#SkyAskRaqqa: Life Under IS Militants Revealed

What We Know About The IS Capital Raqqa

Updated: 12:51pm UK, Tuesday 16 September 2014

Raqqa in northern Syria is Islamic State's power base and the focus of international efforts to defeat the Islamic extremists and rescue Western hostages.

The city - effectively the capital of the IS "caliphate" - is almost completely inaccessible to journalists and Westerners - but information can be gleaned from IS propaganda videos, residents who have managed to flee and an underground resistance network that posts videos and reports online.

:: Raqqa is the highly organised capital of the jihadists' Islamic caliphate

IS captured Raqqa amid fierce fighting in May 2013 but has maintained a hold on the city by setting up a functioning government and public services. Military operations and civilian administration are run separately, with fighters and employees getting a salary from the "Muslim Financial House" department. IS has claimed the poor are effectively paid benefits, while taxes are imposed on the wealthy and prices are kept low in the markets. Foreign experts have been recruited to run ministries - a Tunisian with a PhD in charge of telecoms, an Egyptian engineer serving as oil minister.

:: The city is the centre of the search for Jihadi John

Raqqa is believed to be where IS is holding some 20 international hostages, including Briton Alan Henning, and intelligence efforts to save them are focused on the city. Experts and a small resistance movement within the city have matched up photos and video footage to pinpoint the location on the outskirts of the city where they believe James Foley was beheaded. They suggest the killings took place on open ground near a cemetery, not far from the city's Alltihad University.

:: IS is thought to be using a network of tunnels under the city

The hunt for the hostages and their captors has been frustrated due to the suspected use by IS of a network of underground tunnels to move around the city. IS is believed to move the hostages between safe locations regularly and the group's leaders, including Abu Bakr al Baghdadi, rarely stay in one place for more than a day or two.

:: Foreign fighters have "flooded" the city

A jihadist boasted to Reuters this month that Raqqa was welcoming 1,000 new IS volunteers every three days, many of them from abroad. Fighters with South African, French, Dutch, Australian and of course British accents have appeared in videos or on social media praising life under the Islamic State. The International Centre for the Study of Radicalisation claims Glaswegian Aqsa Mahmood is a key figure in the al Khanssaa brigade, a female militia set up to punish women for "non-Islamic" behaviour.

:: The Hisbah police keep the people in check

The hisbah - clad in a distinctive uniform of white thobe with black waistcoats and black caps - patrol the streets with Kalashnikovs slung over their backs, enforcing strict Sharia law in the previously cosmopolitan city. They police everything from the price of beef in markets to female dress and follow up on reports of residents suspected of using drugs, alcohol and cigarettes. Attendance at prayers is rigidly enforced, with jihadists boasting of emptying once busy markets five times a day. Anyone who crosses the hisbah faces immediate imprisonment and punishment according to Sharia law - from whipping for alcohol sellers to public execution for drug users.

:: Children are being drawn into the IS cause

Raqqa is the IS base for preparing the next generation of jihadists. Islamic education groups are held in mosques and festivals have been held to encourage youngsters to sign up to the cause. Children are shown videos of beheadings to inure them to violence and warn them of the consequences of resisting the jihadists. Warda Ali, a female resident who fled Raqqa after resisting IS, told US broadcaster NPR how parents - keen to please their new rulers - brought their children to the town square to watch public beheadings.

:: Resistance - "Raqqa is Being Slaughtered Silently"

A small group of activists have been risking their lives to reveal a true picture of the grim conditions imposed by IS. Under the slogan "Raqqa is Being Slaughtered Silently," they post videos and photos of public executions and other punishments meted out by the Islamists, as well as possible locations for IS training camps and the executions of Western hostages. IS has condemned the activists as "enemies of the lord" and reportedly executed one, Motaz Billah, after tracing him through Facebook.

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Stand Up Be Counted: Labour Plans Lack 'Depth'

When they arrived at the Labour Party conference earlier this week, Sky News' two Stand Up Be Counted contributors could surely not have imagined chasing after Ed Miliband or bumping into the shadow business secretary.

Yet for Charlene Osuagwu and Michael Adams, the opportunity to attend the annual event in Manchester - a trip organised in conjunction with Media Trust - has thrust them both into the centre of the political sphere.

Matters of interest to young people - not least votes for 16-year-olds - were always likely to be on the agenda, as Labour, the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats set out what they hope will be vote-winning plans ahead of the election next year.

But how did Mr Miliband perform on those youth issues? Here are Charlene's thoughts:

"After three days at the Labour Party conference, the first part of our conference experience has come to an end.

"Michael, my fellow Stand Up Be Counted contributor, and I came to Manchester intent on learning how Labour plans to empower young people and, more critically, engage young people in the political process.

Charlene says some young people believe Labour plans need more depth

"We leave with high expectations for our remaining two party conferences.

"Following the Scottish referendum, we expected the leaders to touch on lowering the voting age to 16 and youth involvement, if only briefly.

"However, in a passionate declaration, which saw Ed Miliband boldly assert the party's commitment to encouraging social mobility and political engagement among the youth, the defining role young people could plan ahead of next year's general election became increasingly apparent.

"Nevertheless, while proving to be a great positive for some of the young people present at conference, a recurring point of criticism among others was the lack of depth demonstrated when Labour sought to explain how they would affect such plans.

"Though Miliband had himself made reference to the increasing sense of distrust young voters have of Westminster, his campaign at conference, though commendable, may not have eased such thoughts entirely."

Stand Up Be Counted is an innovative new platform for young people to speak out on issues that matter most them.

Less than a month after its launch, the website is a stream of opinions on topics ranging from gender equality, political education and unemployment to the police, youth centres and immigration.

Anyone aged 16-25 can join the debate by signing up for the site and uploading a short video or blog post.

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Freed Abu Qatada 'Will Not Be Returning To UK'

Timeline: Qatada Legal Battle

Updated: 10:35am UK, Wednesday 24 September 2014

Abu Qatada challenged and ultimately thwarted every attempt by the Government to detain and deport him for many years.

Here is a timeline of the legal battle.

1993: Abu Qatada claims asylum when he arrives in Britain on a forged passport.

1994: Allowed to stay in Britain.

1995: Issues a "fatwa" justifying the killing of converts from Islam, their wives and children in Algeria.

1998: Applies for indefinite leave to remain in Britain.

1999: April - Convicted in his absence on terror charges in Jordan and sentenced to life imprisonment.

October - Speaks in London advocating the killing of Jews and praising attacks on Americans.

2001: February - Arrested by anti-terror police over involvement in a plot to bomb Strasbourg Christmas market. Officers find him with £170,000 in cash, including £805 in an envelope marked "For the mujahedin in Chechnya".

December - Becomes one of Britain's most wanted men after going on the run from his home in west London.

2002: Arrested by police in a council house in south London and detained in Belmarsh high-security jail.

2005: Freed on conditional bail and placed on a control order but arrested again in August under immigration rules as the Government seeks to deport him to Jordan.

2008: April: Court of Appeal rules deportation would breach his human rights because evidence used against him in Jordan might have been obtained through torture.

May - Granted bail by the immigration tribunal but told he must stay inside for 22 hours a day.

June - Released from Long Lartin jail in Worcestershire and moves into a four-bedroom house in west London.

November - He is rearrested after the Home Office tells an immigration hearing of fears he plans to abscond.

December - Qatada's bail is revoked by the Special Immigration Appeals Commission (Siac) after hearing secret evidence that the risk of him absconding has increased.

2009: Five Law Lords unanimously back the Government's policy of removing terror suspects from Britain on the basis of assurances from foreign governments and it is ruled he can be deported to Jordan to face a retrial on the terror charges.

He is awarded 2,800 euro (£2,500) compensation by the European Court of Human Rights after the judges rule that his detention without trial in the UK under anti-terrorism powers breached his human rights.

2012: January - European judges rule he can be sent to Jordan with diplomatic assurances but not while "there remains a real risk that evidence obtained by torture will be used against him".

February - He is released on strict bail conditions.

April - Rearrested as the Government prepares to deport him after Jordan gives assurances it will "bend over backwards" to ensure he receives a fair trial.

March - Qatada's legal team loses its bid to have the case heard by the Europe's human rights judges, clearing the way for deportation proceedings to continue.

May and August - Siac rejects Qatada's applications for bail.

October - Siac holds appeal hearing.

November - His appeal is granted and he is granted bail.

December - Qatada is moved to a larger residence in the greater London area.

2013: March 9 - It emerges Qatada has been arrested for allegedly breaching his bail conditions. He is ordered to stay in custody and sent to Belmarsh.

March 21 - Police reveal the cleric is being investigated over extremist material.

March 27 - Home Secretary Theresa May loses her appeal over Siac's decision to allow Qatada to stay in the UK. The Home Office vows to appeal.

April 17 - The Home Office formally announces that it is seeking leave from the Court of Appeal to take the case to the Supreme Court.

April 22 - The Court of Appeal refuses permission to go to the Supreme Court, forcing the Home Office to appeal directly to the highest court in the land.

April 23 - Theresa May tells MPs she has signed a new treaty with Jordan that should pave the way to deportation, but warns it might take "many months".

May 10 - Qatada's barrister says he will go back to Jordan voluntarily if the treaty on the use of evidence obtained by torture, guaranteeing he will not be tortured, is ratified by the Jordanian parliament.

May 20 - Qatada is refused bail by the Special Immigrations Appeals Commission after "jihadist material" is found on a computer memory stick.

July 2 - The new treaty between Jordan and Britain is fully ratified, sparking claims Qatada could be on a plane within days.

July 3 - A Jordanian government official tells AFP the cleric is due back on Sunday.

July 7 - Flown from RAF Northolt to Jordan

December 10: Pleads not guilty to terrorism charges at a state security court in the Jordanian capital, Amman.

2014: June 26 - Acquitted of conspiracy to commit acts of terrorism over 1998 bomb plots allegations.

September 24 - Acquitted over plot to target Western tourists over the New Year in Jordan in 2000.

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Video: Man Reveals Lottery Win To Ecstatic Sons

Cheque Him Out: $425m Jackpot Winner Hides Face

Updated: 9:35am UK, Wednesday 02 April 2014

The sole winner of a $425m (£255m) Powerball jackpot has come forward to claim his prize after more than a month - but still did not show his face.

B Raymond Buxton, from California, accepted his prize - one of the largest Powerball jackpots in history - at the California Lottery headquarters in Sacramento.

In a photo taken after he claimed the money, Mr Buxton covered his face with an oversize cheque.

His t-shirt featured a picture of Yoda, the Star Wars character, and read, "Luck of the Jedi I have".

Mr Buxton is hoping to remain out of the limelight and hired a publicist to avoid speaking directly to the media.

He also will not reveal his age, address or what he did for a living until his very recent retirement.

"He really wants to live a private life as best he can," said his publicist, Sam Singer.

"He was a solidly middle-class American, and today he is a solidly wealthy one."

In a statement, Mr Buxton said he was shocked after hearing about the February 19 drawing.

After the winning numbers were announced, he sat in front of his computer in disbelief. He checked and double-checked his ticket and did not tell anybody.

"Sitting on a ticket of this value was very scary," he said in the statement.

"Once the initial shock passed, I couldn't sleep for days."

Since winning, he has been working with a lawyer and financial adviser to establish new bank accounts, set up a charity and sort out tax issues.

Mr Buxton bought the ticket at the Dixon Landing Chevron station in the San Francisco Bay Area city of Milpitas, about 10 miles (17km) north of San Jose.

He had been having lunch at a Subway restaurant inside the station when he decided to buy another ticket because the jackpot was so large, lottery officials said.

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MPs Sob At 'Keep Your Mitts Off My NHS' Speech

A 91-year-old Second World War veteran has upstaged Ed Miliband at the Labour Party conference with a passionate and tear-jerking speech on the health service.

Harry Smith moved audience members to tears as he made a passionate case for the NHS and warned David Cameron: "Keep your mitts off my NHS."

Mr Smith received a number of standing ovations as he detailed his life in a "barbarous, bleak and uncivilised" Barnsley slum where he listened to the screams of a woman dying of cancer because she could not afford the medicine to dull the pain.

Mr Miliband admits he forgot to mention the deficit

His eight-minute speech came after a poorly received 66-minute keynote by the Labour leader on Tuesday, which was roundly condemned after it emerged he forgot to mention the deficit.

Political pundits were hailing Mr Smith's speech as a lesson to Mr Miliband in delivery, saying he had managed to make a powerful case for the NHS in a way the leader had failed to.

Shadow health secretary Andy Burnham with Harry Smith

Steve Hawkes, deputy political editor, of the Sun, tweeted: "91 year-old Harry Smith shows Ed Miliband how to do it - rousing speech (from autocue) that gets delegates on their feet."

Another Twitter user, Robert Bennett, wrote: "Harry Smith 91 years didn't forget any of his speech."

Tears rolling down the cheek of one Labour delegate

While another, Mark Robinson, tweeted: "Such a contrast between Harry Smith's speech and Ed Miliband's."

Labour politicians, including the shadow health secretary Andy Burnham, wept openly as he described how his sister had to be buried in a paupers' pit after dying of tuberculosis at the age of 10.

He said the family watched as she faded away, unable to help because they "just didn't have the dosh to keep her comfortable".

Another conference member wipes her eyes

Mr Smith said that eventually she was sent to die in a workhouse infirmary because her mother could no longer care for her.

Mr Smith told the conference: "In my heart, I can still feel my mum and dad's desperation as they were trying to keep our family safe and healthy in the slum we called home.

"Common disease controlled our neighbourhood and snuffed out life like a cold breath on a warm candlelit flame."

He said he was born in 1923 to a life that was nothing like an episode of Downton Abbey, where hospitals and doctors were for the privileged few.

But he said while his heart was with the children of his generation who did not make it, it was also with the people of the present who were struggling because of welfare cuts and austerity measures.

He finished: "Today we must be vigilant. We must never ever let the NHS free from our grasp because if we do, your future will be my past.

"My life is your history and we should keep it that way.

"So say it loud and say in clear in this hall and across this country, Mr Cameron, keep your mitts off my NHS."

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iPhone 6 Plus Reportedly Bends In Tight Pockets

Apple's new iPhone 6 Plus may bend substantially if put into a tight pocket for a prolonged period of time, some users claim.

A record 10-million units of it and the smaller iPhone 6 were sold within two days of the Friday launch, but some users have complained that their device is more fragile than they expected.

One user, Nelson Cardoz, posted a photograph of a misshapen phone on Twitter with the message: "The iPhone 6 could bend in your pocket! Haha, love you Apple."

He told Sky News that when he contacted Apple about the problem they offered to replace his device.

A YouTube channel called Unbox Therapy uploaded a video of a man using a tight grip to bend the phone out of shape.

The bend appears to occur just below the side-mounted volume buttons.

However, website Cult Of Mac said some users reported similar complaints about the iPhone 5s, as well as Sony, Samsung, BlackBerry and HTC smartphones.

On Monday Apple chief executive Tim Cook said the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus launch was its "best ever", and had "shattered" all previous sales records.

The iPhone 6 Plus is Apple's largest ever phone, and features a 5.5-inch screen. The increased size and reduced thickness may be responsible for the bending.

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British Jihadi Killed In US Airstrike - Reports

A 19-year-old British jihadi has been killed in a US airstrike in Syria, according to reports.

The man, from Brighton, East Sussex, is thought to have been fighting for al Nusra, an affiliate group of al Qaeda, in Aleppo, The Guardian said.

The newspaper named him as Ibrahim Kamara, and said his nom de guerre was Khalid al Britani.

Al Nusra has been fighting against both the Syrian government and Islamic State militants in the country's civil war.

The Foreign Office said they are "aware of the reports", and are trying to verify them.

A picture posted on Facebook appears to show Mr Kamara's face in an unzipped body bag covered in fine sand, The Guardian said.

He reportedly studied at Brighton's Vardean College for one year to resit his GCSE exams.

His mother, Khadijah Kamara, 35, said she felt numb and confused when she was told her eldest son was dead.

"It's confusing. I don't know what I felt or how I am feeling," she told The Guardian.

She said she knew he was going to die when she found out he was in Syria, and came close to disowning him.

"He called me in February. He said: 'Mum, I'm in Syria', and I hung up. He rang again and I said: 'Don't ever call me.'"

More follows...

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Huge Cocaine Haul: Drugs Seized On Cork Yacht

Up to a ton of cocaine, worth at least £54.8m, has been seized from a yacht off the southwest coast of Ireland.

According to Sky's Ireland Correspondent, David Blevins, the vessel is currently being escorted to Cork by Irish defence forces.

Three British men are reported to have been arrested.

The drugs have an estimated street value of €70m - €80m (£54.8m - £62.6m).

More follows...

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IS-Linked Group Beheads Hostage In Video

A video showing a hostage being beheaded by a group linked to Islamic State is genuine, French president Francois Hollande has said.

Herve Gourdel, a 55-year-old hiker from Nice in southern France, was kidnapped on Sunday by Jund al Khilafah.

The group had given France a 24-hour deadline to stop its airstrikes against IS in Iraq.

Mr Hollande has denounced the killing as "cruel and cowardly", and said he will be chairing a special security meeting at the Elysee Palace on Thursday.

In the clip issued by Algerian militants, the tourist was seen kneeling with his arms bound behind his back, as four masked men read a message in Arabic which condemned France.

Mr Gourdel was then pushed on to his side and held down.

Shortly after the group - known as the Caliphate Soldiers in English - released the video, France's foreign minister Laurent Fabius insisted the abduction would not deter his nation's participation in a US-led offensive against IS.

The video was entitled "A Message With Blood To The French Government", and began to circulate on jihadist websites on Wednesday.

It began with an excerpt of Francois Hollande, France's president, making a speech, before showing Mr Gourdel in his final moments of life.

Prior to the mountain guide's beheading, Mr Hollande had insisted: "As grave as this situation is, we will not give in to any blackmail, any pressure, any ultimatum, no matter how odious, how despicable."

In a statement before news of the killing emerged, Mr Gourdel's family said they had learned of the kidnapping "with great pain", and described him as a "father, partner, son, brother and very dear friend".

Intelligence sources believe there could be 10 Western hostages still being held by Islamic State.

One Briton, David Haines, as well as Americans James Foley and Steven Sotloff, have lost their lives at the hands of the group in the past few weeks.

Islamic State has threatened to kill Alan Henning, a British aid convoy volunteer.

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MPs To Vote On Airstrikes Against Islamic State

David Cameron is to recall Parliament on Friday to ask MPs to support UK airstrikes against Islamic State (IS) militants in Iraq.

MPs will vote on whether RAF planes should join the US, France and five Arab states in bombarding IS positions.

The airstrikes could take place as early as the weekend.

A Downing Street spokesman said: "The Speaker has agreed to the Prime Minister's request to recall Parliament this Friday to debate the UK's response to the request from the Iraqi Government for air strikes to support operations against ISIL in Iraq.

"The Commons will meet on Friday for a debate on a substantive motion.

"The Prime Minister will open the debate and the Deputy Prime Minister will close the debate. 

"The Prime Minister has called a meeting of the Cabinet tomorrow at 1pm."

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg said the Liberal Democrats would support UK airstrikes, pointing out they are "legal" because they had been requested by the Iraqi government.

"There are many people across the country who see what this medieval murderous organisation does, slaughtering people regardless of their ethnicity or their religion; an organisation which is actively plotting to do us harm in this country," he said.

"I think most people across the country want the British Government to play our part in ridding the world of this vile threat."

On Friday, MPs will sit at 10.30am and debate the Government's motion until 5pm.

Meanwhile, a 19-year-old British jihadi has reportedly been killed in a US airstrike in Syria.

More follows...

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