq.

Overnight, the US continued to hit suspected IS positions in Syria for a fifth consecutive day of attacks.

The Pentagon said the raids had disrupted lucrative oil-pumping operations that have helped fund IS militants, but that a final victory would need an on-the-ground campaign.

:: Watch full coverage on Sky News - Sky 501, Virgin Media 602, Freesat 202, Freeview 132

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Iraq Airstrikes: MPs Start Debating IS Raids

Islamic State are "psycopathic terrorists trying to kill us", said David Cameron as he argued the case for airstrikes in Iraq.

The Prime Minister, seeking to rally support among MPs at Westminster for bombing raids against the Islamist extremists, said the terror group, also known as ISIL, had "already declared war on us".

He told the Commons debate Islamic State "has already murdered one British hostage and is threatening the lives of two more".

The US has already been carrying out raids against IS in Iraq and Syria

Mr Cameron described IS as "a terrorist organisation unlike those we have dealt with before".

He said: "The brutality is staggering - beheadings, crucifixions, the gauging out of eyes, the use of rape as a weapon, the slaughter of children. All of these things belong to the dark ages.

"This is not a threat on the far side of the world. Left unchecked we will face a terrorist caliphate on the shores of the Mediterranean and bordering a NATO member with a declared and a proven determination to attack our country and our people.

"This is not the stuff of fantasy - it is happening in front of us and we need to face up to it."

IS militants have been branded 'psycopathic terrorists' by the PM

The PM said the shadow of the 2003 decision to join the US-led invasion of Iraq "hangs heavy" over the vote, but told MPs: "We must not use past mistakes as an excuse for indifference or inaction."

Labour leader Ed Miliband said he understood the deep unease felt about taking action, but said the UK could not stand by in the face of the threat from IS.

Meanwhile, shortly before the debate, the Home Secretary Theresa May announced the under-fire Passport Office was to be brought into the Home Office and made directly accountable to ministers - a move that led to accusations of the department seeking to "bury bad news".

The Cabinet unanimously backed military action against IS on Thursday, and the Government is expected to secure the backing of most MPs for airstrikes in Iraq, which senior ministers have warned could last up to three years.

The widow of UK aid worker David Haines, who was beheaded on film by his captors, has also backed targeted British airstrikes.

Operations could begin within hours of a vote in the Commons, which is due at around 5pm.

Desperate to avoid a repeat of the Commons defeat over airstrikes against Syria last year, the PM tabled a cautiously-worded motion intended to win support from all parties for action in Iraq.

Mr Cameron went into the debate with an opinion poll suggesting voters strongly back airstrikes in Iraq, but would also support attacks against Syria.

The findings are a complete turnaround from 13 months ago, when voters opposed airstrikes on Syria's President Bashar al Assad by two-to-one.

The debate came as Denmark announced it was sending seven F-16 planes to join the coalition fight against IS in Iraq.

:: Watch the Commons debate on Sky News Sky 501, Virgin Media 602, Freesat 202, Freeview 132.

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Dreamliner Makes Emergency Landing In Glasgow

A LOT Polish Airlines Dreamliner from Chicago to Warsaw has made an emergency landing in Glasgow, airport officials say.

The Boeing 787 captain requested the emergency landing but it was not immediately clear what the problem was.

Polish radio and other reports said the captain had smelled smoke aboard the aircraft.

There are no reports of injuries.

The plane was met by emergency services at the Scottish airport and deemed safe.

More follows...

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DLT Sentenced For Groping TV Personality

Disgraced DJ Dave Lee Travis has left court after being given a three-month suspended sentence for indecently assaulting a TV personality.

Speaking to reporters outside, he said he was "mortified" and "really disappointed" over his conviction this week and criticised his prosecution.

The incident took place in 1995 behind the scenes at The Mrs Merton Show, a programme which the victim had been working on as a researcher.

The former Radio 1 star had squeezed her breasts for 10-15 seconds after cornering her in a corridor of a BBC studio.

The victim had been smoking in the corridor when he commented on her "poor little lungs" before groping her.

Travis, who became a household name in the 1970s, was found guilty on Tuesday of indecently assaulting the woman.

He was sentenced to three months in prison, suspended for two years.

Travis became a household name in the 1970s

Sentencing the 69-year-old man at London's Southwark Crown Court, Judge Leonard said: "It was an intentional and unpleasant sexual assault.

"You took advantage of a young woman in a vulnerable position whose job it was to look after you that day."

In the dock, Travis briefly looked down and then said: "Thank you, your honour".

Marianne, his wife of more than 40 years, hugged a friend in the public gallery after the judge delivered his sentence.

He later spoke to reporters outside court after being freed.

In a statement read out ahead of his sentencing, the victim said: "I was subjected to an unprovoked and terrifying physical assault at my place of work.

"I was too paralysed with fear to confront my assailant."

On Tuesday, Travis was found not guilty on a second indecent assault charge and the jury was discharged after it was unable to agree a verdict on a count of sexual assault.

He faced a retrial after jurors failed to reach verdicts on those two charges earlier this year.

He was cleared of 12 counts of indecent assault at his original trial in February.

More follows...

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Anjem Choudary: Preacher Held In Terror Arrests

Nine men have been arrested in London on suspicion of being members of a terrorist organisation and encouraging terrorism.

Radical preacher Anjem Choudary, 47, was reportedly among those held by officers from the Metropolitan Police Counter Terrorism Command (SO15) on Thursday.

The men, aged between 22 and 51, have been taken to police stations in central London and remain in custody on suspicion of being members of a proscribed organisation or supporting a proscribed organisation.

Sheikh Omar Bakri Mohammad

The organisation is believed to be Al Muhajiroun, the Press Association reported. The group was set up by Choudary and Sheikh Omar Bakri Mohammad, who was told he could not return to the UK after the 7/7 bombings. Al Muhajiroun was banned in 2010.

A number of residential, business or community properties - 11 in east London, one in west London, one in northwest London, five in south London and one in Stoke-on-Trent - are also being searched as part of the investigation.

A statement from the Met Police said: "These arrests and searches are part of an ongoing investigation into Islamist related terrorism and are not in response to any immediate public safety risk."

This week, Choudary was reported to have said he had no sympathy for aid worker Alan Henning, who has been captured by the Islamic State (IS) in Syria.

He reportedly said: "In the Koran it is not allowed for you to feel sorry for non Muslims. I don't feel sorry for him."

Choudary reportedly said he had no sympathy for hostage Alan Henning

Last month, the Government raised Britain's terror threat level from substantial to severe because of the threat from militant groups in the Middle East.

A severe threat means an attack is deemed to be "highly likely", but there is no intelligence to suggest one is imminent.

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Tesco Troubles: Mike Ashley Makes £43m Bet

The billionaire owner of Sports Direct and Newcastle United has made a £43m bet on Tesco's future.

The announcement was made by the retailer, which is majority-owned by Mike Ashley, to the stock exchange as the supermarket chain battles the fallout from a £250m profits error.

Tesco's admission, on Monday, sent its shares to their lowest level in a decade and raised serious questions on management and governance.

Sports Direct said it had entered into a put-option agreement with Goldman Sachs for more than 23 million shares, representing a 0.3% stake in the supermarket business.

Its statement read: "This investment reflects Sports Direct's growing relationship with Tesco and belief in Tesco's long-term future".

The move essentially means that Mike Ashley is betting that the Tesco share price will rise. The agreement gives Goldman Sachs the option to sell 23m Tesco shares to Sports Direct at a set price on an agreed future date.

If shares have fallen below this predetermined price, Goldman Sachs would be able to 'exercise' the option, allowing them to sell the shares to Sports Direct at the higher rate - meaning the retailer would have to pay more for the stock.

However, should the share price rise above the pre-agreed price, Sports Direct would be able to book the premium as profit.

Its punt on a recovery in the supermarket chain's value followed a decision by Tesco's third-largest shareholder to cut its stake.

The world's biggest investment firm BlackRock sold more than £150m-worth of shares, taking its stake below 5%.

The sell-off came to light after credit ratings agency Standard & Poor's joined Moody's and Fitch in warning of a potential downgrade to Tesco's credit rating.

It said its action would depend on the findings of the chain's investigation.

It has also emerged that Tesco executives may be hauled before MPs to explain its profit guidance mistake.

Adrian Bailey, the chairman of Parliament's Business, Innovation and Skills Committee, told BBC Radio 5 Live it was "unbelievable" that a company of Tesco's size could get into such a mess.

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PM: 'Whole World Must Unite Against IS Evil'

Airstrikes Could Happen In Minutes Of Yes Vote

Updated: 12:08pm UK, Thursday 25 September 2014

By Alistair Bunkall, Defence Correspondent

In theory, British airstrikes on Iraq could start within minutes of parliamentary approval, should it be given, on Friday night.

Realistically, if RAF Tornados are given the order, they will be in the skies in the very early hours of Saturday morning, at the earliest.

They will deploy in pairs, taking off over Akrotiri Bay and climbing north east over the Mediterranean and towards the Turkish coast.

The butterflies of anticipation will be churning away inside, they will be aware of the television cameras at the end of the runway, they will know that within a few hours, as dawn breaks, they will be headline news.

Hugging the Turkish border with Syria at 25,000 feet, the jets will meet an RAF Voyager refuelling aircraft en route, before dropping down into northern Iraq.

Flying at 400mph, they will reach the theatre of operations in a matter of hours.

What happens next is a decision for US Centcom, which is co-ordinating the overall operation.

The jets might fit into a holding pattern to perform an "x-cas" role, the military acronym for emergency close air support.

Because this isn't a traditional conflict against a rogue state, there will be fewer major installations to destroy.

The coalition wants to destroy Islamic State, they don't want to destroy Iraq. Instead it will be dynamic, hitting the rats as they pop their heads out of the ground.

The Tornados, one of the best ground-attack aircraft in the world, will be fully loaded with the equipment specific to the task they've been given.

A Listening III pod will be attached underneath. This gives the crew the ability to examine the immediate area and then laser-designate the target.

The final decision to fire will be down to the pilot himself.

The payload will probably be four Paveway bombs and two Brimstone missiles. Paveways can be programmed by the crew to explode just before it hits the target, or on impact or with a small delay so it can bury into a building.

The Brimstone locks on to its target the moment it is fired. It is a "fire-and-forget" weapon, meaning that it can be used in all weathers and at distance from the target.

Designed especially for armoured vehicles or similar, a small warhead explodes first to soften up the armour before a larger warhead detonates creating more destruction.

For the British, this will be a twin-pronged operation: from sea and air. A Royal Naval submarine is also moving into position.

Her exact identity and location is top secret but she's most likely in the eastern Mediterranean.

She carries Tomahawk cruise missiles – TLAMS – which have a range of about 1,000 miles.

Guided by GPS, these are effective against static objects: buildings, military instillations, weapons dumps and oil refineries.

The submarine can also watch live images from a camera on the TLAM as it flies over the battlefield and strikes its target.

Job done, the crew will turn for home. Landing back in Cyprus, the news will just be breaking.

Within hours, footage recorded onboard the aircraft will be released to the media to be broadcast and analysed on 24 hour news channels around the world.

As the crews eat some food and get some sleep, another team will be getting ready for their mission, ready to fly at a moment's notice. 

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Families Living In Fear In IS-Controlled Raqqa

By Jason Farrell, Sky Correspondent

Children in Syria are being taken from their families to be trained as Islamic State fighters and used as informants, according to a civilian who fled the city of Raqqa.

Former student Abu Abrahim Raqqawi gave Sky News a chilling account of life inside the IS-controlled city where he claimed children are being indoctrinated to become jihadists.

Abu, whose name has been changed, is able to talk because he was smuggled out of Raqqa two weeks ago but remains in regular contact with more than a dozen other underground activists in the city.

"They (IS) say to the young people, those between 16 and 18, 'Okay, we will give you money if you say who are talking about us or are saying something bad about us'.

"There is a camp for under-16 children. They took a lot of children without their families knowing, and it's very bad. It's just a special camp for young people. They make them like a bomb; a time bomb."

The US launched airstrikes against IS targets in Syria on Tuesday and Abu Abrahim said IS members in the city were killed after rockets struck their communications hub and a hospital used exclusively by the militants.

But there are mixed feelings about the Western military intervention.

Abu Abrahim says there is no education for children in Raqqa

Abu Abrahim said: "There is anger because the city is being destroyed but some accept they have to do a deal with the devil to get rid of IS.

"But others feel if the US cared about the people here, Obama would have acted when President Assad crossed the red line."

Here he is referring to the Syrian leader's alleged use of chemical weapons last year.

"There are a lot of executions, secret executions and public executions, especially after the Friday sermons - crucifying, beheading and things like that," he said.

The US has launched airstrikes against IS targets in Syria

He provided images to back this up; some showed children watching the gruesome events.

"There are no hospitals inside the city of Raqqa now. When there is an airstrike (previously from President Assad's forces) wounded people are taken to small hospitals in houses without any equipment," he said.

"They're dying in the street. ISIS have their own hospitals that do not allow citizens to go in."

Abu Abrahim says there is no education in the city and some families are struggling to find food.

Several Syrian cities and IS strongholds were targetted in the attacks

He claims IS fighters have also seized people's homes to house foreign fighters, but the biggest problem is access to medicine and hospital treatment.

His friends have been filming and taking photographs - posting images on a Facebook page called "Raqqa Is Being Silently Slaughtered".

One of the group was killed by IS when his activities were discovered. Despite being tortured, he didn't release the names of the others.

The group have made rapid advances across swathes of Iraq and Syria

IS has ousted the Free Syrian Army from Raqqa - the original resistance movement to the Syrian leader Bashar al Assad is much diminished by the terrorist group across Syria.

Abu Abrahim said: "I think if the West wants to do something to kick ISIS out from Syria, they must bomb the Assad regime. If the Assad regime gets bombed and down, then easily the ISIS regime will get out of Syria because the FSA and all the fighters will just fight ISIS and not both ISIS and Assad."

IS fighters proclaim Raqqa is a paradise, but Abu says normal civilians are struggling for survival - that life in a terrorist-controlled city is one of fear, and lives are being risked to tell the real story of the city.

:: Do you have a question about life in Raqqa for people who are there now? Tweet @SkyNews with the hashtag #SkyAskRaqqa and we will put a selection of them to friends of Abu who still live in the city.

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Abu Qatada Not Returning To UK, Says May

Timeline: Qatada Legal Battle

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

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

Here is a timeline of the legal battle.

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

1994: Allowed to stay in Britain.

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

1998: Applies for indefinite leave to remain in Britain.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

February - He is released on strict bail conditions.

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

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

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

October - Siac holds appeal hearing.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

July 7 - Flown from RAF Northolt to Jordan

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

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

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

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Britain Edges Closer To Launching IS Airstrikes

Britain could be days from military involvement in the Middle East after David Cameron warned the fight against Islamic State was one the UK "could not opt out of".

Sky's Deputy Political Editor Joey Jones says Parliament is expected to be recalled on Friday, paving the way for possible airstrikes this weekend.

Speaking ahead of a United Nations summit in New York, the Prime Minister insisted IS was planning attacks on Britain and an international coalition was needed to destroy "this evil organisation".

The PM warned of terrorist plots in Britain and the US

Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al Abadi is expected to formally ask for Britain's involvement in airstrikes against IS positions in the north of the country when he meets Mr Cameron.

Such a request would legally underpin any UK military action in Iraq, something that is less clear in the case of Syria where Britain has stressed it will not co-operate with President Bashar al Assad to defeat IS.

With Parliament expected to be recalled, Mr Cameron will be hoping to avoid the defeat he suffered last year over plans to target the Assad regime.

Iraq's PM Haider al Abadi is likely to ask for Britain's help to defeat IS

Labour leader Ed Miliband has told Sky News that Britain could not turn away from tackling IS and said he would consider a proposition from the Prime Minister.

He said any military action would be considered on the basis of whether it was legitimate, would succeed and be effective but added: "There is no question of British troops on the ground."

Iraq has not yet formally asked Britain to join the US and France in airstrikes on IS, which has made rapid territorial gains in northern Iraq, but the UK responded swiftly to Baghdad's plea for arms and ammunition earlier this month.

Iran's President Hassan Rouhani will also hold talks with Mr Cameron

Speaking to US TV channel NBC, Mr Cameron said: "There are other plots they (IS) have been attempting, including in my own country, in order to kill and maim innocent people and the same applies to the United States.

"So this is a fight you cannot opt out of. These people want to kill us. They've got us in their sights and we have to put together this coalition … to make sure that we ultimately destroy this evil organisation."

Several Syrian cities and IS strongholds were targetted in the strikes

Mr Cameron will also attempt to secure regional involvement in the fight against IS during talks with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani. It will be the first time a British prime minister has met an Iranian president since 1979.

But Mr Cameron has made clear he will not soften his stance on Iran's nuclear ambitions, nor its support for other militant groups the West regards as terrorist organisations.

"I will be very clear," Mr Cameron told NBC News. "We think they are wrong to have this nuclear weapon programme. We think they are wrong to support terrorist organisations.

"It'll be a tough conversation. I'm not saying that my enemy's enemy is my friend. I don't believe that.

UK hostage Alan Henning is being held by the group. Pic: Cage

"But the fact is if we want to have a successful, democratic, pluralistic Iraq and if we want to have a successful, democratic, pluralistic Syria, Iran can play a constructive role in helping to bring that about."

The first US raids on IS targets in Syria were launched yesterday, supported by Bahrain, Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

Among the areas hit was the IS stronghold of Raqqa where it is thought British aid worker Alan Henning is being held hostage by the group.

Mr Henning's wife Barbara called for his release after she received an audio message from her husband pleading for his life.

Barbara Henning said she had been told a Sharia court had found her husband innocent of being a spy.

"I implore Islamic State to abide by the decisions of their own justice system. Please release Alan," she said in a statement released through the Foreign Office.

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Cameron Ready To Work With Iran To Defeat IS

By Dominic Waghorn, US Correspondent

David Cameron is to become the first British Prime Minister to meet an Iranian President since 1979 in a historic encounter in New York.

Downing Street says the meeting with Hassan Rouhani is part of efforts to mobilise support against the Islamic State and drop Iran's support for the Assad regime in Syria.

The Prime Minister will be attending the United Nations general assembly and is hoping to secure UN approval for a comprehensive strategy to deal with the brutal militant group.

The PM will dicuss the threat posed by Islamic State with Iran's president

It marks Mr Cameron's determination to enlist the active support of regional powers in the Middle East in taking on IS, which has seized control of swathes of territory in Iraq and Syria.

The group has also carried out a string of atrocities against local people and foreigners as it seeks to impose its own brand of extremist Sunni Islam.

Mr Cameron will also join US President Barack Obama and other members of the UN Security Council to discuss the threat posed by foreign fighters - thought to include hundreds of Britons - engaged in the conflict.

Officials say he will set out in his speech that the threat from extremism is faced by everyone and international action is required to defeat it.

World leaders meet annually for the event in New York which is often criticised for being long on talk and short on action.

Ahead of the encounter, Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Khamenei issued damning criticism of the UK and the US calling them warmongers for their planned actions in Iraq.

Also on the agenda with be Iran's nuclear-enrichment programme

Britain has yet to commit support for air strikes and there has been US speculation it may step up its military intervention now the Scottish independence referendum is out of the way.

Britain and the US also hope to see a new UN Security Council resolution preventing the flow of foreign fighters into Iraq and Syria.

Tehran will also call for flexibility on its uranium-enrichment programme which has led to sanctions due to Western concerns any nuclear capability could be used militarily.

Downing Street said Mr Cameron had "no illusion" about the threat posed by Iran's nuclear operations, but was ready to work with Tehran if it was willing to join the effort to defeat IS.

There is a sense of urgency this year given the threat posed by IS, but also the catastrophic dangers posed by global warming. 

Ahead of the meeting UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon warned time is running out to unite against the global threat of climate change. 

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US And Arab Allies Attack IS Targets In Syria

The US and five Arab countries have been carrying out airstrikes against Islamic State targets in Syria for the first time.

Fighter jets, bombers and drones as well as Tomahawk cruise missiles launched from US ships in the northern Persian Gulf and the Red Sea were deployed in the aerial raids.

The strikes form part of the expanded military campaign against IS insurgents that was authorised two weeks ago by President Barack Obama. He is due to meet foreign leaders at the UN General Assembly later.

A Tomahawk missile is launched from USS Arleigh Burke

US Central Command said Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Bahrain and Qatar had either taken part in or supported the Syria raids although their exact roles were unclear. The strikes did not involve the UK.

Where the airstrikes took place in Syria

Damascus said Washington informed Syria's UN envoy before launching the bombings.

The US also carried out aerial raids on its own in Syria against al Qaeda extremists that were thought to be planning an "imminent attack" against US and Western interests.

The US military said it had destroyed or damaged multiple IS targets around the militant stronghold of Raqqa as well as Deir al Zor, Hasakah and the border town of Albu Kamal.

Saudia Arabia, UAE, Jordan, Bahrain and Qatar were involved in the raids

It said targets included IS fighters, training compounds, headquarters and command and control facilities, storage facilities, a finance centre, supply trucks and armed vehicles.

There were at least 50 airstrikes on IS targets and dozens of fighters were killed, according to activists.

They also said 30 fighters from the al Qaeda-linked Nusra Front group died, along with eight civilians, including children, in Aleppo and Idlib.

A fighter jet takes off from USS George H W Bush

Residents in Raqqa had said last week that IS was moving underground after Mr Obama signalled on September 11 that air attacks on its forces could be expanded from Iraq to Syria.

The group had evacuated buildings it was using as offices, redeployed its heavy weaponry, and moved fighters' families out of the city, the residents said.

Islamic State have made rapid gains in Iraq and Syria

The strikes follow a summit of world leaders in Paris where agreement was reached to form a broad coalition to counter the advance of IS in Syria and to provide military aid to Iraq to fight the extremist network.

Military leaders have said about two thirds of the estimated 31,000 IS militants are in Syria.

International efforts to combat the group, who have grabbed swathes of territory in Syria and Iraq, have taken on an added urgency after the beheading of two journalists James Foley and Steven Sotloff and British aid worker David Haines, and the threat to kill UK hostage Alan Henning.

A second video of UK hostage John Cantlie has been released by IS

Meanwhile, a second propaganda video of British hostage John Cantlie has been released by IS.

Speaking to the camera and seemingly under duress, he addresses the coalition of states targeting the group, though it is not clear when the video was filmed.

The group is still holding British hostage Alan Henning

"Everyone now is getting involved," he said. "Denmark and France have sent air power, Britain is arming the Kurds, Iran is sending troops and contractors are being sought in Iraq.

"Even Bashar al Assad, until earlier this year the most hated and villainised tyrant in the Arab world, is being approached for permission to go into Syria.

"It's all quite a circus. Not since Vietnam have we witnessed such a potential mess in the making."

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Israeli Missile Shoots Down Syrian Fighter Jet

Israel says it has shot down a Syrian fighter jet over its airspace - the first such incident in more than 30 years.

The aircraft was hit by a Patriot missile while trying to "infiltrate" the Quneitra area of the Golan Heights, the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) said.

An Israeli defence source identified the jet as a Russian-built Sukhoi Su-24 fighter plane. Previously it was reported to have been a MiG-21 aircraft.

The aircraft was hit by a Patriot missile

It flew 800 metres into Israeli airspace and tried to return to Syria after the Patriot missile was fired, he said.

The crew managed to abandon the plane in time and landed in Syrian territory, he added.

The Golan area, which Israel captured from Syria in the 1967 Middle East war, has seen clashes between the al Qaeda-linked Nusra Front and Syrian President Bashar al Assad's forces in recent weeks.

Syrian state TV confirmed Israel had shot down one of its planes, and described it as an act of aggression.

A file picture of the type of jet that was shot down

It quoted a military source saying the attack came "in the framework of (Israel's) support for the terrorist (Islamic State) and the Nusra Front".

Israel's Defence Minister Moshe Yaalon said the aircraft had crossed into Israel in a "threatening way" and vowed to retaliate to any similar incidents in the future.

"We will not allow (any) element, whether it is a terror group or a state, to threaten our security and breach our sovereignty," he said.

"We are committed first and foremost to ensure the security of the Israel's citizens and we will use all means at our disposal to do so."

It came hours after the US and five Arab countries began airstrikes against Islamic State targets in Syria for the first time.

The raids were carried out using fighter jets, bombers, drones, and Tomahawk cruise missiles launched from US ships in the Persian Gulf and Red Sea.

Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Bahrain and Qatar were involved in the raids, a US official said, although their exact roles were unclear.

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Tesco Suspends Bosses Over £250m Profit Error

Tesco has suspended four senior executives after it revealed an accounting error overstated its first-half profit by £250m.

CEO Dave Lewis said that "a number of people" have been suspended while an internal investigation is under way, including the four senior executives.

Sky News understands that Carl Rogberg, Tesco UK finance director, is one of the four executives suspended.

One of the other executives suspended is UK managing director Chris Bush.

Shares were down more than 11% in early trading, before easing slightly to around 8% down. Its stock price is down more than 43% in the last year.

Tesco shares have fallen more than 40% in the last year

Britain's biggest supermarket chain said it has commissioned an independent review to uncover the cause of the profit miscalculation.

Tesco said in a statement: "On the basis of preliminary investigations in to the UK food business, the board believes that the guidance issued on 29 August 2014 for the group profits for the six months to 23 August 2014 was overstated by an estimated £250m.

"Some of this impact includes in-year timing differences. Work is ongoing to establish the extent of these issues and what impact they will have on the full year."

Tesco CEO Dave Lewis (l) and UK managing director Chris Bush (r)

Tesco said that the overstatement of profits could be due to many issues related to the commercial income of the business, and it could be related to "payments to suppliers" being reported in the wrong financial reporting period.

The statement added: "The board has asked Deloitte to undertake an independent and comprehensive review of these issues, working closely with Freshfields, the group's external legal advisers.

"We will provide a further update at our interim results, which will now be announced on the 23 October 2014."

Tesco has issued a series of income warnings in the last year, with the latest at the end of August when it said trading profit was forecast to be around £1.1bn.

Tesco shares are now worth less than they were 10 years ago

That profit figure is now likely to be reduced to £850m.

Sky News City Editor Mark Kleinman described the accounting error as a "humiliation" for the embattled group.

Regulators are now expected to launch their own inquiries into the profit over-estimation.

Last November, an analyst at stockbroker Cantor Fitzgerald accused Tesco of squeezing suppliers ahead of release of lacklustre trading figures.

The company denied the claim and said the assertions of demanding money from suppliers' trading accounts were "based on speculation".

Tesco has come under increasing pressure in the ongoing supermarket price war, with the rise of discounters Aldi and Lidl, and margin-squeezing of the big four chains.

Chief executive Dave Lewis, who started in the role on September 1, said: "We have uncovered a serious issue and have responded accordingly."

Mr Lewis took control of Tesco after former boss Philip Clarke failed to halt a slide in profit and sales.

Mr Clarke was ousted by the Tesco board in late July as he was preparing to celebrate 40 years with the retailer.

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Decomposed Body Found After Leg Discovered

A body has been discovered by officers searching the area where a human leg was found near Rochdale, Greater Manchester.

Lancashire police have been using sniffer dogs to search the area after the adult limb was found on land behind Healey Conservative Club in Whitworth on Sunday.

There is no indication of sex or age of the body due to how badly decomposed it is.

A police spokesman said earlier: "Police were called at shortly before 2.45pm to a report that a member of the public had found a human leg on land behind Healey Conservative Club at Whitworth."

It is not clear how long the leg has been there or whether it belonged to a man or a woman.

The Conservative Club declined to comment.

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Balls To Freeze Child Benefit To Balance Books

Ed Balls has told his party's conference a child benefit freeze, a cut in politicians pay and higher tax for top earners will form part of Labour's plan to bring the deficit down.

The shadow chancellor presented a 1% cap on rises for the first two years of a Labour government as one of the "tough decisions" necessary to deal with the deficit if the party takes power next year.

In a speech in Manchester, Mr Balls pledged to "change the way our economy works" and to "not flinch from the tough decisions we must make".

He said: "Three years of lost growth at the start of this parliament means we will have to deal with a deficit of £75bn - not the balanced budget George Osborne promised by 2015. And that will make the task of governing hugely difficult.

Mr Balls says a cap in child benefit rises will save £400m

"People know we are the party of jobs, living standards and fairness for working people. But they also need to know that we will balance the books and make the sums add up and that we won't duck the difficult decisions we will face if they return us to government.

"Working people have had to balance their own books. And they are clear that the Government needs to balance its books too."

Speaking on Sky News ahead of his appearance Mr Balls said he would not "duck or flinch" from the tough decisions and he defended claims the savings provided by the measures would be miniscule.

He said the child benefit move would save £400m in the next parliament, plans to end the winter fuel allowance for rich pensioners would bring an extra £100m a year of savings and the introductino of a 50p tax rate for those earning more than £150,000 would bring in £3bn.

Under austerity measures introduced by the coalition, child benefit was frozen from 2010 to this year.

Labour also plans to cut ministerial salaries - taking £7,125 off the Prime Minister's annual wage, and £6,728 from Cabinet ministers.

Child benefit rose by 1% in April and is due to rise by the same amount in 2015/16, but Mr Balls will commit to extending below-inflation hikes for at least one more year.

A 5% cut in ministerial salaries is also on the cards

The party also has plans to raise the minimum wage to £8 an hour, and introduce a jobs guarantee for young people and the long-term unemployed funded by a tax on bank bonuses and limiting pensions tax relief for the highest earners.

Treasury Exchequer Secretary Priti Patel poured scorn on Mr Balls' plan for the economy, claiming Labour would put the deficit up, not down.

"These savings on ministerial pay only cut a miniscule fraction of the deficit - less than 1% of 1%.  And it comes just days after the Institute for Fiscal Studies said Labour's economic policy means £28bn extra borrowing," she said.

The Children's Society said Labour's plans to freeze child benefit would leave the average family more than £400 a year worse off by 2017 and urged the shadow chancellor to reconsider.

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Alan Henning's Wife Pleads For His Release

The wife of British aid convoy volunteer Alan Henning has issued a statement to the Islamic State calling on his captors to release him.

Mr Henning, 47, a former taxi driver from Manchester, was captured last December near the town of al Dana in Syria by IS militants.

He was shown at the end of a video last week following the murder of fellow British captive David Haines.

The statement, issued through the Foreign Office, said: "I am Barbara Henning the wife of Alan Henning. Alan was taken prisoner last December and is being held by the Islamic State.

"Alan is a peaceful, selfless man who left his family and his job as a taxi driver in the UK to drive in a convoy all the way to Syria with his Muslim colleagues and friends to help those most in need.

Mr Henning (L) had driven an ambulance full of food and water to Syria

"When he was taken he was driving an ambulance full of food and water to be handed out to anyone in need.

"His purpose for being there was no more and no less. This was an act of sheer compassion.

"I cannot see how it could assist any state's cause to allow the world to see a man like Alan dying.

"I have been trying to communicate with the Islamic State and the people holding Alan. I have sent some really important messages but they have not been responded to.

"I pray that the people holding Alan respond to my messages and contact me before it is too late.

"When they hear this message I implore the people of Islamic State to see it in their hearts to release my husband Alan Henning."

It is the first public statement by Mr Henning's family since he appeared in the IS video.

It follows an appeal by Muslim scholars in the UK calling for the release of the Briton, who was captured in December near the town of al Dana.

IS has previously released footage showing the murders of US journalists James Foley and Steven Sotloff.

A separate video last week showed British photojournalist John Cantlie, dressed in an orange jumpsuit, saying he wanted to "convey some facts" about IS and saying he would speak about the group in future videos. There was no threat to kill Mr Cantlie in the video.

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Salmond: 'No' Voters 'Tricked' By Westminster

Salmond Quits: Nationalism Loses Its Face

Updated: 6:14pm UK, Friday 19 September 2014

Alex Salmond may be standing down as First Minister after his defeat in the independence referendum - but given his track record it is hard to believe he will not remain an influential figure in Scottish life.

Regardless of the vote, few would dispute his abilities as a political tactician, having led the Scottish Nationalist Party (SNP) to a stunning victory in the 2011 Scottish Parliament election.

Born in Linlithgow in 1954, Alexander Elliot Anderson Salmond was educated at Linlithgow Academy and St Andrew's University, where he first joined the SNP.

Graduating with a degree in economics and history, he worked as an economist for both the Government Economic Service and the Royal Bank of Scotland before being elected as an MP for the Banff and Buchan constituency in 1987.

His election at Westminster followed a turbulent period for the SNP, which saw its number of seats fall from 11 to two in the 1979 General Election.

As a young and brash newcomer, Mr Salmond played a role in the breakaway faction of the party known as the "79 Group" which sought to take a more left-wing stance.

His brief expulsion as a result did not hinder his advancement within the party in the long-term, with his election to leader coming in 1990.

With the creation of the Scottish Parliament in 1999, Mr Salmond went on to serve as leader of the opposition at Holyrood, while retaining his seat at Westminster.

He stood down as SNP leader in 2000 and left the Scottish Parliament in 2001.

Returning as leader in 2004, he guided the SNP to a narrow Scottish election win in 2007 and then led a minority government as he became Scotland's first SNP First Minister, with his wife Moira by his side.

That success was superseded in the 2011 election, when Mr Salmond led his party to an unprecedented victory, with a crushing defeat of its main rival and pre-election poll leaders Labour.

It meant the SNP's manifesto pledge to hold an independence referendum could be delivered.

Mr Salmond signed the Edinburgh Agreement with David Cameron on October 15 2012, setting out the terms of the vote.

Despite attempts by some in the Yes camp to move the focus away from him, Mr Salmond was seen across the UK - and the wider world - as synonymous with the Scottish independence movement.

During his time as First Minister he has had his fair share of controversies, including the decision to free Lockerbie bomber Abdelbaset al Megrahi on compassionate grounds.

But over the past year, his White Paper on independence has been the focus of criticism from his unionist rivals, most notably over his currency plans and oil revenue projections.

He was generally held to have lost the first televised referendum debate with Better Together leader Alistair Darling, but made a barnstorming return in the second.

It failed to translate into majority support for independence and the No campaign are now celebrating a clear victory.

But whatever happens next, Mr Salmond will go down in history as the man who led the battle for independence to its highest watermark in over 300 years.

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Thai Murders: Sexual Jealousy May Be Motive

Police hunting the killer of two British backpackers in Thailand have told Sky News that "sexual jealousy" may be the motive.

Officers are appealing for anyone who had a relationship with Hannah Witheridge or David Miller in the days before they died to come forward.

It is nearly a week since their bodies were found on a beach in Koh Tao.

Sky's Jonathan Samuels said officers have asked police in the UK to speak to British friends of the travellers to find out about their interactions in the days leading up to the murders.

He said: "They are also investigating rumours that they may have had a row with a Thai man in a bar."

Police Colonel Kissana Phathanacharoen said: "We are appealing for anyone who had a relationship, even a one night stand, with either Hannah or David in the days before they died to come forward as a matter of urgency.

"We have asked the Met police to go back and ask their friends if they can help with any further information."

He added: "We still believe sexual jealously is at the heart of this crime.

"We are aware of reports they may have been involved in a row in a bar with a Thai man and we are currently investigating."

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