Beata Bryl Murder: CCTV Released In New Appeal

Police investigating the murder of a woman who was bludgeoned to death before being set on fire eight years ago have made a fresh appeal for information.

Beata Bryl, who was originally from Poland, was last seen alive at Leytonstone underground station in northeast London on July 28, 2006.

Her body was discovered the next day in woods 50 miles away near Hedsor Lane in Wooburn Green, Buckinghamshire.

Thames Valley Police has now released CCTV footage showing Ms Bryl's boarding a train at Leytonstone at 11.32pm and new images of a distinctive material Ms Bryl's body was wrapped in, in a bid to trace her killer.

The 23-year-old's body was wrapped in a distinctive material (R)

Chief Inspector Colin Seaton, who led the original investigation in 2006, said: "Our investigation into the murder of Beata Bryl is still ongoing, eight years after her horrific and brutal death.

"It is the most horrible crime I have ever seen. To bludgeon someone so brutally with a heavy object and to do it with such ferocity and force does beggar belief."

An inquest heard Ms Bryl had been struck over the head more than 20 times before being set alight.

The extent of her burns meant police took more than a month to identify her remains.

"We are renewing our appeal for information on the anniversary of her death in the hope that somebody, somewhere, knows something which could help us to track down her killer," Chief Insp Seaton said.

A bag similar to the one used by Ms Bryl, which has never been found

"In particular I would appeal to members of the Polish community who may have known Beata or known of Beata, to come forward with any information they may have which could help us to track down the killer.

"Particularly important is the cloth which had a distinctive pattern and was used to wrap Beata's body in.

"Also there is an image of a bag similar to the one which was being used by Beata in her last moments. It is believed Beata's bag was either beige, very light blue or light pink and it is yet to be recovered.

"If anyone has any information or thinks they might know anything, however insignificant it might seem, please contact Thames Valley Police Major Crime team on 01296 396183.

"Beata's family is still waiting for answers to what happened to their daughter, they deserve to have peace of mind, knowing the killer has been caught."

The security camera images show Ms Bryl wearing a red jacket, grey knee-length trousers and white trainers. She was also carrying a white MK One carrier bag in her arms.

People can also contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or online at Crimestoppers-uk.org.

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Israeli TV: All Parties Agree Gaza Ceasefire

Israeli television has reported that "all parties" have agreed to a ceasefire in Gaza as the day's death toll passes 100.

It said the timing of the truce has not yet been decided.

Reports of the ceasefire followed an intense day of bombardment in Gaza, which left dozens of people dead and knocked out the territory's only power plant.

Hamas has fired over 2,500 rockets at Israel, many have been intercepted

The Israeli military said it had targeted over 110 "terror sites" by air, sea and land since midnight.

Palestinian health officials said the latest fatalities include ten members of the same family who were killed during an Israeli airstrike.

The total Palestinian death toll now stands at more than 1,150.

A Palestinian girl at the scene of an explosion that killed nine children

Israel has lost 53 soldiers, along with two civilians and a Thai national.

Mr Netanyahu launched the aerial offensive against Gaza on July 8, declaring the aim was to halt rockets fired by Hamas and its allies into Israel.

It launched a ground invasion shortly afterwards, primarily aimed at destroying a network of cross-border tunnels which Hamas is accused of using to infiltrate Israel.

Dozens of Israeli soldiers have been killed while fighting in Gaza

The US has reiterated that it supports Israel's right to defend itself, but is working towards deescalating the conflict.

US Secretary of State John Kerry told reporters: "We are working very carefully with our Israeli friends in order to reduce the civilian loss of life, to prevent this from spiralling downwards into a place from which both sides have difficulty finding a way forward in order to address the underlying issues".

The destroyed plant supplies two thirds of the territory's energy needs

Earlier on Tuesday a senior official of the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) said the Palestinian leadership, along with Hamas and the smaller Islamic Jihad group, were willing to observe a humanitarian truce of 24 hours.

But the statement was contradicted by a Hamas spokesman in Gaza who said the PLO official was not speaking on behalf of the group.

Israel rejected the offer saying that until it heard from Hamas directly, it was "not serious".

The plant's director said the facility was 'finished'

The proposal came after the fuel depot at Gaza's only power plant was practically destroyed on Tuesday morning, cutting electricity to a large proportion of the enclave's 1.8 million residents and causing further disruption to the water supply.

The power plant supplies two thirds of the territory's energy needs and was engulfed in flames sending a column of black smoke into the air.

The Al Aqsa TV headquarters were hit by an Israeli shell

According to a spokesman for Gaza's electricity distribution company, the power plant was hit by shells fired from an Israeli tank, a claim which could not be verified.

The power station was hit last week and had been operating on a reduced capacity providing only a few hours of electricity per day to Gaza's residents.

"The power plant is finished," said its director, Mohammed al Sharif, who added the local fire brigade was not equipped to extinguish the blaze.

Other symbols of Hamas government control, including the headquarters of the Hamas satellite TV station Al Aqsa and Al Aqsa radio were also targeted.

Hamas said that despite the attack the stations continued to broadcast.

The home of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh was also hit by a missile early this morning causing damage but no casualties, Gaza's Interior Ministry said.

Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Tuesday accused Israel of committing "genocide" in Gaza and called on the Islamic world to arm Palestinians fighting "the Zionist regime".

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MH17 Families Want Dignity For Loved Ones

Where And Why Are Flights Banned?

Updated: 12:21pm UK, Tuesday 29 July 2014

The shooting down of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 has increased debate about whether aircraft should be allowed to fly over battlegrounds.

As aviation industry chiefs from around the world meet in Montreal to discuss how to avoid a repeat of the disaster, Sky News looks at where no-fly zones exist and why they were introduced.

:: Ukraine

All aircraft are banned from the part of Ukrainian airspace immediately over Donetsk, unless the pilot has been given special permission.

The shooting down of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 indicates "the potential for continued hazardous activities", the Federal Aviation Authority warns.

Pilots who are forced to fly over Donetsk because of an emergency must explain why they took the route they did within 10 days.

:: North Korea

All aircraft are banned from flying over North Korea, unless the pilot has been given special permission.

In its latest advice to pilots, the Federal Aviation Authority says: "North Korea has a history of launching short-range and medium-range ballistic missiles with no warning."

Pilots who are forced to fly over North Korea because of an emergency must explain why they took the route they did within 10 days.

:: Iraq

All US aircraft must fly at a height of 18,000ft (5,486m) or above over Iraq, unless the pilot has been given special permission.

The Federal Aviation Authority says heightened tensions and instability in the country "have increased the threat to civil aircraft" and warns the Iraqi military has a "wide range of sophisticated weapons", including surface-to-air missiles, which could be used to attack planes.

Pilots who are forced to fly over Iraq because of an emergency must explain why they took the route they did within 10 days.

:: Libya

All US aircraft are banned from the area of airspace known as the Tripoli Flight Information Region (FIR), which covers Libya, as well as sections of Niger and Chad, unless the pilot has been given special permission.

The Federal Aviation Authority has "safety and national security concerns" regarding flights in the area and warns airports may be damaged and navigation systems unavailable.

It also says the "proliferation of air defence weapons ... and the presence of military operations, including aerial bombardments and unplanned flights" pose a potential hazard.

Pilots who are forced to fly through the Tripoli FIR because of an emergency must tell the FAA why they took the route they did.

:: Ethiopia

All US aircraft are banned from flying over Ethiopia and the region of airspace immediately to the north, unless the pilot has been given special permission.

Aircraft which cross into Ethiopian airspace while taking off or landing at Mandera, Kenya, "may be fired upon by Ethiopian forces", according to the Federal Aviation Authority.

"Operators considering flights to northeastern Kenya should familiarise themselves with the current situation," it adds.

Pilots who are forced to fly over Ethiopia because of an emergency must explain why they took the route they did within 10 days.

:: Somalia

All US aircraft must fly at a height of 18,000ft (5,486m) or above over Somalia, unless the pilot has been given special permission from the Federal Aviation Authority.

Flights above 18,000ft are allowed only with the permission of Somali authorities.

Pilots who are forced to fly over Somalia because of an emergency must explain why they took the route they did within 10 days.

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US Doctor Stricken With Ebola 'Is Terrified'

Africa Battles To Stop Deadly Spread Of Ebola

Updated: 9:34pm UK, Wednesday 02 July 2014

By Alex Crawford, Special Correspondent, In Liberia

The worst Ebola outbreak ever is spreading and will almost certainly extend across West Africa unless there is cross-country co-operation and urgent international assistance.

The porous borders between Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone has meant the disease is not being contained and now risks spreading even further.

Health workers at the epicentre, where the borders of the three countries meet, have made an urgent appeal through Sky News for immediate international help to try to control the virus.

Philip Azumah, the Foya district health officer, said: "We need help now, or the virus will spread and kill more people."

It is difficult to determine exactly how many people have already died from the disease given the cross-border contamination and lack of accounting.

But it is already clear there are many more deaths than any previous outbreak.

Aid organisation Doctors Without Borders has already said it is the largest outbreak on record, with the highest number of deaths.

Across the three countries, more than 400 have died in this latest outbreak, with no sign of the disease being halted.

And for the first time the disease has spread to highly populated areas including cities such as Guinea's capital, Conakry.

At one of the high-risk infection centres set up in Foya, in Liberia, the medics insisted we, like them, took extreme precautions.

This included wearing two layers of protective head-to-toe clothing featuring one waterproof all-in-one outfit, face and head masks, double gloves, thick plastic aprons, sturdy goggles and rubber boots.

Among the victims was a nurse who contracted Ebola after caring for a person who later died from the virus.

Nurse Elizabeth Smith was lying on a bed next to another nurse who had contracted Ebola from the same patient they had both treated.

But Ms Smith was significantly weaker than her co-worker. She did not raise her head as we entered and her bed was soaked in blood.

Neither woman had realised they were treating a patient with Ebola, so had taken none of the precautions their colleagues were now taking.

Two of them sprayed Ms Smith with disinfectant, down her legs, her feet, her hands and arms as they stood arms-length away in their head-to-toe protective clothing and visors. Gingerly, they took her arms and helped her to her feet, before escorting her down the tent corridor to the high-risk area.

Here, every patient is a confirmed Ebola case and the odds are that 90% of them will die.

The frightening deadliness of Ebola, plus the ignorance around it and the lack of a cure, has thrown the medical staff in this area into a panic.

Francis Forndia, administrator for Foya-Borma Hospital, where medical staff have died after treating victims, told us his workers simply fled after nurses began dying.

"It is hard to get them to return, but we have managed to persuade some to come back by explaining to them how needed they are," he said.

Mr Azumah is co-ordinating the health battle against Ebola in this area. He tells me the first recent outbreak in Liberia was in March, when an infected woman travelled to Foya from Guinea.

She died two days after being admitted to the sole and tiny hospital in Foya. By the time of her death, she had infected eleven people in hospital alone.

Two of them were nurses who went on to die. The remaining nine somehow managed to survive.

Then Liberia went a solid three weeks without an incident and believed they were clear - until the end of May.

This time, a woman from Sierra Leone, probably out of fear, gave misleading information about where she had come from.

She told investigators she was local, which was true, but did not mention she had in fact spent some time in an infected area of Sierra Leone.

This time the consequences were much more widespread. She had infected a stream of people, six of whom died.

They are still trying to trace all those she may have been in contact with.

There have since been other outbreaks in Voinjamma and the Liberian capital, Monrovia, while Guinea and Sierra Leone continue to register deaths, too.

Mr Azumah said: "In our culture, it is the habit to wash the dead body, look after it for a week in the home, kiss and touch it, even eat meals with the dead body - and we believe this has led to the virus spreading.

"Also people are keeping the illnesses and deaths secret if they suspect Ebola."

By alerting the authorities to possible Ebola, people risk being ostracised by their communities.

There is even a fear among these poverty stricken communities that the visiting health workers are spreading the virus.

But what seems significant is that, in Liberia at least, one of the poorest countries in the world, they are largely coping with this virulent disease on their own - with very little outside help evident.

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Girl Hit By Plane Crashing On Beach Dies

A nine-year-old girl who was hit by a plane while walking along the beach with her father has died.

Oceana Irizarry succumbed to her injuries in a Florida hospital.

Her father, 36-year-old Ommy Irizarry, died on Sunday after the pair were struck by a single-engine aircraft attempting an emergency landing along Caspersen Beach in Venice.

"There are no words to describe the suffering we are experiencing," the family said in a statement on Tuesday.

Ommy Irizarry was in Florida celebrating his ninth wedding anniversary

"Their loss is devastating to our family and to everyone who knew them.

"Oceana was a beautiful, intelligent and kind-hearted little girl. She was a natural artist who loved to learn."

Officials said it was not immediately clear whether the father - a sergeant in the US Army - and daughter were hit by the plane or its debris.

Sgt Irizarry and his wife, Rebecca, were visiting Florida to celebrate their ninth wedding anniversary.

The couple has two other children.

Sgt Irizarry "was a beloved husband, father, son, brother, friend and soldier," the family statement said.

The pilot of the 1972 Piper Cherokee radioed Venice Airport saying he was having trouble and was planning to land on the beach, according to officials.

An airport worker called 911, telling the dispatcher: "He says he's not going to make the airport. But he's going to be on the beach."

In another emergency call, a family friend cried as she described the scene on the beach.

Screams and wailing could be heard in the background as another man took the phone to provide details on the little girl's condition.

"She's breathing a little right now. Rapid pulse and difficult breathing. She's unconscious," he said.

The pilot, 57-year-old Karl Kokomoor, and his passenger, 60-year-old David Theen, were unhurt.

The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the incident.

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Rigby Killer Adebolajo Appeal Bid Rejected

Lee Rigby's Family Says Justice Has Been Served

Updated: 9:58pm UK, Wednesday 26 February 2014

The family of Lee Rigby are "satisfied" with the sentences handed to his killers and believe they received the "right prison term".

Michael Adebolajo, 29, was given a whole-life term, and Michael Adebowale, 22, was jailed for at least 45 years for hacking the soldier to death in Woolwich last year.

In a statement read by a family liaison officer outside the Old Bailey after the sentencing, the family said: "We feel that no other sentence would have been acceptable and we would like to thank the judge and the courts for handing down what we believe to be the right prison terms.

"We would also like to thank everyone who has supported us in the last nine months.

"It has brought us a lot of comfort and we feel satisfied that justice has been served for Lee. We now ask to continue to grieve in private."

Assistant Commissioner Cressida Dick, who heads Scotland Yard's counter-terrorism command, said the sentences reflected the "true horror of their actions in taking this young man's life in such a barbaric way".

Meanwhile, Sue Hemming of the Crown Prosecution Service said the murderers had "revelled in one of the most appalling terrorist murders" she had ever seen.

She said: "Not only was the attack brutal and calculated, it was also designed to advance extremist views. As a soldier, Fusilier Lee Rigby was targeted in a clear act of revenge, deliberately carried out in full view of members of the public for maximum impact."

As sentencing began, the two murderers shouted at the judge in protest at his remarks. 

They then fought with guards in the dock before they were pinned down and taken to the cells. Sentencing resumed without them.

The soldier's family were visibly distressed and sobbed at the developments and one relative needed medical treatment.

There were also dramatic scenes outside the Old Bailey as members of the public shouted at prison vans leaving the building.

Far right protesters had gathered outside the court calling for the killers to face the death penalty.

The British-born extremists ran Fusilier Rigby down in a car before hacking him to death in the street in front of horrified onlookers near Woolwich Barracks in southeast London in May last year.

They both claimed that they were "soldiers of Allah" and were motivated by the plight of Muslims abroad to carry out the killing, and have shown no remorse.

:: Watch Sky News live on television, on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 82 and Freesat channel 202.

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Gaza Conflict 'Is Like An Endless Horror Film'

By Sherine Tadros, Middle East Correspondent, in Gaza City

"Stay safe," people keep telling us.

"Where?" I always reply.

One of the harsh realities of this war is that there seem to be no red lines or boundaries.

People here are locked inside a tiny, cramped territory while the Israeli army bombs their homes, businesses, schools and hospitals.

A Palestinian mourns during a funeral in Khan Younis, southern Gaza

Some 23,160 buildings have been damaged in the past three weeks, including 560 houses that were specifically targeted, according to the Health Ministry.

Most of the time there is no electricity, so at night you can only listen to what's happening around you in the dark.

Parents watch as their children die, children watch as their parents die - it's like a horror film.

The hardest part is how to convey the emotion and explain the events you are witnessing to people who live thousands of miles away and have likely never been to Gaza.

Smoke rises from the Gaza Strip after an Israeli shelling

How do you do the story justice, remaining calm and fair?

Journalists are obsessed with the idea of balance, but what throws us off is that this is not an equal battle.

Israel says it is defending its civilians from rockets indiscriminately fired at them and underground tunnels used to infiltrate and kill soldiers.

Hamas says it is defending their civilians from an Israeli imposed siege that has strangled Gaza and affects every part of daily life.

Smoke trails from rockets fired towards Israel from the Gaza Strip

The sad reality is that this war will likely end with Israel keeping Gaza under a blockade, which means Hamas will continue to resist - if not with rockets then tunnels, if not with tunnels then something else.

And if it's not Hamas it will be another group. The violence will continue as long as there is a cause.

Covering this war has been just as devastating as in 2008/9, the last time Israel launched a ground assault and I was inside Gaza.

Back then, people felt they were paying the price for a battle between Hamas and Israel.

This time, after seven years of living under siege, many sound hopeless and support Hamas (they call it "the resistance") because they feel there is no other way to end the misery they are living in.

My parents tell me stories of going on holiday to Gaza when they were young.

It has a beautiful coastline and when the drones and jets are quiet you can hear the waves crashing on the beach.

But the last few years of the blockade have been especially tough and Gaza is now a ghetto of 1.8 million people with many living in refugee camps surrounded by bombed out buildings.

Yesterday, at a UN school turned shelter, a woman asked me where I was from.

"Egypt," I replied, expecting her to lecture me about the country's complicity in the siege and how much she hates Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al Sisi.

But instead she said in a strong, sad voice: "Take me back with you."

It's simple really: people in Gaza, like elsewhere in the world, just want a chance to live with dignity.

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Face Transplant Patient Is GQ Magazine Star

A man who received the world's most complex face transplant after a gun accident has now been snapped for the pages of magazine GQ.

Richard Norris was injured in a shotgun accident in 1997 at age 22.

In 2012 Mr Norris underwent a 36-hour operation to receive a new face from a donor whose organs saved five other patients' lives on the same day.

Mr Norris is still limited in what he can do and is at risk of the donor tissue being rejected, but has agreed to show the dramatic improvement in his appearance in the August issue of US GQ.

Mr Norris as a young man shortly before the 1997 accident

He told the magazine that he is seeking to raise awareness for organ donation, and that he is grateful to the 21-year-old man who donated his face.

"A drop of hope can create an ocean," Mr Norris, now 39, is quoted as saying.

"But a bucket of faith can create an entire world."

The operation in Maryland is considered the world's most comprehensive face transplant.

It involved 100 doctors, scientists and other university medical staff, ranging from plastic surgeons to craniofacial specialists.

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'Dozens Killed' In China Terror Attack

Dozens of people have been killed or hurt in a terrorist attack in China's Xinjiang region, according to the Xinhua news agency.

A gang armed with knives attacked a police station and government office in Elixku, Shache County.

The gang then attacked civilians and smashed vehicles in nearby town Huangdi.

The news agency, citing local police, said "dozens of Uighur and Han civilians were killed or injured" during the attack on Monday.

It added: "Police officers at the scene shot dead dozens of members of the mob.

"Initial investigation showed that it was a premeditated terror attack."

Shache, also known by its Uighur name Yarkant, is close to the border with Tajikistan, Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Sky's Asia Correspondent Mark Stone said: "It's extremely hard to verify the accuracy of news to emerge from Xinjiang province because the information flow is tightly controlled and foreign journalists' movements there are heavily restricted.

"Xinhua news agency tends to report only a sequence or version of events sanctioned by the central government in Beijing.

"It's not clear why state media took more than 24 hours to report the attack."

Xinjiang has seen violent attacks over the last few years, which the China government blames on Islamist militants and separatists who it says are trying to establish an independent state called East Turkestan.

In May, an attack on a market in Urumqi, capital of Xinjiang, left 39 people dead and another 29 were killed by a gang armed with knives at a train station in Kunming in March.

Exiled Uighur groups have claimed repressive policies set by the government - including controls on Islam - have sparked unrest.

More than 200 people have died in the unrest in the last year.

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EU Sanctions Target Russian Oil Industry

European governments have agreed new sanctions against Russia over the Ukraine crisis, targeting its oil and defence industries.

Moscow's sensitive technologies and dual-use goods are also being targeted as part of the fresh action which will be reviewed after three months, a diplomat said.

The capitals of all 28 nations will now look at and rubber-stamp what has been agreed.

The move is seen as an extension of existing US and EU sanctions and will focus on 11 individuals and other "entities" - the so-called 'cronies' of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

It also comes after the other leaders of the Group of Seven (G7) warned in a statement earlier this week that they were prepared to move to broader sanctions on Russia, including "sectoral measures".

But even in advance of any deal, the oil giant BP warned that tougher sanctions could have an adverse impact on its business.

Sky's Europe Correspondent Robert Nisbet said eight of the people to be added to the list by the EU were expected to be much closer to the inner-circle of Mr Putin to "hit right at the centre of the Russian government".

He added: "What you may notice is not in the list is the finance sector which is obviously something that people have been pushing for - trying to restrict state-owned Russian banks from seeking extra capital from within the EU."

Moments after the announcement, US Secretary John Kerry said the US "was in the process of preparing additional sanctions" on "key sections of the Russian economy".

He said Mr Putin still "had a choice going forward, with respect to his ability to be able to have an impact on the separatists".

But Mr Kerry said there was "no shred of evidence" Russia was willing to help end the violence and bloodshed between Moscow-backed rebels and Kiev.

"The Russians and their so-called volunteers are continuing to ship arms and funds and personnel across the border. There is clear evidence of it," he said.

"We now have clear evidence of artillery and rocket fire from Russia into Ukraine.

"And while the Russians say they want to de-escalate the conflict, their actions have not shown a shred of evidence that they really have a legitimate desire to end the violence and end the bloodshed."

More follows...

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