Foreign Office Minister Warsi Resigns Over Gaza

Foreign Office Minister Baroness Warsi has resigned saying she was not sure she could live with herself if she did not make a stand over 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".

And she added: "I always said long after life in politics I must be able to stand by the decisions I took or the decisions I supported. By staying in Government at this time I do not feel I can be sure of that."

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.

Baroness Warsi's resignation is a significant blow

Her resignation is a serious blow to the Conservatives and will intensify pressure on David Cameron, who is out of the country on holiday, to be firmer in his condemnation of Israel.

In his response, the Prime Minister said he regretted her decision, but understood her "strength of feeling on the current crisis in the Middle East".

He said the Government supports Israel's right to defend itself, while consistently making clear its "grave concerns" over civilian casualties.

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.

Lady Warsi announced her resignation on Twitter

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."

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said there was also concern in the Foreign Office about the departure of William Hague as Foreign Secretary - he has been replaced by Philip Hammond - and the "way recent decisions have been made".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

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

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.

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.

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

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 Baroness Warsi's decision to step down was 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".

The number of Palestinians killed in "Operation Protective Edge" - Israel's action against Hamas in Gaza - has reached 1,880, most of whom have been civilians. Around 66 Israelis have died, most of whom have been soldiers.

Lady Warsi's highly critical resignation letter

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.

:: After our Twitter Q&A yesterday with Palestinian teenager Farah Baker, Sky News held a similar Q&A with someone on the Israeli side - schoolteacher Adele Raemer, who lives 2km from the border with Gaza. 

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Couple Married For 62 Years Die On Same Day

A California couple who had been married for 62 years have died just four hours apart, spending their last moments side by side.

Don and Maxine Simpson met at a Bakersfield, California, bowling alley and married in 1952.

They died in July. He was 90 and she was 87.

"He adored my grandmother, loved her to the end of the Earth," granddaughter Melissa Sloan told CBS.

A civil engineer, Mr Simpson at one point worked for the US Army in Germany.

Don and Maxine Simpson married in 1952

The couple adopted twin boys from a German orphanage and returned to Bakersfield, where she worked as a nurse and he owned his own engineering company.

Two weeks ago, Mr Simpson was at home when he fell, breaking his hip.

The family took him to hospital, but his health quickly deteriorated.

His wife was battling cancer and her health was also declining.

So they were moved in a spare room in the family's home, with their beds side by side. Maxine was first to pass away.

"They left this world together," said Ms Sloan.

"It's a true love story."

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Father Of Thai Downs Baby 'Is Sex Offender'

The Thai surrogate mother of a baby born with Down's Syndrome says she would be happy if the child's twin returned to her - after police said the father was a convicted sex offender.

Pattaramon Chanbua, 21, has been caring for baby Gammy since his Australian biological parents reportedly rejected the infant, instead taking his twin sister to Australia alone.

The case has attracted intense public interest in Thailand and Australia, where allegations have surfaced about baby Gammy's biological father.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, a police officer told the Associated Press that the father was a convicted sex offender.

While Ms Chanbua has previously said she is happy to have Gammy's twin sister stay in Australia, the allegations have since caused her to have doubts.

"Personally, when I heard the news (about the allegations) I was shocked, but I can't say anything much right now.

"If she (baby girl) is happy, then I, as a mother, am also happy. I don't want to bring her back to suffer or anything.

Ms Chanbua says the boy's biological parents rejected him

"A mother would never want her child in trouble. But if she really cannot go on living there, then I'm very happy to have her back in my arms."

Ms Chanbua claims the Australian parents wanted her to have an abortion once medical tests revealed Gammy had Down's Syndrome, but she refused because of her beliefs as a Buddhist.

But the parents allege they were not told their healthy daughter had a twin brother.

The father told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) they had "a lot of trouble" with the surrogacy agency, and that the process had "taken every cent we have".

Ms Chanbua has promised to "never abandon" seven-month-old Gammy and to raise him as her own.

"I never thought of having an abortion, I never thought to abandon him. I love him as my own baby ... he is my baby. I love him very much," she said.

Australia's Prime Minister Tony Abbott described the treatment of Gammy as "tragic".

"This is a tragic human situation. It's an absolutely tragic human situation," he said.

"I don't think there'd be anyone in the country who wouldn't be really cut up about what's happening here."                

A Hope for Gammy fundraising website has so far raised more than $233,000 to pay for the boy's medical needs.

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British Airways Suspends Flights Over Ebola

British Airways has halted all flights to Liberia and Sierra Leone for one month due to the ebola outbreak.

In a statement, the airline added it would be keeping the routes under review.

"We have temporarily suspended our flights to and from Liberia and Sierra Leone until 31 August 2014 due to the deteriorating public health situation in both countries," it said.

"The safety of our customers, crew and ground teams is always our top priority and we will keep the route under constant review in the coming weeks.

"Customers with tickets on those routes are being offered a range of options including a full refund and the ability to rebook their flights to a later date."

The World Health Organisation said on Monday the number of deaths from the disease in West African countries including Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia and Nigeria had increased from 729 to 887.

In Wales, a person who recently returned from West Africa has voluntarily absented themselves from work and confined themselves to home after believing they may have come into contact with the virus.

Public Health Wales said they it was monitoring the individual's condition but added it was not thought they have the virus.

A statement released by the health authority said: "The individual does not have symptoms of ebola and there are no cases of ebola in Wales.

"We are alert to the possibility of ebola cases in the UK given the outbreak in west Africa and we remain vigilant to unexplained illness in people who have travelled from the area."

Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia is conducting tests on a man after he showed symptoms of the virus following a recent trip to Sierra Leone.

The 40-year-old man is in a critical condition at a hospital in the city of Jeddah and is being treated in a unit with advanced isolation and infection-control capabilities.

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Tropical Storm Threatens UK's Sizzling Summer

A tropical storm heading along the US east coast could move across the Atlantic, threatening a dramatic break in the UK's sizzling summer weather.

Hurricane Bertha, which has now been downgraded to a tropical storm, is expected to weaken as it heads towards Europe.

But its winds of around 75 miles per hour have already caused destruction in Puerto Rico and the Bahamas.

"We won't be seeing a 'hurricane in Europe', but there is a chance we could see a fairly active summer storm," said the Met Office in a blog.

Forecaster MetDesk's image of the tropical storm

It adds: "While all forecast models suggest the storm will head in the general direction of UK and continental Europe, there remains a lot of uncertainty about exactly what it will do."

Meteorologists are currently studying forecast models before committing themselves to a definite outcome.

Sky News weather presenter Isobel Lang said: "The Sky News Weather Team will be watching the track of this ex-hurricane very closely as it crosses the Atlantic.

A US National Hurricane Center projection of the storm's possible path

"The details are sure to change but the general picture through Sunday and into Monday is for a period of rain and strong winds with the risk of gales.

"With RideLondon and other events taking place, it's worth keeping up to date with our catch-up service."

The RideLondon event will see elite riders take to the streets on Saturday, and on Sunday around 24,000 amateur cyclists will ride through London and Surrey on a similar route to that of the London 2012 Olympic Road Cycling Races.

The weekend also sees an number of music festivals around the country including Fairport's Cropredy Convention in Oxfordshire, Strawberry Fields Festival in Leicestershire and Bath Folk Festival.

The Met Office is keeping a close eye on Bertha's path

Lang adds: "Once the storm clears the weather looks set to turn rather autumnal and showery."

It looks likely that the earliest Bertha would affect the UK would be on Sunday or into the start of next week.

The Met Office said it will be keeping an eye on how this situation develops over the next few days "to give everyone in the UK the best advice on what Bertha is likely to do".

It said: "Given the time of year and the potential heavy rain, strong winds and large waves Bertha could bring if it does head to the UK, we'd advise everyone to stay up to date with the latest forecasts and warnings from the Met Office over the next few days."

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Man Killed Girlfriend's Child With Deadly Kick

A man who kicked his girlfriend's young daughter so hard she was thrown six feet across the room has been jailed for life and told he must serve at least 17 years for her murder.

Dean Harris, 20, hurt Amina Agboola so badly that her liver was torn in two, jurors at Cambridge Crown Court heard.

Harris, who had been going out with the two-year-old's mother for five months, killed Amina because he was frustrated at her soiling herself, prosecutors said.

The little girl was found by paramedics lying "like a rag doll" at her home in Scott Drive, Yaxley, near Peterborough.

Harris, who was found guilty of murder earlier this year, was left alone with the toddler last November despite social worker warnings that he had a history of domestic violence and was dangerous.

Amina's mother, Sarah Racqueman, was earlier given a suspended sentence after being acquitted of causing or allowing her daughter's death but convicted on two other charges of neglect in connection with other children.

Detective Inspector Alan Page, of Cambridgeshire Police, said: "This was a horrendous case.

"There can be no justification for using violence against any child and Harris will have to deal with the consequences of his actions for the rest of his life.

"While no sentence can ease the pain felt by Amina's family, hopefully they will now be able to start moving on with their lives."

Amina's father, Reuben Agboola, said afterwards he was "pleased" with the sentence.

"However the grief feels like it has no end," he said.

"I think about Amina constantly. I still cry every day.

"I go through the motions of living but inside I am somewhere else thinking about my daughter all the time.

"No one understands the pain except those people who are experiencing it.

"My heart reaches out to every parent on earth who is suffering the loss of a child."

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'American General Killed' In Afghan Base Attack

An American two-star general has been killed and 15 other soldiers injured in a shooting at a British-run military academy near Kabul, US officials say.

A German brigadier general was among those wounded in the attack by a man dressed in an Afghan military uniform at Camp Qargha, west of the capital.

A US official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the gunman fired his weapon at fairly close range, meaning some of the victims sustained serious injuries.

The Pentagon has not commented on the attack.

The insider attack took place at Camp Qargha, west of Kabul

If confirmed, the US general's death would be the highest-ranking member of the American military to die in Afghanistan.

The German general was flown to a US base in Bagram, where he is receiving medical treatment, German magazine Der Spiegel reported.

He is no longer thought to be in a life threatening condition.

Fourteen other military personnel were wounded, half of which were Americans, US officials said.

Reports suggest an argument erupted between some Afghans and an Afghan soldier, prompting the shooting.

The academy began taking its first officer cadets in October

A Ministry of Defence spokesman said: "We are aware of reports of an incident at Qargha.

"The incident is under investigation and it would be inappropriate to comment further at this time."

The officer training academy in Qargha received its first cadets in October and will be the only British military presence remaining in Afghanistan after operations end this year.

A spokesman for the International Security Assistance Force (Isaf) said: "We can confirm that an incident occurred involving local Afghan and Isaf troops at Camp Qargha in Kabul City, Afghanistan.

"The camp, also known as the Kabul ANA Officer Academy, is an Afghan National Security Forces facility.

"We are in the process of assessing the situation. More information will be released as we sort out the facts."

General Mohammed Afzal Aman, chief of staff for operations at the Afghan Ministry of Defence, said: "We are investigating, but it appears that an Afghan army officer opened fire.

"Isaf have quarantined the site, allowing nobody including Afghan forces to approach."

The facility is loosely modelled on the UK's officer training school Sandhurst, and has been dubbed the "Sandhurst in the sand".

The number of "insider attacks" - where Afghan troops turn on Isaf partners - has dropped in the last year.

Last year, there were 16 deaths in 10 separate attacks. In 2012, similar attacks killed 53 Isaf troops in 38 attacks.

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Plane Scare: Man Held Over Hoax Bomb Threat

Manchester Police have arrested a man on suspicion of making a hoax bomb threat after a plane was escorted into the city's airport by an RAF fighter jet.

The emergency came when the pilot of Qatar Airways flight QR23 from Doha to Manchester reported concerns about a possible device.

Josh Hartley, who boarded the plane at Doha, said: "The flight was pretty calm all the way through, but some people are shaken up, quite a few. It was scary."

The alarm is thought to have been raised when a passenger passed a note to a member of the cabin crew.

A man is escorted of the Qatar Airways flight by police in Manchester

The message is understood to have been  passed on to the captain, who alerted air traffic control - prompting the quick reaction alert Typhoon to be scrambled.

Passenger Aurang Zeb, 60, said the plane landed and was taken to an area well away from the terminal and other planes, where they waited for 45 minutes before moving closer to the terminal.

He said: "Then I saw all the police with guns. Lots of police everywhere.

Qatar Airways flight QR23 on the ground at Manchester Airport

"Kids were crying, some people looked very worried because of rumours there's a bomb on the plane."

Mr Zeb said two armed police then came on and removed the suspect passenger.

He said: "They sat him up and said, 'Put your hands up'. He did not say anything.

"People were still worried something might be on board.

Passenger Matthew Cox took this picture from the plane

"There was a rumour of a bomb on the plane so people are scared, thank God for that not happening."

In a statement Qatar Airways said the plane was an Airbus A330-300 with 269 passengers and 13 Qatar Airways crew on board.

The airline said: "The crew onboard had received a threat about a possible device on board and Qatar Airways immediately took all the necessary precautions to alert British authorities.

"The crew is now fully assisting police at the airport with their inquiries."

The RAF Typhoon escorts the Qatar Airways flight. Pic @Josh Hartley

Greater Manchester Police tweeted that officers worked to get other passengers off "as swiftly and safely as possible".

Chief Superintendent John O'Hare said in a statement as events unfolded: "An incoming plane has been escorted into the airport by the Royal Air Force as a result of information received by the pilot about a possible device on board.

"We don't know how genuine this threat is but it is absolutely vital we deal with the situation as a full emergency."

Paul Bell, who was heading for a holiday flight, told Sky News his family saw the drama unfold as they were heading to the airport.

The airport lies south of the city centre

"We heard the fighter jet circling over Stockport and about 10 minutes later we saw the aircraft coming in.

"It was literally looping round the aeroplane."

Manchester Airport said nine incoming flights had to be diverted to other airports, with five of these landing at Leeds Bradford airport.

"There are a few minor delays to outgoing flights but we're pretty much back to normal," said an airport spokesman.

An RAF spokesman said: "We can confirm that Typhoon aircraft were launched from RAF Coningsby in their quick reaction alert role this afternoon to investigate a civilian aircraft whose pilot had requested assistance."

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Passengers On Jet Tweet 'Bomb Threat' Terror

As their pilot was forced to take action over a bomb threat, passengers on the plane shared their terror with the world.

Completely unaware of what was to unfold in a few hours' time, Josh Hartley had tweeted about security at the airport in Doha, joking: "Had a full body X-ray scan in those new machines, I feel violated."

Some seven hours later, he tweeted a photograph of an RAF Typhoon jet alongside the plane, admitting: "OK, no I am worried."

As Twitter users realised there was an emergency in the skies over the UK, Mr Hartley's updates were retweeted hundreds of times on the social network.

Josh Hartley posted a photo of a Typhoon jet flying alongside the plane

His messages reflect a tense period of more than an hour as the Qatar Airways flight was escorted in to Manchester, with passengers unaware if they were potential victims of a terror attack.

When the plane finally touched down, the clearly shaken Briton tweeted that he could see emergency services vehicles on the tarmac and added: "Landed duno what ... is happening."

Mr Hartley's neighbour Matthew Cox shared a photo of armed police

Sitting next to Mr Hartley on the flight was Twitter user Matthew Cox, who tweeted a picture of a man in a green T-shirt holding his hands on his head as he was apparently removed from the flight by armed officers.

He also posted a photo of a group of four armed officers standing yards from the plane.

Mr Cox's photo shows a passenger being escorted from the plane

Mr Hartley shared further pictures of passengers gathering their bags and boarding buses to be taken to the main terminal building.

Even as he was safely off the jet and headed for the airport terminal, he tweeted: "Still kinda shaking."

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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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