Supersonic 'Flying Saucer' Video Released By Nasa

Footage of a supersonic "flying saucer" has been released by Nasa, as the agency attempts to find a process for landing heavier spacecraft on Mars.

The video of the spinning saucer, launched from Hawaii, shows it being shot 120,000ft into orbit by a giant balloon.

A giant balloon launches the craft into space

Officially called a Low Density Supersonic Decelerator, the spacecraft is part of a system designed to slow down landings in space.

The device borrows the rapid inflation technique of the Hawaiian puffer fish to slow the landing - reducing its velocity from four times the speed of sound to two and a half times the speed of sound.

The parachute is ripped to pieces

The footage, shot on June 28, shows a giant parachute being shot out once the slower speed is reached and then being ripped to pieces as the spacecraft punches a hole in the atmosphere.

Landing exploratory vehicles on Mars presents greater problems than landing spacecraft on Earth because the planet's atmosphere is much thinner.

The flying saucer is important for the future of Mars exploration

Giant parachutes, several times the size of those used for Earth landings, and a deceleration device are needed to put the brakes on so that rovers can be landed on the Red Planet safely and in one piece.

Nasa is working on the system because future missions to Mars will need heavier landers than the current one-ton Curiosity Rover.

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Britain Braced For Flash Floods From Bertha

Heavy rain has caused flash flooding in parts of the UK - and forecasters are warning of further storms on Sunday as the remnants of Hurricane Bertha hit.

The Met Office says Bertha's transition from a tropical to an extra-tropical storm is a "particularly hard one to forecast" but it is expected to affect the UK tomorrow.

The British Red Cross said it was on standby and has enlisted hundreds of volunteers to help people in affected areas.

Lightning hits Eggborough Power Station in Yorkshire. Pic: Phil Lowe

Residents had to be evacuated after heavy rain flooded several streets in the Lincolnshire town of Louth on Friday.

Downpours also led to waterlogged roads in and around York and in Maidstone, Kent.

There were reports of power outages in Cambridgeshire, where the A14 was flooded.

Old Trafford, where England's test match has been disrupted by heavy rain

Environment Agency flood warnings and alerts remain in place in numerous parts of the country.

Friday's rainy weather - which saw more than a month's rainfall overnight - was unconnected to Hurricane Bertha, which has been travelling across the Atlantic.

Bertha wreaked havoc in the Caribbean islands with gusts of more than 90mph, leaving thousands of homes without power.

A flash flood following heavy rain in Maidstone, Kent

Sky News weather presenter Isobel Lang said: "Ex-hurricane Bertha has become more of a typical depression now, albeit with very warm, moist air wrapped up within it.

"It is looking likely that the storm will reach southwest England and Wales by around 6am on Sunday and then track northeast across northern England during the afternoon, to eventually lie off the east coast of Scotland on Sunday night.

There could be more floods on Sunday

"Gusts of 50mph to 60mph are expected, especially along the south coast with large waves, spray and the chance of some coastal flooding.

Met Office chief meteorologist Paul Gundersen said there was still a chance that the storm may pass to the south of the country, giving the UK a brighter day.

But Environment Agency flood risk manager, Craig Woolhouse, said: "Heavy rain on Sunday may lead to localised surface water flooding in some parts of England and Wales.

"On Sunday and Monday a combination of high spring tides and strong westerly winds brings a risk of large waves and spray and possible flooding to the South West coast of England and along the Severn Estuary."

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Guinea Closes Borders To Stop Ebola Outbreak

Guinea has closed its borders with Sierra Leone and Liberia in an attempt to stop the spread of ebola in West Africa.

The outbreak - the most serious since the disease first emerged in Africa 40 years ago - has so far killed nearly 1,000 people in the three countries this year.

"We have provisionally closed the frontier between Guinea and Sierra Leone because of all the news that we have received from there recently," Health Minister Rémy Lamah told a news conference.

She said the border has also been closed with Liberia.

The World Health Organisation has declared an international health emergency and said the virus may continue spreading for months.

On Friday, Nigeria became the third African nation, after Sierra Leone and Liberia, to declare a national emergency as hospitals struggled to cope with increasing cases.

"The outbreak is moving faster than we can control it," WHO Director-General Margaret Chan told reporters at a news briefing in Geneva.

She said all countries with ebola should declare a national emergency, but said a ban on international travel is not needed.

Some 1,779 people have been infected and 961 people have died in the outbreak, according to the latest WHO figures.

Most of the cases are in the remote area where Guinea borders Sierra Leone and Liberia.

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US Planes Bomb Jihadists As Food Aid Dropped

US warplanes have bombed Islamist fighters in northern Iraq for a second time - as 30,000 meals were dropped for refugees.

Aircraft launched a second round of strikes on Islamic State (IS) - previously known as ISIS or ISIL - targets in northern Iraq after President Barack Obama said Washington must act to prevent "genocide".

In his weekly address on Saturday, Mr Obama vowed to continue the action against the jihadist group if necessary.

He stressed US combat troops would not be "dragged into fighting another war in Iraq", but added the US "can't just look away".

Water bundles loaded onto a plane for a humanitarian drop to refugees

"We will protect our citizens. We will work with the international community to address this humanitarian crisis. We'll help prevent these terrorists from having a permanent safe haven from which to attack America," he said.

Islamic State fighters, who have beheaded and crucified captives, have advanced to within a half an hour of Irbil, Iraq's Kurdish capital and a hub for US oil companies.

They have also seized control of Iraq's biggest dam, which could allow them to flood cities and cut off vital water and electricity supplies.

The rough outline of the desired IS caliphate

Iraq's government says hundreds of women from the Yazidi religious minority have been taken captive by fighters for IS.

The Pentagon said two F/A-18 aircraft from a carrier in the Gulf had dropped laser-guided 500-pound bombs on the fighters' artillery.

Other airstrikes targeted mortar positions and an Islamic State convoy.

Iraqi military personnel distribute water to Shiite Iraqi Kurds

For the second night, the US also dropped relief supplies to members of the ancient Yazidi sect.

Tens of thousands of them are massed on a desert mountaintop seeking shelter from fighters who have ordered them to convert or die.

Three cargo planes escorted by the F/A-18 combat jets dropped the supplies - including 72 bundles, which contained 28,224 individually packaged meals. Another 16 bundles contained 1,522 gallons of fresh drinking water.

A rally in support of Prime Minister Nuri al Maliki in Baghdad

"The Iraqi men, women and children who fled to that mountain were starving and dying of thirst. The food and water we airdropped will help them survive," said Mr Obama.

"I've also approved targeted American airstrikes to help Iraqi forces break the siege and rescue these families."

Mr Obama has authorised the first US airstrikes on Iraq since he pulled all troops out in 2011.

Aid is loaded onto a RAF Hercules C130 at RAF Brize Norton for Iraq

The action is aimed at halting the Islamist advance, protecting hundreds of thousands of Christians and other religious minorities who have fled for their lives.

Two British cargo planes are also on their way to Iraq to drop supplies including tents, blankets, food, water and solar lanterns - which also charge mobile phones.

UK ministers are discussing the situation in Iraq at a Cobra meeting chaired by Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond.

Warplanes launched a second wave of airstrikes in northern Iraq overnight

In the hours after the airstrikes, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) banned all US civilian flights over Iraq.

British Airways also decided to stop flying over the war-torn region.

Other international airlines including Turkish Airlines, Lufthansa and Austrian Airlines have halted their flights to Irbil until Monday.

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US Strikes ISIS Artillery In Northern Iraq

The US has carried out airstrikes against artillery used by Islamist militants in northern Iraq, the Pentagon says.

Two F/A-18 aircraft dropped 500-pound laser-guided bombs on a mobile artillery piece near Irbil, the capital of the semi-autonomous Kurdish region.

Rear Admiral John Kirby said in a statement that the Islamist militants had been using the artillery to shell Kurdish forces defending the city, where US personnel are located.

According to military officials, the strike was launched from the US aircraft carrier the USS George HW Bush, which in June was moved to the Gulf in preparation for any possible military action in Iraq.

The group has been advancing in Iraq

On Thursday President Barack Obama said he had authorised the strikes on Iraq to stop the advance on Irbil by the Islamic State - the group previously known as ISIS or ISIL.

He vowed to protect American citizens and religious minorities and to prevent a "genocide" by the IS, Sunni fighters who are intent on eradicating non-believers.

In the hours after the airstrikes, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) banned all US civilian flights over Iraq. Turkish Airlines also halted its flights to Irbil.

Some 40,000 residents from the ancient Yezidi community have been forced to leave the northern Iraqi town of Sinjar after the militants overwhelmed Kurdish forces.

Yezidis seen fleeing the violence in Iraq

Many Yezidis are trapped on Mount Sinjar without food or water and are at risk of starvation as the militants surround the base.

On Thursday, the US dropped thousands of gallons of drinking water and 8,000 packaged meals to Yezidis.

The airdrops were performed by one C-17 and two C-130 cargo aircraft escorted by two F/A-18 fighters from an undisclosed air base in the region, the Pentagon said.

Chuck Hagel, the US defence secretary, said the American military has sufficient intelligence resources and assets in place to launch strikes by both manned and unmanned aircraft. 

Barack Obama with his national security team

He said that, if the IS moves against Irbil, Baghdad or the refugees trapped on a mountain, "it's pretty clear who they are, and they would be pretty identifiable where our airstrikes could be effective".

In his late-night address on Thursday, Mr Obama said: "America is coming to help".

Mr Obama's announcement reflected the deepest American engagement in Iraq since US troops withdrew in late 2011 after nearly a decade of war.

But the President, who opposed the 2003 invasion, has vowed there would be no return of ground troops to Iraq.

"As commander in chief, I will not allow the United States to be dragged into fighting another war in Iraq," he said.

Christian refugees have fled to Irbil

As militants advance across the north of Iraq and the situation deteriorates, Britons have been warned to leave Irbil. 

Defence Secretary Michael Fallon also said Britain was offering help to the Americans in their efforts to provide humanitarian support.

Pope Francis is sending a cardinal to Iraq to help thousands of Christians fleeing the militants, the Vatican said.

IS has declared a caliphate - an Islamic state - across parts of Iraq and Syria and wants to bring in a strict version of Islamic law. The militants have swept through more than a dozen towns in recent days.

IS believes the Yezidis, who are followers of a religion derived from Zoroastrianism, are "devil worshippers". The group has issued the Yezidis an ultimatum to convert to Islam, pay a religious fine, flee their homes or face death.

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Israel Denies Targeting Hospitals In Gaza Strip

Israel has denied deliberately targeting hospitals or civilians in Gaza as a three-day truce ended in more bloodshed.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government said it is targeting "terror sites across the Gaza Strip" in response to Hamas rocket attacks.

A 10-year-old Palestinian boy was killed and five other boys injured in an airstrike near a mosque in Gaza City, according to doctors in the area.

At least 30 rockets have been fired from the Gaza Strip into Israel since the truce ended at 6am UK time, Israeli army officials say.

A rocket that hit the Sdot Negev regional council injured a civilian and a soldier, the Israeli military tweeted.

Earlier, Amnesty International claimed it has evidence that Israel's military forces have specifically targeted hospitals, health workers and ambulance personnel during the conflict.

However, Israeli government spokesman Mark Regev told Sky News: "We don't target hospitals, we don't target civilians."

He added: "What we've had to do on a number of occasions is to hit terrorist targets in the immediate vicinity of hospitals and things like that, where they've abused them.

"And what you've seen is there's a whole series of reports coming out of Gaza from journalists across the planet - not Israeli journalists, Canadians, Finns, Indian journalists and others - who have all reported that Hamas has got this systematic pattern of behaviour where they deliberately abuse humanitarian structures to shoot their rockets at Israel.

Palestinians leave their homes in Gaza City following Israeli attacks

"So actually if they're turning these humanitarian sites into warzones, they should be accountable."

He said Hamas "threw away the chance" to extend the ceasefire and Israel waited six hours before striking back.

Thousands of Palestinians are fleeing their homes in north and east Gaza as Mr Netanyahu ordered "forceful retaliation".

Sky's Katie Stallard, in Gaza City, heard two loud explosions and Israeli F16 fighters overhead.

Israeli tanks also fired into northern Gaza and Israeli gunboats targeted the central area of the strip, according to reports.

In Jerusalem, Israel has opened rocket shelters near the Gaza border so residents can take cover.

Israeli delegates have left talks in Cairo with Hamas and the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) on stopping the bloodshed.

The month-long violence, punctuated by brief periods of truce, has killed nearly 1,900 Palestinians, while Israel has lost 64 soldiers and three civilians.

UN figures indicate that 73% of the Palestinian victims, 1,354 people, were civilians.

Of that number, at least 429 were children.

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Pistorius Trial: 'He Did Not Want Reeva Dead'

Oscar Pistorius' lawyer has said the athlete should never have been charged for murder, arguing he would not have tried so desperately to save Reeva Steenkamp had he intended to kill her.

Setting out the key points of the defence, Barry Roux asked the judge: "Why would he beg for help, be crying if he had just deliberately killed her?"

His day-long closing statement focused on two key points.

Firstly that Pistorius had no motive for killing his girlfriend, with whom he was in a loving relationship.

Sky's Alex Crawford said Mr Roux was on 'fine form' in his closing speech

He said Pistorius had believed he was firing on an intruder, arguing his subsequent behaviour was consistent with him having made a "huge, unfortunate mistake."

Secondly that  he said the athlete's disability meant he could not be expected to respond like an able-bodied person to the fear associated with an intrusion.

He said Pistorius had developed an "exaggerated fight response" over time, because fleeing was not an option.

Pistorius, a double-amputee, spent his whole life "knowing he couldn't run away," Mr Roux said.

Pistorius will learn his fate on September 11

He referenced a number of experts who testified that Pistorius had what he called a "slow burn reaction" to having lived his life with the disability, which had left him vulnerable and anxious.

He said that culminated in the moment he was startled by a noise and reacted, using the analogy of an abused woman who shoots her husband after years of violence.

Slamming his fist on the table, Mr Roux mimicked the noise Pistorius claims he heard and went on to explain that as an athlete he would have had a reflexive response to loud sounds which will have made him pull the trigger.

"You're standing at that door. You're vulnerable. You're anxious. You're trained as an athlete to react. Take all those factors into account," Roux said.

The victim's father, Barry Steenkamp, was in court again on Friday

"He stands with his finger on the trigger, ready to fire when ready. In some instances a person will fire reflexively," he added. "That is your primal instinct."

Mr Roux said Pistorius won't have known what he was doing and therefore not be held responsible for murder.

The athlete's lawyer was picking up where he left off on Thursday when he began summing up the defence, taking over from prosecutor Gerrie Nel.

Having put forward the crux of the defence relatively early, Mr Roux proceeded to go through a detailed timeline of events, attempting to reverse the prosecution's assertion that Pistorius' lies had "snowballed".

Oscar Pistorius claims he did not intend to shoot model Reeva Steenkamp

He used phone records and witness statements to back up Pistorius' version of events, which the prosecution had described as a "crumbling mosaic."

He listed all the areas where the prosecution had fallen short, accusing them of selectively calling in witnesses who lived far away from the crime scene and not calling in witnesses who lived nearby and had testified they heard a man screaming on the night of the murder, not a woman.

He also reiterated claims that police had mishandled evidence in the days after the killing.

Sky News' Special Correspondent Alex Crawford, who is in the courtroom in Pretoria, says Mr Roux put the defence case forward "hammer and tongs", having spent much of the trial in the shadow of Mr Nel who is nicknamed "the pitbull".

The prosecution alleges that Pistorius intended to shoot and kill Ms Steenkamp when he fired four shots through the bathroom door where she was hiding after an argument on February 14 last year.

In his closing argument, however, Mr Nel argued that regardless of whether he knew he was firing at his girlfriend, Pistorius intended to kill whoever he believed was behind the door.

Mr Nel said Pistorius therefore cannot escape a murder conviction.

The state is pressing for the athlete to be convicted of premeditated murder - which carries a life sentence.

Judge Thokozile Masipa has adjourned the trial to deliberate on her verdict with two legal assistants.

She has set the date for the verdict on Sept 11.

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Britons Told To Leave Kurdish Capital Irbil

Britons have been warned to leave Irbil, the capital of Kurdish Iraq, as Islamist fighters move towards the city.

The move comes as UK Defence Secretary Michael Fallon said Britain was offering help to the Americans in their efforts to provide humanitarian support to people trapped by the advance.

About 50,000 members of the Yezidi community, including many women and children, have been forced to flee into the Sinjar mountains in northwest Iraq following threats from fighters from Islamic State (IS) - previously known as ISIS or ISIL.

IS militants have moved across northern Iraq and are also said to be threatening Kurdish territory.

The Foreign Office advised against all travel to areas hit by recent fighting and said Britons already in Kurdistan, including those in Irbil, should remove themselves from areas nearby.

Christian refugees who have fled Irbil, which is now threatened by IS

A statement outlining the updated travel advice said: "The FCO advise against all travel to Anbar, Ninewah, Salah-ad-Din and Diyala provinces and all of the area south of Kirkuk City limits in Tam'mim province.

"The FCO also advise against all travel to those areas of the Kurdistan Region (Irbil, Suleymania and Dohuk provinces)."

Mr Fallon said the UK was ready to offer help to the US operation.

He told Sky News: "We welcome what the Americans are doing, in particular to bring humanitarian relief and to prevent any further suffering.

"But our focus is on assisting that humanitarian mission using our military in support of the Americans, in terms of refuelling and surveillance, to under pin their mission and to add to it with food drops of our own."

People gather at an anti-IS protest outside Downing Street in London

His comments came as it emerged that the US had carried out airstrikes to hit IS forces on the ground.

Earlier, David Cameron had insisted the world must help the Yezidi community in their "hour of desperate need".

The Prime Minister said he "utterly" condemned "the barbaric attacks", adding he was "especially concerned" for people trapped on Mount Sinjar.

He added that he fully backed President Obama's decision to press ahead with airstrikes, which he said had been requested by the Iraqi government.

Iraqi Ambassador to the UK Faik Nerwayi told Sky News that he had heard the the airstrikes had already brought a wave of optimism to some of the those who had been forced to flee.

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Pistorius 'Armed Himself And Planned To Kill'

The man prosecuting Oscar Pistorius has summed up his case by insisting the athlete committed premeditated murder involving a "deliberate weighing up of actions".

Prosecutor Gerrie Nel said the athlete acted with intention when he fired four shots through a toilet door at home, fatally wounding his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp.

Ms Steenkamp was shot dead in February 2013

"We argue there was no reasonable reason as to why he fired four shots," said Mr Nel. "If you fire four shots into a small cubicle with 'black talon' ammunition, you cannot escape that.

"He never said to anybody that it was an accident. That he fired by mistake.

"We put it to the court that he followed the sound when he fired the first shot and heard her fall onto the toilet, he then angled the following shots that way. They were all angled at the toilet.

"If the accused argues that it was in self-defence, then he needs to explain why. What we have and what the court cannot lose sight of is, we have the accused armed."

Mr Nel explained how the pair exchanged messages, proving their romance had "ups and downs" and added: "10% of the messages suggested she was unhappy. And seven days later she was dead."

The athlete's lawyers were accused by Mr Nel of presenting a dishonest defence.

Prosecutor Gerrie Nel accused Pistorius of being a 'deceitful' witness

He said Pistorius' defence team argued the athlete acted in self-defence as he feared an intruder was in his house, but also suggested he shot Ms Steenkamp on Valentine's Day last year because he was "startled".

"It's two defences you can never reconcile," said Mr Nel, who went on to accuse the runner of being an "appalling, vague" and "deceitful" witness.

Pistorius was "more interested in defending his life" than the truth, Mr Nel said.

Mr Nel used Pistorius' career as an athlete as a metaphor for the trial, which the prosecution suggested was like a race with Pistorius holding the "baton of truth".

As Mr Nel summed up some 100 pages of evidence submitted to the court last week, Pistorious occasionally shook his head in disagreement and held his head in his hands.

Sky's Alex Crawford, reporting from the court in Pretoria, said: "It was like watching flashbacks from a horror film. Gerrie Nel picked up what he believed to be (Pistorius') most devastating moments in court.

"He drew a very ugly picture of Oscar Pistorius, the man and the personality."

Reeva's parents June and Barry Steenkamp listen to the hearing

Prosecution and defence lawyers will sum up their cases over the next two days before judge Thokozile Matilda Masipa reaches her verdict, expected in around two weeks' time.

Pistorius, 27, faces at least 25 years in prison if found guilty of premeditated murder. He could also be convicted on lesser charges, such as culpable homicide or murder without premeditation.

The prosecution says Pistorius intentionally shot Ms Steenkamp in anger after they quarrelled. His defence insists he fired by mistake, thinking an intruder was in the toilet and that Ms Steenkamp was in the bedroom.

Ms Steenkamp's parents have been in court for the closing speeches at the hearing, which resumed on Thursday after being put on hold last month.

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Prince William To Take To The Skies Again

By Emma Birchley, East of England Correspondent

The Duke of Cambridge is preparing to take the controls of a helicopter once more - to train as an air ambulance pilot.

Prince William has made no secret of how much he enjoyed his role as an RAF Search and Rescue pilot, which he left last September.

Now, he faces five months of training before beginning his new job with the East Anglian Air Ambulance (EAAA) based in Cambridge in the spring.

A palace spokesman said the Duke was "very much looking forward to" the next step in his career.

Two doctors make their way towards the EAAA helicopter in Cambridge

But it is also great news for the EAAA which relies entirely on charitable donations to keep two helicopters in action seven days a week.

Patrick Peal, chief executive of the service, said he was "delighted" William had decided to join them.

"We're very fortunate that we currently enjoy tremendous levels of support but fundraising is always a challenge," he said.

"We're looking to raise £7.5m a year to continue the lifesaving work and I'm sure that this will help to raise the profile of the charity.

Mr Peal emphasised that the Duke would become an important part of the team.

"It is a very close-knit crew with the pilot operating closely with the doctor and paramedic so we need a strong team in every operation we go on."

William and the family will live near the base

The EC135 helicopters used by the EAAA fly out of Norwich as well as Cambridge. They have one pilot on board as well as a doctor and a critical care paramedic, covering Norfolk, Suffolk, Cambridgeshire and Bedfordshire.

But it is thought Prince William will fly a new aircraft due to be delivered called the EC145 which can carry two pilots, three medical crew as well as the patient.

His base will be 50 miles south of his new home with the Duchess of Cambridge and their baby, George, at Anmer Hall on the Queen's Sandringham Estate in Norfolk.

The family is expected to split its time between that residence and an apartment at Kensington Palace in central London.

The Duke may have trained as military pilot but must pass 14 exams and a flight test to gain his air transport pilot licence, initially being employed as a co-pilot.

Last year, the EAAA's helicopters went on 1,670 call-outs ranging from traffic accidents to cardiac arrests.

The prince will have to have more training before he goes "live"

Alastair Wilson, the charity's medical director, said he felt the Duke was well-suited to the role.

"The pilot is part of the team and he will be looking after patients with conditions that would be horrifying for many and some pilots may not like that very much," he said.

"Compared to his role as a search and rescue pilot, he may be dealing with more injury patients than he is used to, but I'm sure he will adapt very well to that."

The Duke is coming to the end of what was described as "a transitional year" while working out what to do next and carrying out Royal duties, which he will continue.

His salary from his new job will be donated back to the EAAA.

A palace spokesman said: "The job will build on the Duke's operational experience in the Royal Air Force Search and Rescue force.

"During this time he undertook more than 150 search and rescue operations."

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Oscar Pistorius Detective Told 'Blatant Lies'

The former lead detective in the Oscar Pistorius investigation told "blatant lies" to incriminate the Paralympic champion, a court has heard.

The athlete's lawyer Barry Roux made the claim against Hilton Botha as he gave the defence's closing arguments in the murder trial.

He was responding to prosecutor Gerrie Nel, who earlier told the court Pistorius intended to kill when he shot his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp.

Mr Botha resigned from the investigation after it emerged he was facing charges of manslaughter in another case.

He was also criticised for giving contradictory evidence at Pistorius' bail hearing.

Mr Roux noted that evidence at the scene had been moved around by investigators, calling it "unintentional tempering", rather than a conspiracy.

Pistorius is accused of murdering Ms Steenkamp at his home in Pretoria on Valentine's Day last year.

He shot her four times through a locked toilet door where she was taking refuge after a heated argument.

The double-amputee athlete claims he killed her by accident after mistaking her for an intruder hiding behind the door.

If found guilty of premeditated murder, he could face life in prison.

A potential lesser charge of culpable homicide could carry a sentence of 15 years.

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Ebola Outbreak: First Case Treated In Europe

A Spanish missionary priest infected with ebola has become the first person to be treated in Europe during the deadly outbreak which has hit West Africa.

Miguel Pajares, who contracted it while helping ebola patients at a hospital in the Liberian capital Monrovia, is in hospital in Madrid after being flown in from Liberia.

The disease has killed at least 932 people in Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia and Nigeria since it first emerged in remote tropical forests earlier this year.

A specially equipped military Airbus A310 brought Mr Pajares, 75, to the Torrejon airbase along with a Spanish nun, Juliana Bonoha Bohe.

Doctors at the Torrejon airbase

She had worked at the same Liberian hospital but did not test positive for ebola.

Immediately after landing, ambulances took the pair to Carlos III Hospital, which specialises in tropical diseases, and they were kept in isolation.

The priest was stable and showed no sign of bleeding while the nun appeared to be well but would be re-tested for ebola just in case, health officials said.

Miguel Pajares was taken by ambulance to hospital

Meanwhile, a state of emergency has been declared in Liberia where bodies lay in streets and Sierra Leone sent troops to guard hospitals and clinics handling ebola cases.

Two Americans who worked for Christian aid agencies in Liberia and were infected with ebola while taking care of patients in Monrovia were recently flown to the US for treatment.

They have shown signs of improvement after being given an experimental US-developed drug known as ZMapp, which is hard to produce on a large scale.

Nigeria is holding out hope that it could receive ZMapp - a drug which is proving controversial as it not being made available to victims in Africa.

The pair have been transported to Carlos III hospital in Madrid

US President Barack Obama said it was too soon to send it to the continent, adding: "We've got to let the science guide us."

He said: "I don't think all the information is in on whether this drug is helpful. What we do know is that the ebola virus - both currently and in the past - is controllable if you have strong public health infrastructure in place."

Ebola - which has a mortality rate of up to 90% - cannot spread through airborne or waterborne methods, say experts.

It is transmitted primarily through contact with bodily fluids such as saliva, blood, urine and other secretions.

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Passengers On Jet Tweet 'Bomb Threat' Terror

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Foreign Office Minister Warsi Resigns Over Gaza

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

Lady Warsi said in her resignation letter that the Government's "approach and language" during the month-long conflict in Gaza has been "morally indefensible".

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

In a caustic appraisal of Mr Cameron's policy on the Middle East Peace Process she says it has caused significant damage to Britain's international standing.

Baroness Warsi's resignation is a significant blow

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

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

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

Lady Warsi is considered an asset to the Tories and has been a prominent member of David Cameron's Government, becoming the first Muslim to sit in the Cabinet. She was Conservative Party chairman and played a large part in the 2010 campaign.

Lady Warsi announced her resignation on Twitter

She wrote in her resignation letter: "My view has been that our policy in relation to the Middle East Peace Process generally but more recently our approach and language during the current crisis in Gaza is morally indefensible, is not in Britain's national interest and will have a long term detrimental impact on our reputation internationally and domestically."

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

She announced her departure on Twitter, where she has been increasingly vocal in her condemnation of Israel's actions. Eleven days ago she wrote: "Can people stop trying to justify the killing of children. Whatever our politics there can never be justification, surely only regret #Gaza."

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

It follows Mr Cameron's failure on Monday to back the United Nations' position over the shelling of a UN-run school where Palestinian refugees were sheltering from the violence, killing at least 10 people.

The UN Secretary General Ban-Ki-moon called the attack "a moral outrage and a criminal act". When asked, Mr Cameron would say only that it was "an appalling loss of life".

There has also been increasing criticism over the £42m of arms exports licences British defence manufacturers have with Israel since 2010 to supply ammunition, drones and armoured vehicles.

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

The equipment has been used in the attacks on Gaza and the Government has agreed to review the licences.

Shadow foreign secretary Douglas Alexander said Baroness Warsi's decision to step down was a "sad reflection of the Prime Minister's misjudgment of the crisis in Gaza that this capable minister has felt the need to leave the Government".

Chancellor George Osborne has said her resignation was "disappointing and frankly unnecessary".

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

Lady Warsi's highly critical resignation letter

Lady Warsi also took the opportunity in her letter to Mr Cameron to deliver a highly critical appraisal of his recent reshuffle saying that in recent weeks the "experience and expertise" of Dominic Grieve and Ken Clarke had been "very apparent".

Both had opposed Tory plans to limit the power of the European Court Of Human Rights in the UK in a move which could see Britain expelled from the Council of Europe which upholds the European Convention on Human Rights.

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

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Plane Scare: Man Held Over Hoax Bomb Threat

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

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

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

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

"One guy has been escorted off the plane already but we're still on it. We've heard nothing yet."

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

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

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

Qatar Airways flight QR23 on the ground at Manchester Airport

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

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

"The safety and well-being of our passengers and crew is our top priority."

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

Passenger Matthew Cox took this picture from the plane

"The plane has been moved to allow specialist officers who are dealing with the incident to board," said another tweet.

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

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

"As a result people will see the police and other agencies at the airport and on the airfield.

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

"At this time I would urge them not to be alarmed.

"Our response will be as comprehensive as it is proportionate with the safety of those on board and in and around the airport our paramount concern."

Eye witness Paul Bell, who is heading for a holiday flight due to leave from the airport's Terminal 1, told Sky News his family saw the drama unfold as they were heading to the airport.

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

The airport lies south of the city centre

"It was literally looping round the aeroplane."

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

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

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

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