IS Claims New Video Shows Cantlie In Kobani

Islamic State has released a new video purporting to show British hostage John Cantlie in the embattled Syrian border town of Kobani.

Narrating the video in the style of a news report, Mr Cantlie counters media claims that IS fighters are being driven out of the town.

He says IS has in fact gained control of large areas of Kobani, despite continual US-led airstrikes.

Mr Cantlie addresses the camera in what appears to be scripted footage.

He adds that IS militants are "mopping up" against Kurdish fighters defending the town and that the weeks-long battle is "coming to an end".

"Contrary to what the Western media would have you believe, it is not an all-out battle here now. It is nearly over," he says.

Video: Analysis: Latest IS Hostage Video

"As you can hear, it is very quiet, just the occasional gunfire."

The 43-year-old photojournalist claims to be in an area of Kobani reported to be held by Kurdish forces, but says they are nowhere to be seen.

"Urban warfare is about as nasty and tough as it gets," he says.

"And it is something of a speciality of the mujahideen."

Video: Hostage Families' 'Mental Torture'

The Foreign Office says it is aware of the tape and is analysing its content.

Sky News cannot independently verify the authenticity of the video or whether the British hostage is in Kobani.

The five-minute, 32-second video, entitled "Inside 'Ayn al-Islam'", opens with what IS claims is an aerial shot of the town. 

It then shows Mr Cantlie purportedly walking through the war-torn streets, addressing the camera.

Video: Hostage's Family In Video Appeal

He refers to several Western media reports published within the last two weeks. 

IS has now released seven videos  featuring the British hostage since August.

In the latest footage, Mr Cantlie is dressed entirely in black. In previous videos, Mr Cantlie speaks from behind a desk wearing an orange jumpsuit.

He appears to be in good health.

Video: Dad Of John Cantlie Appeals To IS

Mr Cantlie was captured in northern Syria in late 2012 while working as an independent photojournalist.

Family members have issued numerous impassioned appeals for his release. 

His father Paul, 80, died last week, shortly after recording a final video message for his son's captors from his hospital bed.

IS, also known as ISIS and ISIL, controls large swathes of Iraq and Syria. 

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1. Gallery: US-Led Airstrikes on Kobani

   Smoke and flames rise over a hill near the Syrian town of Kobani after an airstrike, as seen from the Mursitpinar crossing on the Turkish-Syrian border in Sanliurfa province

2. US military forces again focused airstrikes on the area near the Syrian city in their campaign to turn back Islamic State forces and also hit oil facilities held by the militant group

7. Three IS fighters pray as others inspect a hill in the outskirts of Kobani

9. A Kurdish fighters position in the outskirts of the Syrian town

11. Members of media watch Kobani from a hill near the Mursitpinar border crossing

13. Syrians wait to cross to the northern Syrian city of Tal Abyad at the Akcakale border gate in Sanliurfa province, southeastern Turkey

14. Kurdish refugee children from Kobani in a camp in the southeastern town of Suruc

16. A Turkish army tank drives downhill, in front of ruins of Kobani

17. A Turkish flag flutters on the top of a silo in the Syrian town

18. Turkish Kurds watch Kobani from a hill near the Mursitpinar border crossing

Since August it has published a number of videos showing the beheadings of four Western hostages.

They include British aid workers Alan Henning and David Haines and US journalists Steven Sotloff and James Foley.

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Blunkett: Fallon 'Right To Speak' Over Migrants

Michael Fallon was right to speak out about immigration, despite controversy over his choice of words, says former home secretary David Blunkett.

The Defence Secretary caused an outcry at the weekend when he told Sky News some towns were "under siege", as he dismissed German opposition to changing EU rules on free movement.

He later backtracked on his comments, saying the "swamped" remark was a "bit careless", but Mr Blunkett said he was right to "voice the concerns of ordinary voters".

David Blunkett caused controversy when he used the same term in 2002

"Just because immigration is deeply controversial, that cannot mean that we should avoid talking about it," he wrote in the Daily Mail.

Mr Fallon said in the interview on Sky's Murnaghan programme: "The Germans haven't seen our proposal yet, and we haven't seen our proposal yet.

Video: Reaction To Fallon Comments

"That is still being worked on at the moment to see what we can do to prevent whole towns and communities being swamped by huge numbers of migrant workers.

"In some areas, particularly on the east coast, yes, towns do feel under siege from large numbers of migrant workers and people claiming benefits. It is quite right that we look at that."

Mr Blunkett, who also created headlines when he used the word "swamped" to describe the impact of asylum seekers during his time in the cabinet, said the issued should not be shied away from.

"Yet for all such condemnation, I believe that both Michael Fallon and I were right to speak out on this issue and voice the concerns of ordinary voters," writes the Labour MP.

He adds that trying to turn immigration into a "taboo subject" will "play into UKIP's hands".

UKIP leader Nigel Farage reacted to Mr Fallon's comments by saying it was too late to acknowledge the problem and claimed the Conservatives were panicking.

Mr Blunkett rounded on the party's response, saying they were guilty of an "audacious piece of hypocrisy".

Video: British Towns 'Swamped' By Migrants

"Claiming they would never use the word 'swamped', they had the cheek to describe Michael Fallon's language - and, by extension, my own in 2002 - as 'inflammatory'," he said.

"The hypocrisy would be laughable if it were not so offensive.

"UKIP's entire political stance is inflammatory, since it is based on stoking up divisions. They are the masters of scare-mongering and scapegoating.

"The greatest antidote to the party's bluster is frank, rational discussion, where voters are treated with maturity," he added.

While Britons have proven to be "remarkably tolerant" about the impact of mass immigration and acknowledge the "vast majority" of migrants have a positive impact, "it is foolish to deny some of the problems associated with immigration", Mr Blunkett warned.

"What will not work is shouting down any politician who dares to engage with the British public's concerns. The issue is far too serious for such posturing," he concludes.

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Fourth Man From Portsmouth Dies In Syria

A 19-year-old has become the fourth man from the same British city to be killed after reportedly joining Islamic State (IS) fighters in Syria.

Mehdi Hassan, from Portsmouth, Hampshire, travelled to the conflict-hit country with a group of four other men from the city in October last year.

A photo of his body emerged on Twitter on Friday.

Abdul Jalil, chairman of the Portsmouth Jami Mosque, told Sky News his family have confirmed his death.

Mehdi Hassan travelled to Syria with four other Portsmouth men

Sky's Ashish Joshi, in Portsmouth, said it is understood Hassan died in fighting in the Syrian town of Kobani, where Kurdish forces are battling IS militants.

A Foreign Office spokesman said: "We are aware of reports of the death of a British national in Syria.

"The UK has advised for some time against all travel to Syria, where all UK consular services are suspended.

Muhammad Humidur Rahman also reportedly died while fighting with IS

"As we do not have any representation in Syria, it is extremely difficult to get any confirmation of deaths or injuries."

Hassan is reported to have attended an independent Catholic school and had a place reserved at Surrey University.

On Tuesday it emerged that Manunur Roshid, 24, from Portsmouth, died after reportedly joining up with IS.

Ifthekar Jaman, 23, and Muhammad Humidur Rahman, 25, were also killed, it is believed.

Rahman is believed to have worked in a Primark store in Portsmouth.

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Merkel Set To Sink Cameron's EU Migrants Plan

Plans by David Cameron to get more control over how many EU migrants can enter the UK look set to be blocked by the leader of the German government Angela Merkel.

The German Chancellor said she is against changing one of the fundamental principles on which the European Union is built - freedom of movement.

British Prime Minister Mr Cameron has staked his political future on being able to renegotiate changes that will allow the UK greater control over its borders.

But Mrs Merkel has now signalled she will not support the move, which could make Mr Cameron's aim much more difficult to achieve.

Speaking to the Sunday Times, the German Chancellor said: "Germany will not tamper with the fundamental principles of free movement in the EU."

Video: PM Stands Firm On EU Surcharge

The British Prime Minister has previously indicated he will make reforms to the principle of freedom of movement for workers within the union a "red line".

He has promised that if he wins the next general election he will force through a number of changes to the way the EU works and then hold a referendum on Britain's membership.

He is thought to be preparing a manifesto pledge to bring in quotas for low-skilled migrants from the EU.

At present, it is a condition of the EU that member states must allow workers from other EU country to live or work there.

Before the last general election Mr Cameron promised to bring net annual immigration down to the "tens of thousands".

He has failed to get anywhere near the target, with many of those arriving annually coming from EU states to find work.

Mr Cameron has had a difficult few days, with European issues high on the agenda as he tries to fight off a UKIP challenge in the Rochester and Strood by-election.

Video: Britain Will Not Pay £1.7bn 'Bill'

On Friday he attended a Brussels summit only to be told he had to pay an extra £1.7bn into EU coffers.

Mr Cameron said he would not pay the bill by the 1 December deadline and warned that the row risked pushing the UK closer to the leaving.

The European Commission dismissed any objections, saying the figure was calculated by independent statisticians using a standard formula agreed by all member states.

That process depended on the relative economic performance of each state.

Mr Cameron's difficult few days, and those suffered by Labour leader Ed Miliband, appear to be reflected in the latest opinion polls.

A YouGov poll for the Sunday Times finds the Conservatives and Labour neck-and-neck on 33%, UKIP on 16% and the Lib Dems on 7%.

An Opinium survey for the Observer also puts the Tories and Labour on 33%, with UKIP on 18% and the Liberal Democrats on 6%.

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Attacker Among Two Dead In School Shooting

By Sky News US Team

A school student who went on a shooting spree before killing himself wrote a series of chilling tweets in the months before he ran amok with a gun.

Jaylen Fryberg opened fire in a cafeteria, murdering one and critically injuring three others at Marysville-Pilchuck High School in Marysville, about 35 miles north of Seattle, Washington.

A student who called himself Austin told an affiliate of CNN that the gunman was initially "quiet" before opening fire on fellow diners.

Austin said: "There was just a big group of kids... He was quiet. He was just sitting there. Everyone was talking. All of a sudden I see him stand up, pull something out of his pocket.

Gunman Jaylen Fryberg Pic: Facebook

"At first I thought it was just someone making a really loud noise, like a bag, like a pretty loud pop, until I heard four more after that, and I saw three kids just fall from the table like they were falling to the ground dead."

Fryberg left a series of posts on Twitter before his attack which painted a picture of a teenager who was familiar with using weapons.

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1. Gallery: Students Distraught After High School Shooting

   Police have said two people are dead, including an armed student, after a shooting at a high school north of Seattle

2. The attacker was named as Jaylen Fryberg

3. He had made a number of emotional posts on Twitter in recent days

4. The attacker took his own life in the incident at Marysville-Pilchuck High School in Washington state

5. Three young people are in a "very critical condition" and one other is in a serious condition

6. Witnesses said the freshman took a gun out of his backpack in a cafeteria and opened fire

7. TV footage showed students being evacuated from the school, which has about 2,500 enrolled

8. Armed police conducted room-to-room searches with guns drawn

Next to an Instagram picture of him holding a hunting rifle, he wrote: "Probably the best BirthDay present ever! I just love my parents!!!!"

In August, he issued a threat to an apparent love rival, saying: "Your not gonna like what happens next."

On 18 September he wrote: "Did you forget she was my girlfriend?" and later tweeted: "Dude. She tells me everything. And now. I... hate you! Your no longer my brother."

On Tuesday, one of a series of tweets said: "It breaks me... It actually does... I know it seems like I'm sweating it off... But I'm not.. And I never will be able to."

In his last post on Thursday, Fryberg stated: "It won't last... It'll never last..."

Fryberg was crowned the school's freshman "homecoming prince" just a week ago, according to some US media.

The three in a critical condition were admitted to Providence Regional Medical Center in Everett.

Another patient, a young man in a serious condition, was sent to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle. Two of the wounded were male and two female, hospital officials said.

One student, Jordan Luton, told CNN he saw the attacker take a gun out of his backpack and open fire in the lunch room.

He said: "He had a gun in his hand and he fired about eight bullets into backs of them. They were his friends so it wasn't just random."

"Then he turned and looked at me and my girlfriend... and kind of gave us a smirk."

TV footage showed students being evacuated from the school, which has about 2,500 enrolled.

Another shooting occurred in the state in June at Seattle Pacific University, where a gunman killed a student and wounded two others.

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Automatic Quarantine In US For Ebola Medics

New York and New Jersey are to begin automatically quarantining medical staff who return from areas badly affected by Ebola.

The decision by the health authorities follows former Doctors Without Borders medic Craig Spencer testing positive for the disease several days after he returned from Guinea.

Dr Spencer, 33, was able to travel on the subway and go bowling before he showed the classic symptoms of the virus and had to go to hospital.

The US government said it was considering adopting the move for the whole country after it emerged that Dr Spencer had already been checked at the border and declared safe.

Hours after the policy was announced, a female healthcare worker who had been quarantined when she arrived from the affected region into Newark Liberty International Airport, New Jersey, was isolated with a fever.

Video: Nurse Cured Of Ebola Hugs Obama

She had no symptoms on arrival at the airport before being quarantined, but is now being evaulated at University Hospital, Newark.

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said. "We've seen what happens... You ride a subway. You ride a bus. You could infect hundreds and hundreds of people."

In Washington, Mr Obama sought to reassure members of the public by hugging Dallas nurse Nina Pham, who was one of the first to be treated for the virus in the US.

Video: Ebola: New York Alert

She had caught it while working as one of the medical staff treating a man who had earlier arrived from Liberia and who later died of the disease.

Ms Pham, 26, was declared cured on Friday, and gave a speech, thanking those who had treated her.

She said: "I feel fortunate and blessed to be standing here today."

Video: Cured Texas Ebola Nurse 'Blessed'

Officials said she did not take any experimental drugs, but she did use blood plasma from previous survivor Dr Kent Brantly, who she also thanked.

Her colleague Amber Vinson, who caught the disease at the same time, was also declared cured, but was not yet well enough to leave hospital.

Dr Spencer remains in a stable condition in an isolation ward at Bellevue Hospital Center in New York undergoing treatment.

Video: Trials For Ebola Vaccines

The disease has now killed nearly 4,900 people - most of them in the countries of Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone.

Top Obama administration officials have met to discuss any potential new rules for healthcare workers returning to the US.

The latest case comes as the World Health Organisation announced that it expects hundreds of thousands of doses of a new Ebola vaccine to be available by early next year.

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Ottawa Residents On Edge After Terror Attack

You don't have to walk far to find signs of normality returning to Ottawa.

The lunchtime queues at the food truck, just a block from the scene of Wednesday's terrorist rampage, were like those on any other day.

"We had to come back, everyone had to come back," the driver told me.

A flag flies at half-mast atop the Canadian Parliament building

As the carpet of flowers, tributes and patriotic messages grows at the war memorial where Corporal Nathan Cirillo died, it was business as usual in offices in the downtown streets nearby.

"Today we wake up, it is a new day and we don't want to let them win," said a man taking a cigarette break outside the Parliament Pub.

Video: CCTV Of Gunman Outside Parliament

"We're going to go on and keep our freedom. This is what we're about."

A passing restaurant worker, who said he was an immigrant, added: "We thought that today we'd have no customers, but it was so busy and I was shocked that we had so many customers.

"Everyone was okay about it, they were not nervous. Maybe it has something to do with the character of the people here because this is how they are - they can forgive things."

Video: Canadian Police News Conference

And Justin Trudeau, son of Canada's longest serving prime minister and himself now a Liberal Party MP, stopped to tell Sky News that the country's traditions of peace and freedom would prevail.

The only physical impact for many residents of Canada's capital was a backlog on the buses as they tried to negotiate a city with many roads closed.

At the city centre bus stops, they scroll through news updates on their phones.

Video: 'Planet Descending Into Savagery'

But beneath the surface the spirit of "Keep Calm and Carry On" hides more that a little edginess.

It was a telling moment of the tension in this city that, even as roads around parliament were opened up by police, a significant presence of officers moved in to maintain security.

Privately, some people do admit that they feel uncertain, that they wonder what is around the corner after two terrorist attacks in three days left two soldiers dead.

Video: The Face Of Canada's Terror Fight

Nobody mentions Canada losing its innocence. Some do openly recognise that the country's decision to enter the fight against Islamic State has changed the game at home.

In shops and on building sites, overheard conversations on the streets of Ottawa reveal that this week's events are all anyone is talking about.

"Things will change," they say. But nobody is quite sure how.

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Canada Terror Attack Gunman's Criminal Past

The suspect in the killing of a Canadian soldier at an Ottawa war memorial had a criminal record for violent and drug-related offences and wanted to travel to Syria, police say.

Michael Zehaf-Bibeau has been identified as the lone gunman in Wednesday's terror attack at the National War Memorial and inside Canada's parliament building.

Police say the 32-year-old Muslim convert was seeking to travel to Syria and had a passport application delayed over concerns about extremism.

CCTV footage of the moments leading up to the attack shows people fleeing the suspect as he ran into the parliament complex.

After entering the building, the suspect opened fire before being shot dead by Sergeant-at-Arms Kevin Vickers, who has been hailed as a hero.

Video: Canadian Police News Conference

Moments earlier Zehaf-Bibeau shot and killed 24-year-old Canadian soldier Nathan Cirillo at the National War Memorial.

Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) Commissioner Bob Paulson said Zehaf-Bibeau had a "very developed criminality".

"He is an interesting individual in the sense he had a very developed criminality," he said.

Commissioner Paulson added that the suspect also had a history of "violence and of drugs and of mental instability".

He said the delay over Zehaf-Bibeau's passport application may have contributed to his motive for carrying out the attack.

Video: Ottawa Not Intimidated By Attack

"I think the passport figured prominently in his motives and his - you know I'm not inside his head - but I think it was central to what was driving him."

An email from Zehaf-Bibeau was found on the hard drive of someone who has been charged with a terrorism-related offence in Canada, the RCMP said.

Authorities say the suspect acted alone and police have not linked his attack with the killing of another soldier in Quebec on Monday.

The suspect's mother Susan Bibeau said she is crying for the victims of the shooting, not for her son.

"We have no explanation to offer. I am mad at our son, I don't understand and part of me wants to hate him at this time."

Video: Brother's Pride For Shooting Hero

She added that her son was a social misfit who was "lost".

"(He) was lost and did not fit in," the woman said in a statement given to Associated Press.

"I, his mother, spoke with him last week over lunch, I had not seen him for over five years before that."

Zehaf-Bibeau was not among 93 high-risk travellers being monitored by authorities, but was seeking a passport.

Police were asked to carry out background checks when Zehaf-Bibeau applied for the passport, but he had not been placed under surveillance.

Video: 'Planet Descending Into Savagery'

A former friend who once lived with Zehaf-Bibeau at a Vancouver homeless shelter said the suspect had once tried unsuccessfully to get off drugs.

"We referred to him as Muslim Mike. He didn't seem like a bad guy," said Steve Sikich told the Reuters news agency.

Mr Sikich said he last saw Zehaf-Bibeau "a month of two ago", adding that the suspect was rambling about wanting to travel to Libya and join Islamic State.

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Nathan Cirillo Made 'The Ultimate Sacrifice'

Hundreds of messages have been posted on a tribute site to the soldier who was killed in the shooting at a war memorial near parliament in Ottawa.

The victim has been named locally as Corporal Nathan Cirillo of the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders.

He is believed to have been guarding the National War Memorial in the Canadian capital when he was attacked.

He was treated at the scene but later died of his injuries.

One message on the Facebook tribute page, from Bob Rodkin, read: "RIP Nathan. Thank you for your service and the ultimate sacrifice.

Video: Canadian PM: The Full Statement

"So tragic, so unnecessary. My prayers go out for you and to your family, friends and colleagues."

Olivia Mancini wrote: "He not only was a great father, son, and brother, but a close friend of mine. RIP Nathan Cirillo. I will love and miss you forever. Not only did you protect our country, but you were such a loving, caring, and funny person to everyone around you."

Another message, from Olivia Marie, said: "RIP Nathan! Thank you for defending our country, your son is so proud of you. I miss you."

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1. Gallery: Ottawa In Lockdown After Attacks

2. Canadian police have reacted to shootings at locations in the capital Ottawa, including a fatal shooting at the parliament building

Megan Underwood posted a picture of Cpl Cirillo posing with a friend in front of the war memorial taken on Sunday.

The message said: "On Sunday, we asked a very handsome guard for a picture with my friend visiting from Cali - RIP Nathan Cirillo."

Video: Witness & Reporter Peter Henderson

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Canada Will 'Never Be Intimidated' By Terrorists

Canada will "never be intimidated" by terrorists who seek to bring "savagery" to the country's shores, Prime Minister Stephen Harper has said.

Speaking after a soldier was shot dead at the National War Memorial in Ottawa, Mr Harper said terrorists would find "no safe haven" in Canada.

Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper speaks after the terror attack

"Let there be no misunderstanding - we will not be intimidated. Canada will never be intimidated," Mr Harper said.

"In fact, this will lead us to strengthen our resolve and redouble our efforts - and those of our national security agencies - to take all necessary steps to identify and counter threats and keep Canada safe here at home."

Video: How The Ottawa Attack Unfolded

Canada will work with its allies to "fight against the terrorist organisations who brutalise those in other countries with the hope of bringing their savagery to our shores", he added.

Corporal Nathan Cirillo was guarding the National War Memorial when he was shot at point-blank range at around 10am local time on Wednesday.

Witnesses say the gunman raised his arms in triumph after the shooting, which led to a lockdown in downtown Ottawa which lasted until Wednesday night.

Authorities say federal government buildings remain off limits following the attack.

Video: Footage Of The Ottawa Gunman

After firing upon Cpl Cirillo, the gunman entered Canada's nearby Parliament building where he was pursued by law enforcement officers.

People fled the building, took cover, or barricaded doors as police cordoned off the streets outside.

Officials say 58-year-old sergeant-at-arms Kevin Vickers shot the attacker dead outside the MPs' caucus rooms.

At least three people were treated in hospital for minor injuries after the attack.

Video: Canadian PM: The Full Statement

Police are investigating potential suspect Michael Zehaf- Bibeau, 32, who US agencies have been advised is a Canadian convert to Islam.

The shooting occurred two days after an Islamic convert ran down two Canadian soldiers near Montreal, killing one of them.

Mr Harper said the two terrorist attacks "are a grim reminder that Canada is not immune to the types of terror attacks we have seen elsewhere around the world".

US President Barack Obama has condemned the shootings, describing them as "outrageous".

Video: Shots Fired In Canada Parliament

"We have to remain vigilant," Mr Obama said.

"It's very important, I think, for us to recognise that when it comes to dealing with terrorist activity, that Canada and the United States (have) to be entirely in sync."

David Cameron responded to the attack on Twitter, saying: "I'm appalled by today's attack in Ottawa.

"I offer my full support to @pmharper and the Canadian people as they deal with this incident."

Video: "We Must Remain Vigilant"

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