The Apocalyptic Prophecy Fuelling IS Militants

An ancient prophecy that sees an "infidel horde" in a monumental battle with an Islamic army in the Syrian town of Dabiq has apparently been seized upon by IS fundamentalists.

The Sunni Muslim tale dates back more than 1,300 years and tells of the "horde" flying 80 banners before an Islamic triumph that triggers the end of days.

It has become a fundamental part of the philosophy that drives Islamic State militants.

Dabiq, the Islamic State magazine

Having captured Dabiq in August, the town's symbolic significance far outweighs its relatively minor strategic importance to the group, compared with cities it controls such as Raqqa in Syria and Mosul in Iraq.

But as the militants come under heavy bombardment from the air by the US and allies seeking to halt their march, Dabiq is increasingly becoming a rallying call.

Video: Sam Kiley On The Battle For Kobani

Shadi Hamid, a fellow at the Brookings Institute, said: "It raises morale.

"It is fair to assume that the vast majority of (IS) fighters believe in this type of talk."

The prophecy itself was made by the Prophet Mohammed, according to his companion Abu Hurayrah's report, or hadith.

Abu Hurayrah is described as the most prolific narrator of hadith - accounts of the Prophet Mohammed's deeds, teachings and sayings - in Sunni Islam, adding to the importance of the prophecy in the eyes of IS.

Video: Where Does IS Get Its Money?

Among IS supporters on social media, Dabiq has become a byword for a struggle against the West, with the US-led coalition portrayed as modern-day Crusaders. IS has even named its official magazine Dabiq.

One Twitter user in Tunisia recently wrote: "The lions of Islam have raised the banner of the Caliphate in Dabiq. Now they await the arrival of the Crusader army."

The prophecy has been passed down in different versions, but in all cases it features a great battle between a Muslim army and the forces of non-believers.

IS supporters have been interpreting a series of recent events as further evidence of its truth.

Video: Is Town 'About To Fall' To IS?

The US-led coalition's members now number more than 60 countries, with many watching closely in anticipation of when the prophecy's "80 banners" are reached.

Comments by US General Martin Dempsey on the possible need for ground forces have also been seized on by some as a signal, with supporters on Twitter using the hashtag: "It is Dabiq, by God."

In reference to the prophecy, one user simply posted: "When you despair of your air power, you will find us waiting in Dabiq."

Anjem Choudary, a radical British Islamist preacher who has expressed support for IS, said he did not believe Muslims sought to make the foretold battle a reality.

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1. Gallery: The Moment RAF Jet Attacks IS Truck

   The RAF carried out its first airstrikes against Islamic State targets in Iraq on 1 October, 2014 (All pictures: MoD)

2. Tornados destroyed a heavy weapon position, which was attacking Kurdish forces, and an armed pick-up truck (pictured). The red circle shows the path of the missile fired at the vehicle

3. The strikes were the first since MPs voted to support aerial raids in Iraq last Friday

4. The targets were in the northwest of Iraq

5. The moment the truck, which had a mounted machine gun, was destroyed by a Brimstone missile

6. A plume of smoke rose above the area

7. The strike was successful, according to an initial assessment, said Defence Secretary Michael Fallon

8. The Tornados safely returned to their base at RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus after the sortie

9. Six of the GR4 fighter jets are based on the island in the Mediterranean

10. The aircraft began their combat missions on Saturday

"It could happen now; it could happen in the future," he said.

"I don't think any Muslim strives to bring it about."

But many IS supporters are convinced of the prophecy's validity, with one writing on Twitter: "Dabiq will happen for certain.

"The US and its allies will descend on Syria once they see that the air campaign has failed. That is a promise by God and his Messenger."

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Ebola Nurse Touched Her Face With Glove

The Spanish nurse being treated for ebola says she touched her face with a tainted protective glove after helping treat a man dying from the virus.

Theresa Romero, 40, is in quarantine in a Madrid hospital but told doctors she believes she made the mistake after cleaning up after the man.

Heath officials said she had twice entered the room of Spanish missionary Manuel Garcia Viejo - once to change his incontinence pad and then to retrieve items after he had died.

Mrs Romero is the first person to contract the virus outside Africa.

She earlier told El Mundo she had no idea how she was infected and that she had followed all precautions.

Teresa Ramos says she followed all the safety procedures

Another three people are also quarantined at the Carlos III hospital, including the woman's husband - who had made a video appeal for authorities not to destroy the couple's dog Excalibur.

But according to unconfirmed reports the animal was euthanised at the veterinary hospital at Madrid's Complutense University on Wednesday.

Video: Bodies Pile Up After Ebola Strike

Some 50 other people - who either had contact with Mrs Romero or treated one of the two missionaries who died at the hospital - are also being monitored.

Spanish leader Mariano Rajoy has called for calm and promised "transparency" over the scare, which has raised questions over whether strict safety rules were properly followed.

As West Africa struggles to cope with a spiralling infection rate, burial teams in Sierra Leone have reportedly gone on strike.

The workers, who arguably have one of the world's most dangerous jobs, complain they have not been paid.

The situation is "very embarrassing", said health ministry spokesman Sidie Yahya Tunis.

He promised that money was available for the workers.

Video: Suiting Up In An Ebola Hotspot

"We haven't been paid for two weeks, so we need our money right now," said one angry worker.

"We don't even care if dead bodies have been littered all over the city - all we want is our money. We've been stigmatised in our communities, so let the government pay us our money."

Sky's Alex Crawford saw first-hand the extreme precautions burial teams in the region have to take as they retrieve corpses.

She said teams in neighbouring Liberia - the worst affected country with more than 2,000 deaths - were overwhelmed, with "not enough hours in the day for them to track down the dead".

Any temporary halt in collection only adds to the risk of further infection because the virus can stay on the bodies, said Sky's Health Correspondent Thomas Moore.

Six hundred people have died from the virus in Sierra Leone, according to the World Health Organisation, and more than 3,400 in total.

Video: Online Appeal To Save Ebola Dog

The virus has swept through Liberia, Guinea, Sierra Leone and Nigeria, with the World Bank saying the financial impact could hit $32.6bn (£20bn) by the end of the year

In Britain, David Cameron chaired an emergency meeting as four hospitals stand by to handle any UK cases.

The US has ordered security agents at airports and other entry ports to screen arriving travellers for signs of the disease.

Texas ebola patient Thomas Eric Duncan - the first to be diagnosed with the disease in the US - died at the Texas Presbyterian Hospital on Wednesday, officials said.

The UN, meanwhile, has said one of its medical officials in Liberia has tested positive for ebola and is receiving treatment.

The unnamed official is the second member of their mission to contract the virus - the other died on 25 September.

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Canada Authorises Airstrikes Against IS In Iraq

By Sky News US Team

Following a request from the US, the Canadian parliament has voted to authorise airstrikes against the Islamic State militant group in Iraq.

The motion introduced by Prime Minister Stephen Harper's Conservative Party passed 157-134 on Tuesday.

It allows airstrikes in Iraq for up to six months, and explicitly rules out using ground troops in combat operations.

The combat mission includes up to six CF-18 fighter jets, a refuelling tanker aircraft, two surveillance planes and one airlift aircraft.

IS forces launching an assault of Kobani

About 600 airmen and airwomen will be involved.

"The threat posed by ISIL is real," Mr Harper said in a statement, referring to the Islamic State by one of its acronyms.

Video: The Brutal Battle For Kobani

The US has been bombing IS in Syria for more than two weeks with the help of Arab allies, and hitting targets in Iraq since August.

European countries have joined the campaign in Iraq but not in Syria.

It is unclear how effective the airstrikes are in weakening the group.

IS appears close to capturing the strategically important town of Kobani near the border with Syria.

The White House welcomed Canada's deployment.

"Canadians and Americans have fought alongside each other in several major conflicts over the past century, and we are grateful for Canada's further contribution against terrorism," a White House statement said.

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Thailand Murder Suspects In Torture Claim

Two Burmese migrants accused of killing a pair of British tourists in Thailand have claimed they were beaten and threatened with electrocution by police.

Win Zaw Htun and Zaw Lin, who are both 21, claim they were mistreated following their arrest for the murder of Hannah Witheridge, 23, and David Miller, 24, on the island of Koh Tao on September 15.

Their allegation follows claims made by other Burmese migrant workers arrested in connection with the murders who say they were subjected to similar treatment.

Human rights organisation Amnesty International has called for an independent investigation into the claims and demanded any confession extracted through torture be ruled inadmissible in court.

The organisation cited a lawyer from the Burmese embassy legal team, who said he had been told that police had beaten the suspect and "threatened him with electrocution".

David Miller and Hannah Witheridge were found dead on the island of Koh Tao

Thai police, who have come under immense domestic political pressure to solve the case, deny the allegations and have said they have DNA and CCTV evidence to back up murder confessions obtained from the men.

The suspects were recently paraded in front of reporters and performed a re-enactment of the murders on the beach where the Britons' bodies were found.

Video: Sept 19: CCTV Of Murder Victim

Police spokesman Colonel Kissana Phathanacharoen said re-enactments of crimes were commonplace after confessions.

"It's what you call the crime enactment," he said. "It's carried out in order to get a sense of what happened after the confession. In Thai law the offenders have to give their consent - you can't force them to do it."

A statement issued by Amnesty said: "According to reports, police officers poured boiling water over some of the Burmese migrant workers they were questioning. Others were also beaten and threatened."

Richard Bennett, Amnesty International's Asia-Pacific director, said: "The pressure to be seen to be solving an appalling crime that has garnered considerable attention should not result in the violation of rights, including to a fair trial.

"Authorities should provide protection from threats and acts of retaliation to anyone, regardless of their immigration status, reporting or speaking about torture or ill-treatment, and full redress to victims.

"They must also ensure that any alleged confession or information that has been coerced as a result of torture is not admitted as evidence in court, unless to prove that torture has been carried out.

"All suspects should also be guaranteed their rights to a fair trial - which is of particular importance in a crime that could carry a death sentence."

A Foreign and Commonwealth Office spokesman said it was concerned about the reports and expected a fair investigation.

"The investigation and judicial process remains a matter for the Thai authorities, but we expect it to be conducted in a fair and transparent way," he said.

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Doctor Kills His Bride In Wedding Night Row

By Sky News US Team

A doctor shot dead his wife on their wedding night during an argument before turning the gun on himself, officials say.

George Samson, 54, opened fire on Kelly Ecker, 50, at their mansion in Terre Haute, Indiana, early on Sunday.

The row turned deadly shortly after their last guest left a post-reception gathering at the couple's home.

Ms Ecker was a nurse at the same hospital as her husband Pic: Facebook

Ms Ecker, a nurse, phoned emergency services to say that her husband, an anaesthesiologist, was "beating the s*** out of me".

By the time police arrived, she had multiple fatal gunshot wounds to the head and torso with a 40-calibre semi-automatic pistol.

He was found dead in the basement.

Ms Ecker's 10-year-old son from a previous relationship and an elderly couple were in the home at the time of the shootings, the Indy Star reported.

Vigo County Chief Deputy Sheriff Clark Cottom told the newspaper: "The investigation has revealed that there was a verbal argument between the couple toward the end of the reception, which carried over to the after-party at the couples' home."

It is not clear what the newlyweds were arguing about.

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Ebola Survivor Donates Blood To NBC Cameraman

By Sky News US Team

A US doctor who has survived ebola has donated blood to an NBC cameraman who is fighting the disease in an American hospital, the broadcaster said.

Dr Kent Brantly, who had contracted the virus while working in Liberia, recovered after being flown to Atlanta.

NBC said he was contacted by the Nebraska hospital where cameraman Ashoka Mukpo is being treated and asked to donate his blood.

Dr Brantly's blood matches Mr Mukpo's, the report said.

The donation is expected to reach Mr Mukpo later today.

Video: NBC Cameraman With Ebola Back In US

Experts have been considering giving the blood of survivors to ebola patients as a way to kick-start their immune system.

There are no licenced drugs or vaccines for the disease, but about a half dozen are in development. 

Dr Brantly and another US patient who recovered were given the unproven drug ZMapp, but it is not clear how crucial the drug was in their recovery.

Video: Ebola Survivor 'A Miraculous Day'

Meanwhile, Thomas Eric Duncan is in critical condition with the disease at a Dallas hospital.

Mr Duncan, a Liberian, became ill after arriving in Texas from Liberia two weeks ago.

He is on a ventilator and receiving kidney dialysis.

Video: Suiting Up In An Ebola Hotspot

Reports also said that a woman aboard a plane that landed in Texas was taken to hospital with symptoms similar to those of ebola.

The captain of the plane that landed at Midland International Airport late on Tuesday alerted authorities that a passenger was displaying flu-like symptoms.

But Midland Public Information Officer Sarah Bustilloz told local TV station KOSA that ebola is "highly unlikely", though not yet entirely ruled out.

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Camel Cam: Google's Desert Street View Launched

Forget Street View - Google has now launched 'Desert View'.

A 10-year-old camel called Raffia was equipped with Google's Street View cameras to create panoramic shots of the desert around the Liwa Oasis in Abu Dhabi.

It is the first time the company has used an animal to capture images, but Google said it was the "most authentic" way of taking the photographs.

One of the images captured by Google's cameras

Middle East spokesman Joyce Baz said: "With every environment and every location, we try to customise the capture and how we do it for that part of the environment.

"In the case of Liwa we fashioned it in a way so that it goes on a camel so that it can capture imagery in the best, most authentic and least damaging way."

The camel was led by a local guide

A local guide walked the camel in the early hours of the morning - the quietest time of day and also the clearest weather-wise.

The photos - like all other Street View images - were then digitally stitched together to create a virtual world which users can travel through with the click of a mouse.

Street Views are available everywhere from Egypt and Turkey, to the Grand Canyon in the US.

The latest images are now available online.

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Shrien Dewani 'Wanted His Wife To Be Killed'

A convicted gunman was hired to kill a British businessman's wife as they celebrated their honeymoon, a court in Cape Town has heard.

Mziwamadoda Qwabe told the murder trial how he demanded £830 to kill Shrien Dewani's wife Anni - after being told to make her death look like a botched carjacking.

The 29-year-old, already serving 25 years in prison for his part in the plot, sat inches away from Dewani as he gave evidence.

"There was a husband who wanted his wife to be killed," Qwabe told the prosecutor.

"Anni would be killed and it needed to look like a hijacking. Nothing would happen to the husband."

Dewani, 34, denies the five charges against him, which include murder and conspiracy to commit kidnapping.

Anni Dewani was fatally wounded during her honeymoon in November 2010

During Wednesday morning's evidence, Qwabe described how the violent attack, which resulted in Mrs Dewani sustaining a fatal gunshot wound, was planned.

The prisoner claimed he and two fellow accomplices, Xolile Mngeni and Zola Tongo, had agreed to steal the husband's mobile phone to make the attack look authentic.

In the courtroom, Qwabe also relived the moment when Mrs Dewani was fatally wounded.

Mziwamadoda Qwabe (R), pictured in 2012, is giving evidence at the trial

"I heard a gunshot. [Mngeni] said 'I shot the lady'.

"I pulled over on to the pavement and stopped the car. I saw [Anni] was on the back seat of the car."

When questioned by Francois van Zyl, defending Dewani, Qwabe claimed that the gang never had a discussion about how Mrs Dewani was going to be killed.

He confirmed it was unclear who would murder the newlywed, which weapon would be used, or when and where the killing would occur.

Qwabe told the judge that he went home shortly after carrying out the attack, but then headed out to "socialise" because "it was a Saturday evening".

The trial continues, and has been adjourned until Thursday morning. Qwabe is expected to continue giving evidence.

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Texas Ebola Patient Thomas Eric Duncan Dies

By Sky News US Team

The first man diagnosed with ebola in the US has died, says the Dallas facility where he was being treated.

"It is with profound sadness and heartfelt disappointment that we must inform you of the death of Thomas Eric Duncan this morning at 7:51am," a release from Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital said.

"Mr Duncan succumbed to an insidious disease, Ebola. He fought courageously in this battle."

The statement said the hospital staff were "grieving" his death and had sent condolences to his family.

The Liberian national picked up the killer virus in Liberia before flying to Texas where he fell ill and was admitted to the Dallas hospital.

Video: Bodies Pile Up After Ebola Strike

US authorities are monitoring about 50 people who came into contact with him.

His family said they had visited him on Tuesday at the hospital, but declined to view him via video link because his condition was too "disturbing".

Mr Duncan's nephew, Josephus Weeks, said he and his mother had been unable to sleep after seeing Mr Duncan's face over video during a previous visit.

He was being treated with an experimental drug and had been on a breathing machine while receiving kidney dialysis.

There is no approved treatment for ebola and no vaccine against the virus.

Video: Suiting Up In An Ebola Hotspot

As news of Mr Duncan's death was released, Secretary of State John Kerry was making an urgent appeal for nations to "step up" their response to the outbreak of the deadly virus.

Speaking alongside British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond, Mr Kerry said more money, equipment and personnel are needed now.

He said it is essential for airlines to keep flying to West Africa and for borders to remain open to allow for the movement of assistance and medical staff.

The US meanwhile ordered security agents at airports and other entry ports to screen arriving travellers for signs of ebola.

People arriving from ebola-stricken countries in West Africa could begin facing mandatory screening measures as early as this weekend.

Video: 56 Being Checked For Ebola In Spain

Homeland Security Deputy Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas did not provide specifics on how the screenings would be conducted.

He said agents would observe all travellers for "general signs of illness".

Customs and Border Protection agents would also distribute fact sheets to arriving travellers that contain details of what symptoms to look for and directions to call a doctor if they become sick within 21 days, Mr Mayorkas said.

According to US media reports, the measures also call for some travellers to have their temperatures taken upon arrival.

Meanwhile, US doctor Kent Brantly, who survived ebola, has donated blood to an NBC cameraman who is fighting the disease at a Nebraska hospital, the broadcaster said.

Video: Online Appeal To Save Ebola Dog

And a Spanish nurse being treated for ebola in a Madrid hospital says she touched her face with a tainted protective glove after helping treat a man dying from the virus.

Earlier this week President Barack Obama said the chances of an ebola outbreak on US soil were "extraordinarily low".

The current outbreak in West Africa is the deadliest in history, and has already killed nearly 3,500 people.

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Airstrikes Target IS Fighters In Border Town

Two new airstrikes have reportedly been carried out against Islamic State (IS) targets around the Syrian border town of Kobani.

Thick black smoke could be seen billowing into the air from a hill on the eastern side of the town, according to the AFP news agency.

A second strike, a few hours later, sent a cloud of smoke above the northeastern side of the city.

They were the first airstrikes since a flurry of attacks yesterday, which some sources said had helped Kurdish fighters of the People's Protection Units (YPG) push back the IS militants.

Idris Nahsen, a Kurdish official from Kobani, said the airstrikes had been helpful.

"The situation has changed since Tuesday," he said. "YPG forces have pushed back IS forces."

Video: IS Footage Shows Kobani Onslaught

It comes after at least 12 people were killed during pro-Kurdish demonstrations in Turkey, with protesters claiming the country is not doing enough in the fight against Islamic State jihadists.

According to reports, five people have been killed in Diyarbakir, the largest town in Turkey's majority-Kurdish southeast region.

Several other deaths were recorded in other southeastern towns, including three in Mardin, two in Siirt, one in Batman and another in Mus.

Police have also used tear gas and water cannon to disperse angry protests in Istanbul and Ankara.

Video: Turkey Turns Water Cannon On Kurds

Turkish Interior Minister Efkan Ala accused the pro-Kurdish protesters of "betraying their own country".

"Violence will be met with violence," he said.

"This irrational attitude should immediately be abandoned and (the protesters) should withdraw from the streets."

The demonstrations called by the main pro-Kurdish party, the People's Democratic Party (HDP), stem from claims that Ankara is failing to intervene militarily against IS jihadists fighting for Kobani.

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1. Gallery: Assad's Forces Seize Area From Islamists

   Forces of Syria's President Bashar al Assad carry a Syrian flag as they head towards a spot where a flag of the al Qaeda-linked Nusra Front is positioned on a hillside in Zor al-Mahruqa village

2. Assad's forces said they had regained control of the area and its surrounding hills, in the Hama countryside

3. The flag of the al Qaeda-linked Nusra Front is burnt on the hill

5. The Syrian national flag is erected

6. Assad forces inspect military equipment, which they said were left behind by rebel fighters in Zor al-Mahruqa village

7. An abandoned base where caves were dug by rebel fighters in Zor al-Mahruqa village

10. Assad forces inspect an underground base where caves were dug by rebel fighters in the nearby al-Hareeqa village

12. A Polish army member hods the German flag in front of an Eurofighter aircraft during a visit of new NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg of Norway (not pictured) at Lask air base

13. NATO will stand by member state Turkey if it comes under attack as a result of the fighting in neighboring Syria, alliance Secretary-General Stoltenberg said

Some 400 people are believed to have been killed in the town and thousands displaced during weeks of fighting.

US, Saudi Arabian and United Arab Emirates jets had previously launched five attacks against targets south of the city.

In a statement, US Central Command said four armed vehicles, anti-aircraft artillery, a tank and a militant unit were hit during the strikes.

Reports suggest the fighting has become less intense following the coalition attacks.

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1. Gallery: IS Attacks Town Near Turkish Border

   Turkish army tanks take up position on the Turkish-Syrian border near the southeastern town of Suruc in Sanliurfa Province

2. Kurdish fighters vowed not to abandon their increasingly desperate efforts to defend the Syrian border town of Kobani from Islamic State militants pressing in from three sides and pounding them with heavy artillery

3. Despite the heavy fighting, which has seen mortars rain down on residential areas in Kobani and stray fire hit Turkish territory, a Reuters reporter saw around 30 people cross over from Turkey, apparently to help with defence of the town

4. An IS fighter walks near a black flag belonging to the Islamic State near Kobani

14. Kurdish refugees from Kobani sit in front of their tents in a camp in the southeastern town of Suruc

15. Islamic State is trying to seize Kobani, which is predominantly Kurdish, and has ramped up its offensive in recent days despite being targeted by US-led coalition airstrikes aimed at halting its progress

16. Turkish Kurds look at Kobani as they stand on top of a house near Mursitpinar border crossing. Continue through for more pictures

Reporter Jenan Moussa, positioned just 500m over the border in Turkey, told Sky News: "I can still hear shooting and shelling but (it is) nothing compared to Monday.

"I heard and I saw three airstrikes. One on the western side and two on the eastern."

Meanwhile, officials in Baghdad say IS militants have downed an Iraqi military helicopter near the refinery town of Beiji, killing the two pilots on board.

A military aviation official said the militants used a shoulder-fired missile to take down the Bell 407 helicopter north of Beiji on Wednesday. The town is home to Iraq's largest oil refinery and is located about about 130 miles north of Baghdad.

It comes after Turkish Prime Minister Recep Erdogan warned Kobani was "about to fall".

Canada has also now agreed to join the coalition of forces carrying out airstrikes against IS in Iraq.

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