EU Gives Russia Ultimatum Over Ukraine Crisis

Russia could be facing a fresh wave of EU sanctions within a week after Russian tanks reportedly attacked a town near the Ukrainian border city of Luhansk.

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said tanks had been used to "destroy virtually every house" in the town of Novosvitlivka.

There were now thousands of foreign troops and hundreds of foreign tanks inside Ukraine, he told a news conference in Brussels, where EU leaders met to discuss the crisis.

"There is a very high risk not only for peace and stability for Ukraine but for the whole peace and stability of Europe," he said.

After meeting his European counterparts, Mr Poroshenko warned that efforts to end violence with pro-Russian rebels were close to a "point of no return" and that failure could lead to "full-scale war".

European leaders have ordered officials to make urgent preparations for a toughening of measures, likely to target senior Kremlin figures as well as the defence, energy and financial sectors.

Satellite imagery reportedly shows Russian military vehicles inside Ukraine

Prime Minister David Cameron said the EU summit had taken "important steps" and the European Commission would present firm proposals for tougher sanctions within a week.

"It is totally unacceptable that there are Russian soldiers on Ukrainian soil. We have now set out a timetable for further sanctions that could be ... significant steps," Mr Cameron said.

"It's a deeply serious situation and we have to show real resolve, real resilience in demonstrating to Russia that if she carries on in this way the relationship we have between Europe and Russia, Britain and Russia, America and Russia will be radically different in the future."

Outgoing EU Commission head Jose Manuel Barroso insisted it was not too late to find a political solution, but he added: "We are in a very serious, I would say, dramatic situation ... where we can reach the point of no return.

"If the escalation of the conflict continues, this point can come."

He added: "Russia should not underestimate the European Union's will and resolve to stand by its principles and values."

This image shows trucks and armoured vehicles near the Russia border

Meanwhile, Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaite called for a stepped up arms embargo on Russia.

She said: "It is the fact that Russia is in a war state against Ukraine. That means it is in a state of war against a country which would like to be closely integrated with the EU.

"Practically Russia is in a state of war against Europe."

Nato released images apparently showing Russian forces on the ground in eastern Ukraine.

Government sources said separatists are believed to have heavy weaponry supplied by President Vladimir Putin.

Included in the weaponry are 100 tanks and artillery pieces, anti-tank weapons and shoulder-mounted missile launchers, the sources said.

Russia has repeatedly dismissed accusations it has sent soldiers or equipment across the border.

President Barack Obama has said the satellite pictures made it "plain" that Russia had "deliberately and repeatedly violated the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine".

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Ashya's Parents Held After Missing Boy Found

The parents of Ashya King, who was taken out of hospital against medical advice, have been arrested after being found with their son in Spain.

Police say officers in the Malaga area pulled over the family's car at 9pm UK time and found the five-year-old and his parents inside.

The boy from Portsmouth, who underwent "extensive surgery" during an operation on his brain tumour seven days ago, has been taken to hospital.

Assistant Chief Constable Chris Shead of Hampshire Constabulary said his parents, Brett King, 51, and Naghemeh King, 45, were in custody after being arrested on a European arrest warrant.

"We don't have many details on Ashya's condition at this point in time but what we do know is that he was showing no visible signs of distress," he said.

"There are no winners in this situation. I've said all along that this must be a terribly distressing time for Ashya's family and I stand by that now."

He added that it was too soon to say when Ashya would come back to the UK but said Southampton General Hospital had been contacted so they can liaise with doctors taking care of him in Spain.

"Ashya's brothers and sisters were not in the vehicle," he said.

"We have located them. They're all okay, they're fine. They are actually in a hotel about 10 miles away."

He said a team of Hampshire police officers would now be travelling to Spain to continue the investigation.

French media had picked up the story after Ashya was taken from hospital

It came as footage emerged on video-sharing website YouTube in which Ashya's father, a Jehovah's Witness, insists they had taken him from hospital to seek a cancer treatment not available on the NHS.

"We were much disturbed today to find that his face is all over the internet and newspapers and we've been labelled as kidnappers, putting his life at risk, neglect," he says.

"There's been a lot of talk about this machine. As you see, it's all plugged in. We've got loads of these feeds here, we've got iron supplements and we've got Calpol.

"As you can see, there's nothing wrong with him. He's very happy actually, since we took him out of hospital. He's been smiling a lot more, he's been very much interacting with us.

"But I just wanted to say very quickly why we took him out of the hospital.

"The surgeon did a wonderful job on his head that took out the brain tumour, completely they reckon. But straight away afterwards he went into what's called posterior fossa syndrome, which means very limited moving or talking or doing anything."

He said he had spoken to specialists after Ashya's surgery and had requested proton beam treatment, which was not available on the NHS.

"Proton beam is so much better for children with brain cancer," he said.

"We pleaded with them for proton beam treatment. They looked at me straight in the face and said with his cancer - which is called medulloblastoma - it would have no benefit whatsoever.

"I went straight back to my room and looked it up and the American sites and French sites and Switzerland sites where they have proton beam said the opposite, it would be very beneficial for him."

Mr King also urged police to call off "this ridiculous chase".

"We're not neglecting our son, he's in perfectly good health," he said.

Jehovah's Witnesses refuse blood transfusions on religious grounds but are open to other medical procedures.

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Missing Ashya: Global Hunt For British Boy

A global search is under way for a terminally ill British boy who was taken without consent from his hospital bed by his parents.

Ashya King has a brain tumour and police are urgently trying to find him and his family because the battery for his life-saving feeding tube is likely to have run out.

Hampshire Police say the missing five-year-old's health is likely to deteriorate rapidly.

He was taken from Southampton General Hospital at around 2pm on Thursday and was last seen on a ferry to Cherbourg in France.

Police were not told the boy was missing until 8.35pm that day, more than six hours after his parents Brett King, 51, and Naghemeh King, 45, took him away.

Interpol have issued an alert in 190 countries

Interpol has sent out a missing persons alert to its 190 member countries and the case has received widespread coverage in the French media.

The case featured prominently on websites and TV news channels, including TF1, France's most popular domestic channel.

Hampshire assistant chief constable Chris Shead said late on Friday: "We have been told by medical experts that the battery life on the machine that administers his food is now likely to have expired.

"We don't know whether the King family have any spares, the knowledge, or any way of recharging the battery.

"If they don't, without properly administered food, Ashya's condition will deteriorate very quickly. With each hour that passes our concern for him grows."

Ashya was taken by his parents Brett King, 51, and Naghemeh King, 45

He also warned that the family may have already reached other countries beyond France.

Ashya was operated in hospital last week. CCTV images captured the boy being wheeled from the hospital on Thursday by his father.

The family then boarded a cross-Channel ferry from Portsmouth to Cherbourg at 4pm with Ashya and six siblings. They arrived in France at roughly 8pm local time.

The family, believed to be Jehovah's Witnesses, are travelling in a grey Hyundai I800 Style CRDI, registration KP60 HWK.

Ashya is likely to be in a wheelchair or buggy. He cannot communicate verbally and is immobile.

Guy Canonici, the president of the Jehovah's Witnesses in France, has told Sky News he has put over 1,000 Kingdom Halls (places of worship) on alert for the missing boy.

A car similar to the one being used by the family

In a video posted on YouTube last month, Naveed King said his little brother Ashya had been diagnosed with a brain tumour and was undergoing emergency surgery.

Speaking into the camera in a message directly to Ashya, he said: "I haven't slept. I've been awake all night worrying.

"We love you so much. We're all here for you. Everyone is praying for you. We just want to see your smile again."

Legal experts say it is "unlikely" the King family has committed any offence by taking Ashya out of hospital.

Jehovah's Witnesses believe the bible prohibits ingesting blood and that Christians should not accept transfusions or donate or store their own blood.

Professor Penney Lewis, of King's College London, said: "I think it is possible that if they are found and still won't co-operate that social services could become involved and the child taken into foster care.

"But if it's just about one treatment - a blood transfusion - the court can address that without changing anything in relation to the care of the child."

:: Anyone with information about Ashya's whereabouts should contact Hampshire Constabulary on 101, quoting Operation Aquilion.

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Raised Terror Threat Prompts Government Talks

Caution No Excuse For Chaotic Response To IS

Updated: 6:52pm UK, Friday 29 August 2014

By Sam Kiley, Foreign Affairs Editor

This is a Corporal Jones moment: "Don't Panic!"

But it is one that, so far, has revealed that the British approach to the rapid emergence of Islamic State from almost nil to "a deeper and greater threat than we have ever seen before" has been as chaotic as the Dad's Army character.

David Cameron has now elevated IS above al Qaeda in terms of the danger it poses to the safety of British citizens.

And the Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre has raised the immediate threat level for the UK from substantial to severe – which means it's likely.

The Prime Minister will announce new measures to restrict the ability of would-be terrorists to leave the UK to get training and to return to commit atrocities.

For now, though, he has continued to rule out the use of force to battle IS in its home territory.

Instead the UK will continue to offer logistical and intelligence support to the US which has been conducting very limited air strikes against the 'Caliphate'.

If, as the PM suggested, this is to be a conflict that could last years or decades, then there is clearly no rush.

But caution can no longer be an excuse for chaos in the response.

The world isn't the way that anyone would wish it. Not now and not for the foreseeable future.

The next generation of Britons will be facing a Malthusian struggle over resources with a hungry China, a Russia brimming with ambitious consumers, Africa's exploding population, India's intellectual empire, and global warming.

The mess that is the Middle East may have its roots in the collapse of the Ottoman Empire at the end of World War I and sectarian rivalry – but it will be further fuelled by the competition that is going to drive conflicts for years to come.

These may involve a long-term campaign against political Islamist terror.

But that won't be the only problem the UK and her allies will face.

For proof one only has to look at eastern Ukraine.

Nato's leaders are going to meet in Wales next week to thrash out priorities and strategy for the next few years.

Cameron's recent short speech and his appearance on Monday in the Commons, is a clear sign that he's steeling himself to grasp a handful of nettles.

He's bracing the British for a long haul conflict with the IS. He's fortifying the debate over what it is to be British by insisting that adopting "British values" are not an option or a choice but "a duty".

He will soon have to help drag more money for Nato out of its members.

And he'll be ordering his security services to come up with tactics and long-term strategies to deal with the uncomfortable realities of the modern world that politicians have been refusing to confront.

These are that it's going to get more dangerous, more expensive, harder work and just tougher all around. Few politicians will want to sell that less than 12 months from an election.

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Hospital Food Shake-Up Announced By NHS Chiefs

By Siobhan Robbins, Sky News Reporter

The days of lumpy mash and watery gravy should become a thing of the past for hospital patients and staff as new mandatory food standards are introduced.

The rules will be legally binding and are aimed at putting an end to unhealthy and inedible meals on the NHS.

Under the changes, all patients will be checked for malnutrition, given an individual food plan and get help eating and drinking.

Canteen food must also be healthy, meet guidelines on salt, sugar and fat and be sustainably sourced.

Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt said most people enjoyed the meals they currently received.

But he added: "Patients say the quality of food at their hospital is one of the most important things in their stay, on top of which we know that if you give people healthy, nutritious food it means they recover more quickly, they stay in hospital for a shorter amount of time and it costs the NHS less, so there are lots of reasons why this is very important."

The plans come from a report by the Hospital Food Standards Panel, which also recommended hospitals develop food and drink policies that encourage healthy eating, high-quality food production, sustainability and excellent nutritional care.

The changes will be included in NHS contracts

Hospitals will also be scored on the standard of their food, with results to be posted online.

It is a move being welcomed by 22-year-old Craig Benwell, who said the meals he received during a recent stay in hospital were often inedible or served in tiny portions.

The hospital says thin, plain food was appropriate for his condition because he was being treated for Crohn's Disease.

But Mr Benwell told Sky News: "I can understand why I was on the special diet because I can only eat certain foods.

"But the amount of food that was coming out and the look of it just wasn't very appetising at all.

"The main problem was portion size ... I had to really gain weight and the portions they were giving me just really weren't enough."

The new changes will be included in NHS contracts but will not be written into law, leading to criticism from campaigners that they could be easily ignored.

Alex Jackson, coordinator of the Campaign for Better Hospital Food, added: "We're also alarmed that the Government's food standards are weak and only reflect basic catering and care standards, which are already commonly implemented in the NHS, including that 'tap water is available' to patients.

"Good things in themselves, but nowhere near ambitious enough to have a transformative effect on patient meals."

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US Accuses 'Lying' Russia Of Ukraine Incursion

The United States has accused Russia of sending combat forces across the border into Ukraine as it warned Moscow that economic sanctions may be tightened.

Speaking at the White House, President Barack Obama said Russia has been supporting pro-Moscow separatists in eastern Ukraine "for months".

He also ruled out any direct US military intervention in the crisis, and rejected Moscow's repeated denials of involvement in the conflict.

"I consider the actions that we've seen in the last week a continuation of what's been taking place for months now," Mr Obama said.

"The separatists are backed, trained, armed, financed by Russia. Russia determined that it had to be a little more overt in what it had already been doing, but it's not really a shift."

"We are not taking military action to solve the Ukrainian problem. What we're doing is to mobilise the international community to apply pressure on Russia."

Meanwhile, Washington's envoy to the United Nations hit out at Russia during an emergency session of its Security Council 

US Ambassador Samantha Power said: "Russia has to stop lying and has to stop fueling this conflict.

"The mask is coming off. We see Russia's actions for what they are: a deliberate effort to support and now fight alongside illegal separatists in another sovereign country."

State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said Russia has stepped up its military presence in Ukraine's east.

She said Russia has sent "combat forces, armoured vehicles, artillery, and surface-to-air systems" to Ukraine.

She also accused Russia of "playing a direct supporting role to the separatists proxies and mercenaries".

The United States and European countries have imposed tough sanctions on Russia over its annexation of Crimea in March.

A pro-Russian separatist seen in the eastern city of Donetsk

Nato is due to hold an emergency meeting on the crisis later today, while German Chancellor Angela Merkel said an EU summit on Saturday would also discuss the prospect of further sanctions.

A spokesman for Ukraine's National Security Council, Colonel Andriy Lysenko, earlier said two columns of tanks had fired at a border post, before rolling into Ukraine.

His comments backed up Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko's earlier report that Russian forces had "entered" the country.

The tanks are reported to have crossed into a southern area of the Donetsk region, where the separatists have made significant gains in recent days.

Nato, meanwhile, released satellite imagery purportedly showing self-propelled artillery battery.

A Nato official also said at least 1,000 Russian troops had entered Ukraine with sophisticated equipment and had been in "direct contact" with Ukrainian forces, resulting in casualties.

At a crisis meeting of the UN Security Council, Russian Ambassador Vitaly Churkin accused Kiev of "waging war against its own people."

However British Ambassador to the UN, Mark Lyall Grant, listed "overwhelming" evidence to the contrary.

"It is simply not credible for Russia and its proxies in (the eastern regions of) Donetsk and Luhansk to keep claiming that these serving members of the Russian armed forces are in Ukraine by accident or on holiday," he said.

"Nor is it credible for Russia to continue claiming to the whole world including to the Russian people that Russian soldiers are not present in Ukrainian territory."

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Rotherham Victim 'Verbally Abused By Police'

A victim of the Rotherham child sex abuse scandal has told Sky News she was verbally abused when she sought help from police.

She said the violence she suffered was ignored by authorities because her attacker was Asian and they were worried about causing racial unrest in the South Yorkshire town.

The woman gave a disturbing account of how she was treated by some police officers - claiming they called her a string of derogatory names.

One even said her attacker had every right to abuse her, she said.

Her grooming began when she turned 14 and was introduced to the man through friends in Rotherham.

She said he treated her well to start with and she fell in love with him, but after a few months he became violent.

"The more time we spent together the more he started to change," she said. "He became controlling, violent ... a relationship that was domestic violence."

She said she felt so scared at times she thought about killing herself.

"I had a fear of heights and he did a lot of things to try to scare me through that," she said.

The victim claims her abuse was ignored by Rotherham officers

"He once drove us to the edge of a cliff and said he was going to kill us both. He then dragged me out of the car and said he was going to throw me off."

She added: "He once tried to throw me over a balcony, luckily two people kind of stopped him from doing that.

"I had a child with me at the time, that were only a few months, in a pushchair, and he even kicked the pushchair over."

She said during her two years of abuse, the attacks went from once a week to two or three times a week.

His brothers were grooming other young girls, she said, but unlike many child victims in Rotherham she was sexually exploited by one man.

She was 16 when she went to police, but said her complaint was ignored.

Her abuser was even granted immunity from prosecution, she claimed.

"I explained to him (the police officer) what relationship we had and he said: 'Well, what do you expect? I think he's got every right to.'

"My Dad went absolutely mental and told him to get out of the house. The police officer then apologised, and we put a formal complaint into the police about him.

Rotherham Council leader Roger Stone stood down in the wake of the report

"But just his manner of how he dealt with it - he didn't seem to care about it, he was so unprofessional."

When asked why her abuse was ignored by social workers, police and council bosses, she said: "I think it was because of the fact he was Asian.

"I don't think they wanted to start communities colliding together, and starting confrontation between communities."

She said Rotherham Council chiefs should face action for ignoring the plight of the 1,400 child victims targeted in the town.

"The people that were involved back then ... I think they need hanging," she said.

"I don't know what legal stuff can be done, but I think they all need to be in a courtroom and tell people exactly what they knew.

"I think it should be some kind of criminal offence that 1,400 girls have been allowed to be abused by professionals."

South Yorkshire Police say they have no knowledge of allegations concerning derogatory remarks made against the victim.

A spokesman said the suggestion a deal was struck with her abuser has been fully investigated and no evidence was found to support the claim.

"This case forms a part of Operation Clover looking into a series of child sexual exploitation investigations in Rotherham," he added.

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Police Commissioner Resigns From Labour Party

By Mark White, Home Affairs Correspondent

South Yorkshire Police and Crime Commissioner Shaun Wright has resigned from the Labour Party - but said he will not give up his job.

He announced his move less than an hour after Labour threatened to suspend him from the party over his perceived failings in the Rotherham child abuse scandal.

Mr Wright was a Rotherham councillor, charged with heading up the local authority's child protection services at the height of the scandal, where an estimated 1,400 children are believed to have been groomed and abused by gangs of Asian men.

On Tuesday, a highly critical report highlighted widespread failings at both Rotherham Council and South Yorkshire Police for allowing that abuse to flourish unchecked for more than 16 years.

One victim said she was abused by 'hundreds' of men

Despite calls for Mr Wright's resignation from senior politicians in his own party, the Home Secretary, child protection experts and victims, he still refuses to budge and there is little anyone can do to remove him.

"I formally tender my resignation from the Labour Party," he said in a statement late on Wednesday night.

"However, I remain committed to, and intend to remain in, my role as an Independent Police and Crime Commissioner for South Yorkshire."

Established by Home Secretary Theresa May two years ago, PCCs were specifically designed to be directly elected and free from any interference by chief constables or politicians. 

Theresa May said Mr Wright had questions to answer

They can only be kicked out by the public in PCC elections every four years.

On Wednesday, Mrs May said it was not her job to select or dismiss PCCs but suggested he should heed calls from his own party to go.

She said: "Shaun Wright obviously has had involvement in this, both in his role as a councillor and obviously he's now the police and crime commissioner.

"It's not my job as Home Secretary to hire and fire police and crime commissioners. The whole point of them is that they are elected by the people, so ultimately it is a choice for the electorate.

"But I believe his own party have called for him to resign. I believe he has real questions to answer and I think in the circumstances he should heed those calls."

Roger Stone stepped down with immediate effect

Shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper added to the pressure on Mr Wright to quit his £85,000-a-year job.

She told Sky News: "We have said we think the police and crime commissioner should stand down, just as the leader of the council has done, because 1,400 children were abused and they were let down badly by the authorities."

Mr Wright has continued to insist he was not aware of the magnitude of the abuse in Rotherham.

He told Sky News: "Clearly I'm very sorry for any abuse that took place - if I could have prevented it, I would. Any right-minded human being would want to protect vulnerable children, of that I am convinced.

"All I can say is that this is a top priority for South Yorkshire Police and it will remain a top priority for South Yorkshire Police for as long as I am in this role."

Although much of the attention is focused on one man's perceived inaction in protecting Rotherham's abuse victims, the role of many others has also been called into question as the failings in the South Yorkshire town were systemic and widespread.

Roger Stone, the leader of Rotherham Council, stepped down with immediate effect following the publication of the report.

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Rotherham Abuse: Pressure Grows On Police Chief

By Becky Johnson, North Of England Correspondent

Pressure is growing on South Yorkshire's Police Commissioner to resign in the wake of the Rotherham abuse scandal, after it emerged he was once a councillor with responsibility for children's services there.

A damning report has revealed more than 1,400 children were victims of abuse there between 1997 and 2013.

It detailed examples of 11-year-olds being gang raped and children being forced to watch violent sex abuse while being threatened that they would be next.

It has emerged authorities in the town "could and should" have done more to stop the abuse but did not listen to children trying to report it.

In some cases victims were treated with contempt.

Shaun Wright was a Labour councillor for Rotherham until he was elected Police Commissioner in 2012, and was in charge of children's services from 2005 to 2010.

Colin Ross, the leader of the Lib Dem group on Sheffield City Council, said it is "difficult to see how local people can have confidence in him to continue as our Police and Crime Commissioner".

UKIP Yorkshire and Humber MEP Jane Collins also called on Mr Wright to go, adding: "The apologies we have heard are totally insincere and go nowhere near repairing the damage done."

Alexis Jay's highly critical report detailed "appalling" abuse

A spokesperson for Mr Wright said: "The Commissioner has previously apologised for the failure of Rotherham Council while he was in its cabinet from 2005 to 2010.

"He repeats that apology today and he fully accepts that there was more that everyone at Rotherham Council should have done to tackle this terrible crime.

"Since becoming Police and Crime Commissioner he has repeatedly publicly made tackling child sexual exploitation his number one priority."

The leader of Rotherham Council, Roger Stone, stepped down with immediate effect following the publication of the report.

Rotherham Council leader Roger Stone has left his post

The council has apologised for its failings but confirmed no staff will face disciplinary action.

South Yorkshire Police also issued an apology but it too revealed that no officers have been disciplined.

Several of the individuals named in the report are still working in child protection.

Jim Gamble, former Chief Executive of CEOP, told Sky News: "Every person particularly in a leadership role who has got it wrong whether today, yesterday, or in the years before must take responsibility for their actions.

Chief executive Martin Kimber revealed no council staff will face action

"There's a couple of things, you need to make sure; 1) that they're not in a position of authority in any other local safeguarding board, in any other organisation that works to protect children and 2) if there is evidence that individuals surpassed information that there's a criminal investigation."

A lawyer who represents some of the victims has told Sky News they intend to take legal action against the authorities.

Solicitor David Greenwood said he was "appalled" by what he called a "systematic failure".

He added that some of the girls involved have displayed symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder and will need "a lot of input to get their lives back on track".

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Schools Divert Cash To Cover £1bn Funding Gap

A £1bn shortfall in funding for places is forcing many schools to borrow money as well as cut back on repairs and building projects, according to a new poll.

More than three quarters of authorities in England claim they have not received enough cash from the Government to create the extra school places needed by 2017.

The research by the Local Government Association (LGA) is released as concern grows about a squeeze on school places fuelled in part by a rising birth rate and changes in local populations.

Councillor David Simmonds, chairman of the LGA's children and young people's board, said: "The scale of this black hole is such that the cost of the creation of new school places cannot be met by council taxpayers.

"The lack of school places is no longer confined to primary schools but is spreading to secondary schools, and across the country we estimate more than 200,000 places will be needed.

"Councils face a challenge to create places on time and in the right areas, in a climate where they are also short of money to do so."

Local councils were asked by the LGA if money provided by the Department for Education (DfE) had fully met the cost of providing school places between 2011/12 and 2016/17.

Of those that responded - around 79 councils - a total of 77% said the funding had not been enough.

More than a third (38%) of the councils who said they did not receive enough funding said they had borrowed money, two thirds (67%) used money from developers, over a fifth (22%) took funds from other building programmes and half (50%) used cash from other school projects, such as school building maintenance, the LGA said.

The LGA claims 130,000 new places will be needed by 2017/18, along with 80,716 new secondary places by 2019/2020.

A DfE spokeswoman said: "We are making every effort to stop an unprecedented increase in pupil numbers affecting class sizes, and councils have a legal duty to provide school places for children in their area.

"We have also confirmed a further £2.35bn to support councils to create the places needed by September 2017.

"In addition we are allowing good schools to expand without the restrictions and bureaucracy they faced in the past.

"And there are now more than 320 free schools open or in the pipeline which will provide a further 175,000 places - the vast majority of which are in areas of need."

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Leaders Clash Over Currency In Scotland Debate

First Minister Alex Salmond and Better Together leader Alistair Darling have clashed on using the pound in a fiery final debate on Scottish independence.

The 90-minute debate, held in front of an audience of 200 at Glasgow's Kelvingrove Museum and Art Gallery, offered both men a key opportunity to appeal to voters ahead of the referendum on September 18.

North Sea oil, the National Health Service, welfare reform and Trident nuclear missile submarines at Faslane were also at the centre of the BBC-hosted face-off.

Mr Salmond ventures out from behind his rostrum to make a point

Answering questions on the currency union, Mr Salmond said: "No one can stop us using the pound sterling, it's an internationally tradeable currency.

"I'm seeking the best option for Scotland, so our prosperous economy keeps the pound sterling."

Mr Darling replied: "You are taking a huge risk if you think it is just all going to fall into place.

"I think the currency union would be bad for Scotland because our budget would have to be approved not by us, but what would then be a foreign country."

Mr Darling attacked his opponent as having "no plan B" on currency union

Both men also clashed over a "plan B" if a currency union failed, with Mr Salmond claiming he had three alternative options, including a Scottish currency, a flexible currency union and a fixed exchange rate, and also hinting at a refusal to meet debt obligations if a formal agreement could not be reached.

Mr Darling also admitted Scotland could still use sterling, even if an agreement failed.

During the debate, Mr Salmond used the tactic of walking out from behind his rostrum to answer questions put by members of the audience.

Sky News Political Editor Faisal Islam tweeted: "The first minister has gone walkies, abandoning the rostrum, whilst riffing on currency union... Sensational!"

North Sea oil was at the centre of the debate again

Mr Darling questioned North Sea oil revenue figures provided by the Yes campaign, and said: "You are promising all sorts of things on the basis of a revenue that is very volatile.

"To rely so much on something ... it is gambling our children's future which is totally unacceptable."

Both men had promised to create a fairer Scotland in their opening statements at the start of the debate.

Mr Salmond said: "We are a rich nation, a resourceful people. We can create a prosperous nations and a fairer society, a real vision for the people of Scotland.

"This is our time, it's our moment, let us do it now."

Polls put the Better Together campaign in the lead ahead of the referendum

The former Chancellor replied: "I know people want change, but they also want security on jobs, on pensions, on their children's future.

"A good line is not always a good answer, it's answers now we need."

He had questioned Mr Salmond on currency plans for an independent Scotland in the first TV debate on August 5.

Mr Salmond also targeted his opponent's links to the Westminster establishment, accusing the life-long Labour politician of being "in bed with the Tory party".

Mr Darling drew on his experience as Chancellor to warn of the risks of going it alone - including over-reliance on unpredictable oil revenues and vulnerability to economic turmoil like that of the 2008 global financial crisis.

Voters have to register to cast postal ballots by September 3, meaning some could cast their votes within days.

After the debate, a Sky News poll carried out on Twitter saw more than 2,000 retweets for a Salmond win, compared to under 500 claiming Darling had topped the debate.

A Guardian/ICM poll gave the debate to Mr Salmond with 71% of the vote.

Mr Darling was widely judged to have won the first.

A poll of polls, carried out by Sky News before the debate, put 39% in favour of Scottish independence, with 50% against and another 11% undecided.

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Salmond Wins With 'Debt Is Yours' Threat

By Faisal Islam, Political Editor

Finally Alex Salmond delivered to the hype in the television debate with Alistair Darling on Scottish Independence.

The surroundings in Glasgow were grand, next door to the Commonwealth Games bowling green, but this was more of a blood sport.

The innovative ramble in to the centre of the stage. The bulldozing of plausible and legitimate concerns about his lack of a currency plan.

The blitzing of Mr Darling's attempt to reuse lines from the first debate. And the clear message shouted from the rooftops: Darling is a Tory Trojan horse.

On food banks, on the bedroom tax, on Trident, and NHS "privatisation", Mr Salmond painted the leader of Better Together as an enabler of centre-right control over centre-left Scotland.

Happily for the First Minister, a rather high number in the audience seemed to share in this vitriol, launching highly personalised attacks on Mr Darling.

Voting "Yes" is the only way to protect Scotland, was Salmond's sell. Mr Salmond critiqued the No campaign's so-called "project Fear" a fortnight ago. On Monday night he doubled up on his own version, Project Feartie, perhaps.

Alistair Darling points at Mr Salmond during an exchange

The debate was brutal. Mr Darling was accused by an audience member of essentially shaming Nye Bevan's legacy in creating the NHS.

He was also "accused" of privatising the Post Office (untrue). Mr Salmond jabbed his finger at Mr Darling as he blamed him for the bedroom tax (which he and the Labour party will rescind).

And he also tried to make a huge play of Darling admitting that Scotland could use the pound unilaterally (the "Panama" option). (This is true, but Scottish banks would lose access to central bank funding, so goodbye RBS HQ).

But, for me, the really big development, was the candid, transparent use of threat by Mr Salmond over currency union.

No currency union, means no share of assets, which means "the debt is yours". The First Minister said this repeatedly and clearly. This is high wire stuff with implications for the banking system.

More than that, it suggests that a yes vote will lead to a messy divorce, not an amicable split.

And that Yes vote was made a little bit more likely or rather, less unlikely. Indeed the ICM/Guardian exit poll had a thumping win for the First Minister.

We are in for an interesting few weeks.

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Richard Attenborough: Director Dies Aged 90

Tributes have poured in for Oscar-winning director Richard Attenborough, who dominated the British film business for more than half a century.

Lord Attenborough, who won two Academy Awards for directing and producing Gandhi in 1983, died at lunchtime on Sunday.

BAFTA described its former president as a "titan of British cinema" who set an example of "industry, skill and compassion" that business would do well to live up to.

2005: Lord Attenborough with his wife Sheila whom he married when he was 21

He was President of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and championed the British film business for more than 60 years as an actor, director and prolific movie-maker.

Gandhi was the highlight of his career, clinching eight Oscars, including best film. He also directed Young Winston, A Bridge Too Far and Cry Freedom.

As an actor he won acclaim for starring roles in films such as Brighton Rock and 10 Rillington Place, 

Lord 'Dickie' Attenborough was born in Cambridgeshire in 1923 and educated at Wyggeston Grammar School and Emmanuel College Cambridge.

Richard Attenborough was a 'titan' of cinema for decades, says BAFTA

He was the older brother of naturalist Sir David Attenborough.

He married the actress Sheila Sim when he was 21. His son Michael was born in 1949, followed by two daughters, Jane and Charlotte.

Tragedy struck on Boxing Day 2004 when his elder daughter Jane Holland, and her daughter, Lucy, and her mother-in-law, also Jane, died in the south-Asian tsunami.

Director Steven Spielberg said: "Dickie Attenborough was passionate about everything in his life -  family, friends, country and career. 

With his brother, naturalist David

"He made a gift to the world with his emotional epic Ghandi and he was the perfect ringmaster to bring the dinosaurs back to life as John Hammond in Jurassic Park.

"He was a dear friend and I am standing in an endless line of those who completely adored him."

David Cameron said: "His acting in Brighton Rock was brilliant, his directing of Gandhi was stunning - Richard Attenborough was one of the greats of cinema."

Baroness Royal of Blaisdon, Labour's leader in the House of Lords, said she was "proud" that the actor was a Labour peer.

"Very sad to learn of death of Richard Attenborough, a fine man in every way. Proud that he was a Labour peer," she said.

Former Cabinet minister Peter Hain also paid tribute to the "brilliant actor and film director" who he also hailed as an "anti-Apartheid, Labour and Chelsea Football Club stalwart".

In a statement on their website, Chelsea said: "Chelsea Football Club is tonight deeply saddened to learn of the passing of our Life President Lord Attenborough.

"His personality was woven into the tapestry of the club over seven decades. He will be greatly missed."

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First Briton With Ebola Virus Begins Treatment

A Briton who contracted the deadly ebola virus in Sierra Leone is being treated at a specialist hospital after being evacuated to the UK.

The volunteer nurse, who is understood to be called William, tested positive after treating patients suffering from the disease at Kenema Government Hospital (KGH) in the south-east of the country.

It is the first confirmed case of a Briton contracting ebola during the outbreak. There is no cure and outbreaks have a fatality rate as high as 90%.

The man, who is understood to be in his late 20s or early 30s, was transported to the UK on specially-equipped C17 Royal Air Force jet, which landed at RAF Northolt in west London on Sunday evening.

He was then taken to the Royal Free Hospital in Hampstead, north London, which has the UK's only high level isolation unit.

The nurse is taken off the plane and into a waiting ambulance

His bed will be surrounded by a specially-designed tent with its own controlled ventilation system.

The only people allowed inside are specially-trained medical staff.

Dr Robert Garry, from Tulane University in New Orleans, has worked at KGH for around a decade on a virus research project.

He said he was told by a university colleague that the test results for William were received on Saturday.

"They worked as hard as they could, as fast as humanly possible to make these arrangements," he said.

William was treating ebola patients in Sierra Leone

"Of course they were wanting to make sure that he got the best care possible.

"It was kind of a remarkable turnaround, barely over 24 hours (later) he was heading towards that plane."

William was working at a hospice in the capital, Freetown, but moved to Kenema when he found out other workers at the hospital had died from ebola.

In an interview with a blogger for freetownfashpack.com published earlier this month, he is reported to have said: "It's the easiest situation in the world to make a difference.

"I'm not particularly experienced or skilled, but I can do the job and I am actually helping."

The C17 plane lands at RAF Northolt on Sunday evening

Dr Garry praised William's decision to help. He said: "It's a very honourable thing. He saw the need.

"He read about our nurses who were unfortunately dying there and took it on himself to come over and volunteer and learned how to be as safe as he could.

"But when you work hard like that, when you put in so many hours, you're going to make a mistake and unfortunately that seems to have happened in this case.

"I just hope the best for him, that he can get the best treatment he can get."

The Royal Free Hospital in north London

The Department of Health said he was not "seriously unwell", while health chiefs have insisted that the risk to the public from ebola is "very low".

There have so far been 2,615 confirmed cases and 1,427 deaths in the outbreak in Africa.

Ebola is contracted through contact with an infected person's bodily fluids and there is currently no cure or vaccine.

Symptoms of the virus appear as a sudden onset of fever, headache, sore throat, intense weakness and muscle pain.

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Beheading Of Journalist Is 'Betrayal Of Britain'

The beheading of reporter James Foley by a British jihadist is "an utter betrayal of everything the British people stand for", the foreign secretary has said.

Writing in the Sunday Times, Philip Hammond said it was horrifying that the perpetrator "could have been brought up in Britain".

He said that the government was investing "significant resources" to tackle "a barbaric ideology" which could threaten the UK.

Mr Hammond said the threat from Iraq and Syria would last a generation, echoing comments made by Home Secretary Theresa May yesterday.

Lord Carey described the British jihadists as 'bloodthirsty'

Mr Hammond's comments came amid calls to strip British jihadists of their passports. 

Former shadow home secretary David Davis dismissed suggestions that new laws, dubbed asbos for terrorists, would prevent Britons fighting for Islamic State (IS).

Instead, he said, the jihadists should be stopped from returning to the UK and stripped of their citizenship.

Mr Davis said the Government's response to the crisis in Iraq had been "tentative, uncertain, almost limp".

He suggested the men heading overseas to fight were committing treason.

Philip Hammond said Islamic State had a 'barbaric ideology'

In an article for the Mail on Sunday, Mr Davis wrote: "Asbos for terrorists? It is hard to imagine the ISIS killers quaking in their boots."

He added: "Since these young men are in effect swearing allegiance to a hostile state, they should all forfeit their British citizenship - not just those who are dual nationals."

Mr Davis's call was echoed by Lord Carey, former Archbishop of Canterbury, who also called for Britons fighting for IS in Iraq and Syria to lose their passports.

Lord Carey wrote in the Mail on Sunday: "They should not have access to the privilege of travelling under a British passport . . . and they certainly should not be able to travel back with the barbaric and bloodthirsty skills they have gained."

Meanwhile, MI5 and MI6 have worked out the identity of Mr Foley's killer, known as "Jihadi John", The Sunday Times reported.

But none of the details have been disclosed, the paper added.

Yesterday, Home Secretary Theresa May announced she was planning to bring in new laws to tackle the threat of British jihadists - including the so-called terrorist asbos.

The measures would target the activities of radical preachers, such as Anjem Choudary, whose extreme rhetoric currently does not constitute a crime.

The reaction to Mr Foley's death came after Iraq was hit by a wave of deadly explosions and the UN warned of a "possible massacre" in one town besieged by militants.

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Sir Cliff Richard Quizzed By Detectives

Sir Cliff Richard has been interviewed by members of South Yorkshire Police, his spokesman said.

He voluntarily met officers on Saturday and was not arrested or charged.

The singer's Berkshire apartment was searched by police on August 14 as part of the investigation into an alleged sexual assault at a religious event in 1985.

Sir Cliff's Berkshire apartment was searched by police on August 14

A spokesman for Sir Cliff said: "Today Sir Cliff Richard voluntarily met with and was interviewed by members of South Yorkshire Police.

"He was not arrested or charged. He co-operated fully with officers and answered the questions put to him.

"Other than restating that this allegation is completely false and that he will continue to co-operate fully with the police, it would not be appropriate for Sir Cliff to say anything further at this time."

South Yorkshire Police said a 73-year-old man had been spoken to in relation to an allegation of a sexual nature dating back to 1985.

Police said: "The man was interviewed under caution but was not arrested. He entered South Yorkshire Police premises by arrangement."

Sir Cliff, 73, was in Portugal when the search took place on August 14.

His fans have rallied round the veteran star since the allegation became public.

They are showing their support by buying copies of his 1992 number seven hit I Still Believe In You with the song headed for this weekend's Top 40.

It has emerged that he has pulled out of a visit to the US Open tennis championships and turned down the freedom of his adopted Portuguese home city of Albufeira.

He also cancelled an appearance at a charity event at Canterbury Cathedral next month so it was not "overshadowed by the false allegation".

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'Asbos For Extremists' To Tackle UK Jihadists

By Jon Craig, Chief Political Correspondent

Home Secretary Theresa May is planning to bring in new laws to tackle the threat of British jihadists - including "anti-social behaviour orders" for extremists.

Mrs May will announce a three-point plan to counter British Muslim extremists, warning that the security threat to the UK will continue for decades.

The measures would target the activities of radical preachers, such as Anjem Choudary, whose extreme rhetoric currently does not constitute a crime.

Full details are yet to emerge, but the new power will be designed to restrict extremists' behaviour and language.

As with an Asbo, it could result in a criminal conviction carrying a jail term if breached.

Radical Islamist preacher Anjem Choudary

Mrs May has unveiled her crackdown in an article in the Daily Telegraph.

She discloses that she will make it illegal to join extremist groups that preach violent views, but are not directly involved in terrorism.

Currently, the threshold for banning membership of organisations, such as the Islamic State, also known as the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, requires the Home Secretary to prove that the group is directly involved in terrorist acts.

The new power could target Islamist political organisations and other Muslim groups that tacitly support extremism.

In addition, state-funded organisations such as councils and schools will be given a new legal obligation to combat extremists.

Theresa May's warning echoes recent comments from David Cameron

Mrs May uses the Telegraph article to echo a warning about extremism made by the Prime Minister in a newspaper report last weekend.

The Home Secretary writes: "We are in the middle of a generational struggle against a deadly extremist ideology.

"We will be engaged in this struggle for many years, probably decades. We must give ourselves all the legal powers we need to prevail.

"I am looking again at the case for new banning orders for extremist groups that fall short of the legal threshold for terrorist proscription, as well as for new civil powers to target extremists who seek to radicalise others."

The measures proposed by Mrs May are similar to recommendations for legislation made by the Government's Extremism Task Force last December.

Those recommendations were surprisingly omitted from the Queen's Speech this year.

But there is no suggestion yet that the Home Secretary plans to introduce emergency legislation when MPs return to the Commons on September 1.

David Cameron said during his brief return to Downing Street from his holiday after the murder of journalist James Foley that there would be "no knee-jerk reaction".

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Mosque Massacre Undermines Anti-IS Drive

A sectarian attack at a mosque in Iraq has killed at least 68 Sunni Muslims, plunging efforts to form a united front against jihadists into crisis.

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

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

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

The latest attack, in Diyala province, is seen as a blow to government efforts to secure backing from Sunni groups in its battle against Islamic State (IS) extremists.

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

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

Lawmaker Nahida al Dayani, who is from Diyala, said about 150 worshippers were at Imam Wais mosque when the militiamen arrived.

Diyala has seen heavy fighting between Iraqi troops and IS (file pic)

"Sectarian militias entered and opened fire at worshippers. Most mosques have no security," she told Reuters.

The attack came as thousands of Peshmerga and counter-terrorism soldiers continued to battle Islamic militants around the nearby towns of Jalula and Sadiyah.

Sky's Chief Correspondent Stuart Ramsay said the Peshmerga fighters were desperately in need of weapons and were effectively in "lockdown". 

"Peshmerga frontline positions are regularly hit from far away. There are scorch marks and burning patches everywhere," Ramsay said.

Peshmerga are fighting to gain territory from militants north of Baghdad

The extremist group pushed Kurdish forces out of the town of Jalula earlier this month after heavy fighting and the Peshmerga troops are trying to reclaim territory.

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

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

Elsewhere, in the northern city of Mosul, Islamic State militants stoned a man to death after one of its self-appointed courts sentenced him for adultery, witnesses said.

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

The stoning was the first known instance of the punishment by Islamic State militants in Iraq since it seized large areas of the country in a June offensive.

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

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Final Email From James Foley's Killers Revealed

The family of James Foley have released the final email sent by his kidnappers telling them he would be killed - just days before the video of his murder emerged.

In the email, received by the family on August 12, the Islamic State militant group said: "You do not spare our weak, elderly, women or children so we will not spare yours!

"You and your citizens will pay the price of your bombings! The first of which being the blood of the American citizen, James Foley!

"He will be executed as a direct result of your transgressions towards us!"

In the message, IS claimed it had given the US "many chances to negotiate the release of your people via cash transactions as other governments have accepted".

However, Mr Foley's family said this was not true.

James Foley resting in a room at the airport of Sirte, Libya in 2011

They say the first message they received from his captors was in November 2013, more than a year after he went missing in Syria.

In the email they demanded money.

After the militants proved to the family and investigators they were holding the 40-year-old, they made a ransom demand of £80m ($132.5m).

The next time the family heard from the captors was on August 12.

GlobalPost, one of the news organisations Mr Foley worked for, said it chose to publish the message in full "in the interest of transparency and to fully tell Jim's story".

"We believe the text offers insight into the motivations and tactics of the Islamic State."

James Foley working in Syria in 2012. Pic: Manu Brabo

As efforts continue to track down the journalist's killer, US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said the threat posed by IS, formerly known as the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS), is "beyond anything we have seen".

The group said it beheaded Mr Foley in retaliation for US airstrikes in Iraq aimed at reversing the sweeping gains made by IS this summer.

US Attorney General Eric Holder said a criminal investigation has been launched into Mr Foley's murder.

Counter-terrorism police in the UK have already begun efforts to identify the black-clad man seen in the video beheading Mr Foley.

Although his face is covered, he speaks with an English, possibly London, accent.

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Islamic State Threat 'Completely Unprecedented'

The threat posed by Islamic State militants, who have seized control of large parts of Syria and Iraq, is "beyond anything we've seen", according to US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel.

The group, which beheaded American journalist James Foley in response to US airstrikes in Iraq, was "beyond just a terrorist group", Mr Hagel said.

"They marry ideology, a sophistication of … military prowess," he added.

Airstrikes in Syria - where Mr Foley disappeared in November 2012 - have not been ruled out.

When asked about that possibility, Mr Hagel said Washington was "exploring all options".

James Foley in Libya in 2011

General Martin Dempsey, chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, also did not discount attacks on IS fighters in Syria.

"This is an organisation that has an apocalyptic, end-of-days strategic vision and which will eventually have to be defeated," he said at a briefing.

"To your question, can they be defeated without addressing that part of their organisation which resides in Syria? The answer is no.

"That will have to be addressed on both sides of what is essentially at this point a non-existent border."

A rough outline of the caliphate declared by IS militants

IS, which was formerly known as the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, declared an Islamic state, or caliphate, covering large parts of the two countries earlier this year.

Michael Scheuer, a former CIA senior officer who ran operations against al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, has told Sky News defeating IS will require an "enormous" number of Western troops on the ground which would mean an "enormous bloodbath".

He said: "It's a greatly bigger problem than we've seen before, it's better armed, it's better led and certainly more vicious than al Qaeda was in the initial years."

Militants vowed to attack US targets in another video clip

US President Barack Obama has insisted the scope of the US strikes will remain limited, while Prime Minister David Cameron has said Britain will not fight another war in Iraq.

A criminal investigation has now been opened into Mr Foley's murder, which was recorded by the militants in a video that emerged earlier this week.

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International Manhunt For 'John' The IS Killer

Counter-terrorism police in the UK say they are investigating the English-accented Islamic State fighter who beheaded journalist James Foley.

In a video posted by the militant group to social media sites, the man speaks English and blames US airstrikes for the killing of the 40-year-old American.

The killer, who is clad in black and covers his face during the video, speaks with a southeastern English accent, appears to be left-handed and is of average height.

The man has reportedly been identified as one of a group of Britons holding foreign hostages in Syria.

Speaking to Sky News, the Guardian's Martin Chulov said the man called himself "John", and was the leader of several Britons who guard prisoners in the Islamic State stronghold of Raqqa.

James Foley was made to read out a statement before he was killed

"We spoke to a hostage today who was released several months ago and he clearly identified to us this man in the video," Mr Chulov said.

"He identified him as a British national, one of three British nationals who were responsible for guarding foreign prisoners in Raqqa.

"He was the leader of the pack, someone who was very assertive and was responsible for negotiations with hostage families and certainly had spoken to many mums, dads, (and) wives on Skype."

Mr Chulov said the man is likely to have been fighting with IS for at least a year.

"These are not newcomers. These guys have been around for quite some time - at least a year, and potentially 18 months.

"Throughout that time they had a leadership role in terms of guarding the foreign prisoners in Raqqa, all of whom had become very valuable to the Islamic State organisation.

Abdullah Deghayes was killed while fighting in Syria in May

"The fact that this British national speaks such fluent English, he writes fluent English as well, he has been given a lot of trust and authority within the jihadist structure in Raqqa."

The Metropolitan Police Service Counter Terrorism Command said it is investigating the video.

It added: "We would like to remind the public that viewing, downloading or disseminating extremist material within the UK may constitute an offence under Terrorism legislation."

At least 400 people are known to have travelled from the UK to Syria and Iraq to fight for Islamic State (IS) - formerly known as Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS).

Concerns have been raised that radicalised young men from Western countries will return to their home nations and could be used to carry out attacks.

Sky's Middle East Correspondent Sherine Tadros said: "We know that around 400 British nationals have joined IS, probably more than that in the last few months as their recruitment has gone into overdrive.

"Now they are being used in these more serious videos to try to pressure foreign governments - and also people in these countries - to try to pressure their governments not to intervene."

Nasser Muthana, centre, has been disowned by his father

Security agencies, including the FBI and MI5, will be tracking those who have travelled to Iraq and Syria to join the militant organisation.

A Home Office spokesperson added: "The police and security services are actively working to detect and disrupt terrorist threats.

"People seeking to travel to engage in terrorist activity in Syria or Iraq should be in no doubt we will take the strongest possible action to protect our national security, including prosecuting those who break the law.

"We also have a wide range of powers at our disposal to disrupt travel and manage the risk posed by returnees."

Radicalisation expert Shiraz Maher told Sky News that Britons were at the "forefront" of the IS conflict and were "not taking a back seat" in the violence.

Crawley father-of-three Abdul Waheed Majeed, 41, became the first Briton suspected of staging a suicide bomb attack when he attacked a jail in Aleppo in February.

In May, 18-year-old Abdullah Deghayes, from Brighton, was killed while fighting in Syria alongside his two brothers Jafar and Amer.

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James Foley: US In Failed Hostage Rescue Bid

The White House has said it sent special forces into Syria to rescue hostages including James Foley, but could not locate them.

News of the unsuccessful attempt came as it was revealed the journalist's family were told he would be killed a week before his beheading by an Islamic State (IS) militant.

The 40-year-old was murdered in a propaganda video issued by the Islamist group, which warned another captured American, Steven Sotloff, would also be killed unless the US called off airstrikes in Iraq.

President Barack Obama's Homeland Security adviser, Lisa Monaco, said in a statement that authorities had recently become increasing concerned over the plight of hostages in Syria.

"The President authorised action at this time because it was the national security team's assessment that these hostages were in danger with each passing day in ISIL (IS) custody," she said.

James Foley disappeared in Syria in November 2012. Pic: Nicole Tung

"The US Government had what we believed was sufficient intelligence, and when the opportunity presented itself, the President authorised the Department of Defense to move aggressively to recover our citizens.

"Unfortunately, that mission was ultimately not successful because the hostages were not present."

Pentagon spokesman Rear Admiral John Kirby said the operation "involved air and ground components and was focused on a particular captor network within ISIL (IS)".

Meanwhile, Mr Foley's employers said they received an email last Wednesday hitting out at US airstrikes and saying he would be "executed".

Philip Balboni, President of the Global Post news website, said: "On Wednesday night last week the Foley family received an email from the kidnappers that was full of rage against the United States bombing and they stated that they would execute Jim.

David Cameron has returned from his holiday in the wake of the killing

"Obviously, we hoped and prayed that that would not be the case.

"We communicated as quickly as we could, with the captors; pleaded with them for mercy."

Mr Balboni said the Global Post spent millions on efforts to bring Mr Foley home, including the hiring of an international security firm.

The militant in the propaganda video said Mr Foley was being killed because of US airstrikes against fighters from Islamic State, formerly known as ISIS or ISIL.

David Cameron spoke on Wednesday night after breaking off his holiday in order to return to Downing Street to be briefed on the murder.

He said it was looking "increasingly likely" that the militant in the video, who had a southeastern English accent, was British.

White House spokeswoman Marie Harf confirmed that US officials were working with British counterparts to establish the killer's identity.

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Iraqi Militants Threaten Revenge Attacks On US

Iraqi militants have threatened to respond to US airstrikes by attacking American targets, posting a video in which they warn: "We will drown all of you in blood."

The message, which was accompanied by photographs of beheadings, came as Barack Obama announced Kurdish peshmerga troops, supported by US jets, had recaptured the strategically important Mosul dam.

The US president said Islamic State (IS) fighters remained "a threat to Iraq and the entire region" and said Iraqis "must reject them and unite by pushing them out of lands they have occupied".

"They claim to represent Sunni grievances but they slaughter Sunni men, women and children," he said, adding limited military missions would continue.

Mr Obama has authorised limited missions in Iraq

Unlike al Qaeda, IS has, to date, focused on seizing land in Iraq and Syria for its self-proclaimed caliphate, rather than attacking Western targets.

Earlier, the group denied losing control of Mosul dam, which supplies water and electricity to much of the country.

It had been feared they would cut pipes and cables or blow up the structure, branded the "most dangerous in the world" by the US Army in 2007, causing huge loss of life and extensive damage along the Tigris valley.

Army spokesman Lt Gen Qassim al Moussawi said at least 170 bombs had been dismantled around the site but warned many more remain.

Both sides had been locked in fierce fighting around Mosul dam

It came after David Cameron insisted Britain would not be dragged into another war in Iraq to fight what he called "monstrous" jihadists.

He spoke out after it emerged the UK had briefly sent a number of ground troops to Irbil to prepare for a rescue mission to help displaced Yazidi people.

A strongly-worded statement followed confusion over Britain's involvement in Iraq after a series of media interviews by senior ministers.

"I want to be absolutely clear to you and to families watching at home. Britain is not going to get involved in another war in Iraq," the Prime Minister said in a televised address.

"We are not going to be putting boots on the ground. We are not going to be sending in the British Army."

Mr Cameron's pledge followed comments by Defence Secretary Michael Fallon, who said the UK's latest involvement in Iraq would likely last "weeks and months".

Mr Fallon had been addressing British troops in Cyprus, as it was revealed UK soldiers had been back on the ground in Iraq for the first time since 2009.

Meanwhile, IS militants killed dozens of Kurdish peshmerga fighters and captured 170 of them, a Twitter account that supports the group said.

Iraq's outgoing foreign minister Hoshiyar Zebari also said Kurdish officials would take part in negotiations on forming a new government, paving the way for improved ties between Kurds and the central administration.

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