Shooting Instructor Shot By Nine-Year-Old Girl

A nine-year-old girl has accidentally shot her shooting instructor in the head, authorities in Arizona said.

The incident took place on Monday at an outdoor shooting range in Dolan Springs, in the northern part of the state.

The 39-year-old victim was airlifted to a medical centre in Las Vegas. His condition was not immediately known.

Mohave County Sheriff's officials said the girl was at the shooting range with her parents.

Her name and that of her instructor have not been released.

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Mid-Air Emergency: Hero Pilot Fights Passenger

By Jonathan Samuels, Australia Correspondent

A young pilot is being described as a hero for landing a light aircraft in a field after fighting off a passenger who tried to cut the plane's engine and grab the controls.

The mid-air drama happened in the skies over New South Wales, Australia, during a flight in a twin-engine aircraft.

It is alleged that the 82-year-old passenger on the charter flight flicked a switch in the cockpit to shut down the engine and then seized the control column.

The quick-thinking 23-year-old pilot issued a Mayday call and wrestled the man back into his seat. He restrained him and then managed to land the plane safely.

The passenger had booked the flight with Australia By Air from Sydney to Cowra, with the plane departing Bankstown Airport about 2pm on Monday.

The plane was forced into an emergency landing

The man, who apparently did not know the pilot, said he had booked the flight because he needed to go to the rural town to sign some papers, reported the ABC.

He was sitting next to the pilot in the four-seater aircraft.

Australia By Air managing director David Trevelyan praised the pilot saying he had issued an emergency 'Pan-Pan' announcement before landing safely.

A pan call is when the pilot is in trouble but not in a life-threatening situation.

"I would like to praise the actions of the pilot. He showed fantastic skill," Mr Trevelyan said.

"He did an excellent job in an amazingly difficult scenario ... and under tremendous pressure."

It was the first time Australia By Air had conducted a flight for the elderly man.

The controls that were allegedly grabbed by the passenger

"Nothing about the guy made us suspicious," Mr Trevelyan told Sky News. "He walked in and said he wanted to go to Cowra to sign some papers, that would take 15 minutes and then he'd fly back. It was a very normal request for us."

With the engine cut, the pilot managed to glide the plane into the field.

Emergency services arrived at the field where the plane landed and immediately attended the two men.

The pilot's efforts left the elderly man with head and facial injuries.

The passenger was taken to Sydney's Westmead Hospital while the pilot was taken to Oberon Hospital suffering from shock and was released on Monday night.

Police will get the elderly man's version of events once he is fit enough to be questioned.

It is understood the pilot has been fully qualified for only two years.

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Shark Sighting Forces Swimmers Out Of Water

A Massachusetts beach was shut after a great white shark was spotted swimming near the shore.

The Massachusetts State Police Air Wing said the shark was roughly 75-100 yards (68-90m) off the coast in Duxbury.

It said it was about 12-14ft (3.6-4.2m) in length.

Police, who posted photos on their Facebook page on the shark, said there were "many beachgoers and people in the water".

A beach-goer quoted from the Jaws film. Pic: Massachusetts State Police

It said the beach was closed for about one hour until the shark was seen heading south into deep water.

Nobody was injured.

One beachgoer scrawled on the beach: "You're gonna need a bigger boat," quoting from a famous line in the classic movie Jaws.

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US Launches Surveillance Flights Over Syria

The US has begun surveillance flights over Syria, a move that could pave the way for airstrikes against Islamic State militant targets there.

President Barack Obama has authorised the missions in order to garner reliable intelligence in Syria.

The intelligence and surveillance flights include drones, which are unmanned, as well as manned aircraft. The AP news agency said the flights got under way early on Tuesday.

The US had already run some surveillance missions over Syria, but the current wave appears to focus on IS sites as possible targets.

The White House has said that Mr Obama has not approved military action inside Syria, but Pentagon officials have been drafting potential options for the president, including airstrikes.

Mr Obama has been wary of any military intervention in Syria

Mr Obama has long resisted taking military action in Syria, even as the US began strikes against the Islamist group inside Iraq earlier this month.

He is wary of involvement in a country ravaged by a protracted civil war.

Mr Obama is also concerned launching airstrikes against the militants could unintentionally help embattled Syrian President Bashar Assad, whose regime the US has denounced.

Syria said on Monday any US airstrikes without consent from Damascus would be considered an aggression.

But Mr Obama's resolve to go after IS, the militant group formerly known as ISIS and ISIL, appears to have strengthened in recent weeks.

He has cited the threat to American personnel in the country and a humanitarian crisis.

The US has also been shaken by the beheading of American journalist James Foley by an IS militant.

James Foley, 40, was remembered in a memorial service on Monday

The group is also threatening to kill Steven Sotloff, another American journalist, and other US citizens held captive in Syria.

General Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said last week IS would eventually need to be addressed on "both sides of what is essentially at this point a non-existent border" between Syria and Iraq.

White House spokesman Josh Earnest insisted on Monday the president has demonstrated his willingness to order military action when necessary to protect American citizens.

"That is true without regard to international boundaries," he said.

The US ran surveillance missions over Syria ahead of an attempted mission to rescue Mr Foley and other US hostages this summer.

That mission failed, possibly due to imprecise intelligence, as the hostages had already been transferred by the time the special forces launched the raid.

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Oz MP Apologises For Chinese 'Mongrel' Insult

An Australian mining magnate has apologised for calling the Chinese "mongrels" and accusing Beijing of trying to take over the country.

After Clive Palmer's tirade on national television, government ministers accused him of threatening Australia's relations with its biggest trading partner.

The millionaire, who is also an MP, initially said little but has now sent a letter of apology to Chinese ambassador Ma Zhaoxu.

"I most sincerely apologise for any insult to Chinese people caused by any of the language I used," Mr Palmer wrote.

"In keeping an open mind, I now come to the realisation that what I said... was an insult to Chinese people everywhere and I wish to assure them they have my most genuine and sincere apology."

Mr Palmer made the comments when questioned about a legal dispute between his mining firm Mineralogy and its Chinese state-owned partner CITIC Pacific Mining.

Mr Palmer during question time in the House Of Representatives

CITIC alleged in court that Mr Palmer siphoned AU$12m (£6.75m) to fund his Palmer United Party's election campaign.

Mr Palmer said his companies were owed "about AU$500m (£281m) by the communist Chinese government that doesn't want to pay", and he was counter-suing.

"I don't mind standing up against the Chinese ******** and stopping them from doing it," he said.

He said his companies already had three federal and supreme court judgments "against these Chinese mongrels".

Mr Palmer added: "I'm saying this because they're communist, they shoot their own people, they haven't got a justice system and they want to take over this country."

The 60-year-old later tweeted his comments were "not intended to refer to Chinese people but to (a) Chinese company which is taking Australian resources & not paying".

Following the tirade, the Chinese Embassy issued a statement describing Mr Palmer's comments as "absurd", ''irresponsible" and "full of ignorance and prejudice".

After receiving his apology it issued another statement saying healthy relations were "in the fundamental interests of the two countries... and cannot be overturned by any individual".

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Ukraine: The Story On The Russian Soldiers

Russian Paratroopers 'Captured' In Ukraine

Updated: 4:49pm UK, Tuesday 26 August 2014

Ukraine's President Petro Poroshenko and Russian leader Vladimir Putin have sat down for talks - hours after video footage of captured Russian soldiers risked inflaming tensions between the two countries.

The two leaders met alongside senior EU officials in Belarus, where Mr Putin said the conflict in eastern Ukraine would not be solved by a military escalation in the region. 

Mr Poroshenko said the talks would decide "the fate of Europe and the world".

The Russian president's conciliatory words came after Ukraine presented fresh evidence suggesting Russian military activity within Ukraine.

Ukraine's security service (UBS) released video footage purportedly showing 10 Russian paratroopers who were captured by the army in the war-torn east of the country.

The UBS said it had opened a criminal probe after soldiers from the 98th airborne division based in central Russia were detained near the village of Dzerkalne, around 30 miles (50km) from rebel-held Donetsk.

A Ukrainian military spokesman said the men were on a "special mission".

But Russian military sources quoted by state news agencies have claimed the soldiers crossed the border by mistake.

In footage posted on the official Facebook page of the Ukrainian government's "anti-terrorist operation", the men were shown dressed in camouflage fatigues.

One of them, who identified himself as Ivan Melchyakov, listed his personal details, including the name of the paratroop regiment he said is based in the Russian town of Kostroma.

"I did not see where we crossed the border. They just told us we were going on a 70-kilometre march over three days," he said.

"Everything is different here, not like they show it on television. We've come as cannon fodder," he said in the video.

Ukraine's Defence Minister Valeriy Geletey said the soldiers were captured on Monday.

"Officially they are at exercises in various corners of Russia.

"In reality, they are participating in military aggression against Ukraine and their families know nothing about their true fate.

"I am addressing the relatives of Russian servicemen: find out immediately where your loved ones are. Take them out of Ukraine, where they are being forced to die."

US National Security Adviser Susan Rice slammed Russia over the incident, branding the latest apparent incursion "dangerous and inflammatory" on Twitter.

At the talks in Minsk, Mr Poroshenko said the only way to end the bloodshed in eastern Ukraine was through effective border controls with Russia, halting arms supplies to rebels and releasing prisoners of war.

Mr Putin said Moscow would retaliate if a trade pact between Ukraine and the EU gave European goods a back door to Russian markets - a move he said that would cost his economy 100bn roubles (£1.6bn)

Even as the Ukrainian president landed outside Minsk earlier on Tuesday, his country's military said an attack by Russian separatists on the town of Novoazovsk was ongoing.

A spokesman said a hospital was on fire and 12 Ukrainian service personnel had been killed in the last 24 hours - while government forces had destroyed 12 armoured infantry carriers in the area using artillery and aircraft.

Kiev has accused its neighbour of stoking the separatist insurgency but this is the first time authorities have claimed to have captured Russian soldiers.

Moscow continues to deny any involvement in the rebellion.

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Putin And Poroshenko Handshake At 'Peace Talks'

Ukraine's President Petro Poroshenko and Russian leader Vladimir Putin have sat down for talks - hours after video footage of captured Russian soldiers risked inflaming tensions between the two countries.

The two leaders met alongside senior EU officials in Belarus, where Mr Putin said the conflict in eastern Ukraine would not be solved by a military escalation in the region. 

Mr Poroshenko said the talks would decide "the fate of Europe and the world".

The Russian president's conciliatory words came after Ukraine presented fresh evidence suggesting Russian military activity within Ukraine.

Vladimir Putin disembarks from his plane in Belarus

Ukraine's security service (UBS) released video footage purportedly showing 10 Russian paratroopers who were captured by the army in the war-torn east of the country.

The UBS said it had opened a criminal probe after soldiers from the 98th airborne division based in central Russia were detained near the village of Dzerkalne, around 30 miles (50km) from rebel-held Donetsk.

A Ukrainian military spokesman said the men were on a "special mission".

But Russian military sources quoted by state news agencies have claimed the soldiers crossed the border by mistake.

In footage posted on the official Facebook page of the Ukrainian government's "anti-terrorist operation", the men were shown dressed in camouflage fatigues.

One of them, who identified himself as Ivan Melchyakov, listed his personal details, including the name of the paratroop regiment he said is based in the Russian town of Kostroma.

The Russian and Ukrainian leaders shook hands ahead of their meeting

"I did not see where we crossed the border. They just told us we were going on a 70-kilometre march over three days," he said.

"Everything is different here, not like they show it on television. We've come as cannon fodder," he said in the video.

Ukraine's Defence Minister Valeriy Geletey said the soldiers were captured on Monday.

"Officially they are at exercises in various corners of Russia.

Separatists walk in front of garages set ablaze by shelling in Donetsk

"In reality, they are participating in military aggression against Ukraine and their families know nothing about their true fate.

"I am addressing the relatives of Russian servicemen: find out immediately where your loved ones are. Take them out of Ukraine, where they are being forced to die."

US National Security Adviser Susan Rice slammed Russia over the incident, branding the latest apparent incursion "dangerous and inflammatory" on Twitter.

At the talks in Minsk, Mr Poroshenko said the only way to end the bloodshed in eastern Ukraine was through effective border controls with Russia, halting arms supplies to rebels and releasing prisoners of war.

Ukrainian soldiers inspect their bus, which was destroyed in fighting

Mr Putin said Moscow would retaliate if a trade pact between Ukraine and the EU gave European goods a back door to Russian markets - a move he said that would cost his economy 100bn roubles (£1.6bn)

Even as the Ukrainian president landed outside Minsk earlier on Tuesday, his country's military said an attack by Russian separatists on the town of Novoazovsk was ongoing.

A spokesman said a hospital was on fire and 12 Ukrainian service personnel had been killed in the last 24 hours - while government forces had destroyed 12 armoured infantry carriers in the area using artillery and aircraft.

Kiev has accused its neighbour of stoking the separatist insurgency but this is the first time authorities have claimed to have captured Russian soldiers.

Moscow continues to deny any involvement in the rebellion.

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Libya Appeals Over Feuding Tribal Factions

Libya: It Was All Supposed To Be Very Different

Updated: 8:47pm UK, Monday 28 July 2014

By Ashish Joshi, Sky News Correspondent

Libya is inching forward into the abyss. It has taken three years to bring the country to the brink of a civil war. And now it is almost there.

Armed violent militias are carving up the country along religious, ideological, political and tribal lines.

But it was all supposed to very different. Back in 2011, British Prime Minister David Cameron arrived in the country to a hero's welcome.

He was mobbed by cheering Libyans grateful for being freed from Gaddafi's tyranny after more than 40 years.

Libya was hailed as a model of Western interventionism. Backed by Nato, the rebels marched on the capital Tripoli. Colonel Gaddafi was found and killed.

A dictator removed and democracy installed. Sounds simple but it showed naivety and a total misunderstanding of the situation in the north African state.

North Africa analyst Olivier Guitta said the only people who were organised and ready to exploit the power vacuum created by Gaddafi's removal were the Islamists.

He said: "The West thought it was going to be a cakewalk. They thought people would all of a sudden become democratic and be ruled like Switzerland.

"But Gaddafi made sure that there was nobody powerful enough to replace because the system he set up needed a strongman to rule. Unfortunately the only ones who were organised were the Islamists."

Some analysts think there may be up to 1,700 rival militias. These are divided along ideological, political, religious and tribal lines. The one thing that unified them was their hatred of Gaddafi.

Now the only thing they have in common is their lust for power and money. There have been five governments since 2011 and none including the current administration has managed overall control of the country.

Western embassies and diplomats are being targeted. One of the most brutal assaults was on the US consulate in Benghazi in 2012.

US ambassador to Libya Christopher Stevens was among four Americans killed.

Now an escalation in fighting, the worst in three years, has forced the US to evacuate its embassy in Tripoli. American diplomats travelled by road to Tunisia escorted by jets.

The UN Support Mission in Libya and the Red Cross have also withdrawn staff.

On Sunday, a convoy of British diplomats being taken to Tunisia was ambushed by gunmen between Tripoli and Zawiya. They all survived.

And following the attack on those diplomats, the Foreign Office has urged British nationals to leave Libya.

The exodus of Western interests does not bode well. It means there's less pressure or need for a second international intervention.

But it is in the West's interests to get Libya right. The violence here threatens to destabilise further an already volatile region.

Neighbours Egypt, Mali, Chad and Niger are nervously watching the situation in Libya deteriorate. It would not take much for it to spill over their borders. That threat might be enough to force international action.

"My best guess is there is going to be another intervention", said Olivier Guitta. "Special forces from the West and Algeria are conducting raids in the south to root out al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb."

Libya is described as the world's largest arms bazaar. The easy access to this arsenal by international terrorists is another reason why there could be further western action.

But many would argue that the West has a responsibility for helping Libya because it must share the blame for creating the mess in the first place.

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Nail Polish Designed To Detect Date Rape Drugs

Students at a US university say they have found a new way to combat sexual assault: nail polish that can detect the presence of date rape drugs in drinks.

The project called "Undercover Colors" won a competition that challenges North Carolina State University students to find solution to real-life problems.

The nail polish changes colour if it comes into contact with the so-called dat -rape drugs, allowing a woman to check her drink by stirring it with her finger.

Among the most common such drugs are Rohypnol, Xanax, and GHB, which are often odourless and colourless.

The four undergraduates who came up with the idea say their goal is "to reduce the overall rate of drug-facilitated sexual assault by creating a risk for potential perpetrators to get caught, shifting the fear from the victims to the perpetrators".

The nail polish changes colour to detect the drugs. Pic: File

The Washington Post, which reported on the project, said critics of this and similar ideas note that alcohol is used more often than drugs in cases of sexual assaults.

The newspaper quoted Tara Culp-Ressler of Think Progress as saying that the nail polish could have unintended effect on women who are assaulted.

"Any college students who don't use the special polish could open themselves up to criticism for failing to do everything in their power to prevent rape," she wrote.

The students say the product is still being developed, but would eventually like to bring it to the market.

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Egypt: 'Long-Term Ceasefire Agreed On Gaza'

Palestinian and Israeli leaders have reached an agreement for a long-term ceasefire in the Gaza conflict, according to Egyptian officials.

Egypt's state news agency said the truce would begin at 5pm UK time in the seven week-long war that has led to the deaths of more than 2,000 people.

An Israeli official confirmed his country's acceptance of the Egyptian-brokered deal.

A spokesman for Gaza rulers Hamas said a deal for an "open-ended" ceasefire had been reached.

He said Israel had agreed to ease its blockade of the territory to allow relief supplies and building materials into the territory.

Another militant group Islamic Jihad also confirmed the terms.

Talks on more complex issues, including Hamas' demand to re-open Gaza's airport and seaport, would begin in a month, it was claimed.

Israelis take cover amid a warning of rocket fire from Gaza

"We will issue a statement to announce a long ceasefire agreement was reached between the Palestinians and Israel after which talks between the two parties will resume in Cairo," a senior Egyptian official said.

Egypt has led negotiations between the two sides.

Israel had launched an air and ground offensive on Gaza to try to stop rocket fire by Hamas and other militant groups, and potential attacks through border tunnels.

Overnight in the Palestinian territory, several more people died and more than 20 were injured in multiple airstrikes, which followed rocket attacks from Gaza.

At least 2,133 Palestinians have been killed in the latest conflict as well as 68 Israelis, all but four of them soldiers.

Under the terms that ended more than a week of fighting with in 2012, Israel promised to ease restrictions gradually, while Hamas promised to halt rocket fire from Gaza at Israel.

The truce held, but Gaza's border blockade remained largely intact.

Israel and Egypt imposed the blockade in 2007, after Hamas seized Gaza by force in 2007.

Under the restrictions, virtually all of Gaza's 1.8 million people cannot trade or travel, and only a few thousand are able to leave the coastal territory every month.

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