Five Experimental Ebola Vaccines Set For Trial

Trials of a possible Ebola vaccine could begin in West Africa in December with the vaccine more widely available in the first half of next year.

World Health Organisation (WHO) assistant director general Marie-Paule Kieny said: "Before the end of first half of 2015...we could have available a few hundred thousand doses. That could be 200,000 - it could be less or could be more."

She was speaking after WHO held talks about potential vaccines with health experts, officials from Ebola-affected nations and pharmaceutical firms.

There is currently no proven vaccine against the deadly virus and drug companies have previously avoided investing too heavily in a cure because outbreaks before this year's had been small.

West Africa's Ebola outbreak began in March and has killed more than 4,900 people, most of them in Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea, according to the WHO.

Video: Ebola: Busting The Myths

It believes that up to 1.4 million people could have been affected by 2015 and there are also fears the virus may be used as a weapon of bio-terrorism.

Two leading vaccine contenders are already in trials, with another five to begin trials next year.

US firm Johnson & Johnson have already said they aim to produce at least one million doses of their vaccine next year and UK-based GlaxoSmithKiline is also working on a vaccine called ChAd3.

Video: Ebola Crisis: On The Front Line

GSK's chief executive Sir Andrew Witty said earlier that this week's meeting of health experts should discuss ways to make sure all drug companies worked together to get the vaccine out.

Video: Ebola Tales: The Orphans

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Ukrainian Refugees Flee To Russian Arctic

By Katie Stallard, Russia correspondent, in Murmansk

More than 800,000 refugees have crossed the border into Russia since the start of the year, according to the UN's refugee agency (UNHCR).

At least a quarter of a million are thought to be displaced inside Ukraine.

With the country heading to the polls on Sunday for parliamentary elections, the situation in the east remains dangerously unstable, despite the ceasefire supposedly in place.

Larisa and Evgeniy Golubyatnikova fled the fighting near Donetsk in August with their two children - three-year-old Margarita and her 13-year-old brother Vadim.

They told me their village was surrounded and they could hear shelling close by.

They had to leave so quickly they could only bring the children and a single suitcase.

"Do you like it here in the north?" Larisa asks her daughter.

The family is among 72 refugees living in a college dormitory in Murmansk

"I like it in Ukraine," Margarita replies.

"They are shooting there, it is scary," her mother tells her.

Video: Ukraine Conflict Deaths

The family is living in one room of a college dormitory in the northern city of Murmansk.

Some 72 Ukrainian refugees have been housed here, the youngest of whom is just six months old.

It was the only destination on offer for relocation when they arrived in the crowded refugee camp in Southern Russia this summer, but they decided it was better than staying at the camp.

Within 24 hours they were on board a plane bound for the Arctic.

Video: Trapped Between The Battle Lines

"We don't have anyone here," Larisa explained, "That is why it is hard and scary.

"I think after a move like this one, nothing can scare us anymore."

Her husband, Evgeniy, added: "The only comfort is that there is a peaceful sky over our head now.

"It was hard, even unbearable to stay there. We did it for our children."

Video: Lenin Statue Toppled In Ukraine

Located north of the Arctic Circle, winters in Murmansk can be tough. For six weeks of the year it will be completely dark, the temperature regularly drops below -20C.

But the family has found warmth amongst the people - volunteers have donated winter clothes and done their best to make them feel welcome.

"Margarita misses her granny, especially after speaking to her on the phone," Larisa told us.

"We told her that we left from where they were shooting, that here it is better here."

Video: MP Dumped In Bin By Angry Mob

Adjusting to their new life in the Arctic has not been easy - the college accommodation is only temporary, and they still need somewhere permanent to stay.

But the family thinks their children will have a better future here than in Ukraine.

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Automatic Quarantine In US For Ebola Medics

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

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

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

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

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

Video: Cured Texas Ebola Nurse 'Blessed'

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

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

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

Video: Ebola: Busting The Myths

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

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

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

Video: How Ebola Attacks The Human Body

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

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

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

Video: Liberia Gripped By Ebola Virus Fear

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

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

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

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Nathan Cirillo Made 'The Ultimate Sacrifice'

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

Corporal Nathan Cirillo, of the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, was guarding the National War Memorial in the Canadian capital when he was attacked.

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

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

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

Video: Canadian PM: The Full Statement

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

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

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

Video: The Face Of Canada's Terror Fight

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

1/24

1. Gallery: How The Ottawa Attack Unfolded

   At around 10am on Wednesday, 32-year-old petty criminal Michael Zehaf-Bibeau killed a soldier standing guard at Ottawa's war memorial

2. He then ran into the nearby Canadian Parliament building where he was shot to death by the ceremonial Sergeant-at-Arms

3. Conservative and Liberal MPs were holding their weekly caucus meetings at the time

4. Cabinet minister Tony Clement tweeted that at least 30 shots were heard inside Parliament

5. In a national TV statement, Prime Minister Stephen Harper said: "We will not be intimidated. Canada will never be intimidated"

6. It was the second deadly attack in three days against members of the Canadian military

7. On Monday, a man Harper described as an "ISIL-inspired terrorist" ran over two soldiers in Quebec, killing one and injuring another before being shot to death by police

8. Witnesses said the soldier killed in the latest attack, Cpl Nathan Cirillo, was gunned down at point-blank range by a man carrying a rifle and dressed all in black, his face half-covered with a scarf

9. One said: "The honour guard dropped to the ground, and the shooter kind of raised his arms in triumph holding the rifle"

10. At least three people were treated for minor injuries

11. Some people fled the complex by scrambling down scaffolding erected for renovations

12. Others took cover inside as police with rifles and body armour took up positions outside and cordoned off streets

13. The two attacks have raised fears Canada is being targeted for reprisals for joining the air campaign against Islamic State extremists in Iraq and Syria

14. The National War Memorial contains an arched granite cenotaph, or tomb, with bronze sculptures commemorating World War I

15. The gunman had convictions for assault, robbery, drug and weapons offences, and other crimes. Swipe through for more images of the attack and its aftermath

Video: Witness & Reporter Peter Henderson

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Canada Terror Attack Gunman's Criminal Past

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

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

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

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

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

Video: Canadian Police News Conference

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

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

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

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

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

Video: Ottawa Not Intimidated By Attack

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

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

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

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

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

Video: Brother's Pride For Shooting Hero

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

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

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

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

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

Video: 'Planet Descending Into Savagery'

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

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

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

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New York Doctor Is City's First Ebola Case

A New York doctor who returned from treating patients in Guinea this month has become the city's first person to test postive for ebola.

Craig Spencer, 33, has been held at an isolation ward at Manhattan's Bellevue Hospital, a designated centre for dealing with the virus.

His apartment in Harlem has been sealed off and authorities are trying to track down those who came into contact with him in the days before he was admitted to hospital.

The doctor, originally from Detroit, Michigan, had been working in west Africa for medical charity Doctors Without Borders.

Dr Spencer arrived in New York from Guinea on 17 October and reported coming down with a fever and diarrhoea on Thursday.

Craig Spencer is being treated at the Bellevue Hospital in New York City

Before he was admitted to hospital, he travelled on the subway, went to a bowling alley in Brooklyn and then took a cab back to Manhattan.

New York Mayor Bill de Blasio said there was no reason for people to worry.

Video: Mayor Says No Ebola Risk To Public

He told a news conference: "Ebola is an extremely hard disease to contract. It is transmitted only through direct contact with infected persons' blood or other bodily fluids.

"Travelling on the same subway car ... does not ... put someone at risk."

Two of Dr Spencer's friends and his fiancee have been placed in quarantine. The fiancee is in hospital, but all three are healthy.

Video: Ebola: New York 'Shouldn't Panic'

A fourth person, a taxi driver, did not come into close contact with him.

Guinea is one of the three worst-hit countries in the latest ebola outbreak, along with Sierra Leone and Liberia. Nearly 4,900 people have died so far.

Mali had earlier become the latest country to admit one of its residents had tested positive for the disease.

Video: Emergency Aid To Fight Ebola

A health ministry official said the girl had just arrived from Guinea, where her mother died of the virus a few weeks before.

Bellevue is one of three Manhattan hospitals and eight in the state of New York equipped to handle patients diagnosed with ebola.

The ongoing threat from ebola was underlined on Thursday by the findings of a study in medical journal Lancet Infectious Diseases, which estimated that by 15 December, part of Liberia could suffer 171,000 cases of the disease.

Video: PM Urges EU Leaders To 'Do More'

The total number of cases would affect one in eight of Montserrado county's 1.38 million population, with at least 90,000 expected to die.

The study said that number could be cut substantially if quarantine procedures are put in place and standard medical techniques - like using soap, bleach, masks and gloves extensively - are put in place.

In the UK, David Cameron pledged a further £80m for the fight against the disease.

Video: Ebola Around The World

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Canada Senator Describes Terror In Parliament

A senator in the Canadian Parliament has described to Sky News how he and his colleagues took cover as an attacker stormed in and started firing.

Speaking from inside the building in lockdown, Senator Jim Munson said he was inside a committee room with other politicians when security guards ran in and started to scream "Get out, get out, there is a gunman in the building".

He did not know at that stage that an attacker had shot a soldier at the nearby war memorial in central Ottawa, inflicting injuries that were to prove fatal.

"We began to leave, but then we were stopped because of a volley of gunshots that we heard outside the parliament, and of course inside there was a volley of gunshots," he said.

Senator Munson described Kevin Vickers as 'big and fearless'

"The caucus meeting was going on with the New Democratic Party and they could smell the gunpowder."

Mr Munson added that he had heard reports that the man who tackled this gunman was the Sergeant-at-Arms in the building.

Video: Reaction: John McKay MP

"He is a pretty famous gentleman," he said. "His name is Kevin Vickers, he is a former Royal Canadian Mounted Policeman, a very big man and fearless.

"If he did this then he's a hero."

He described the soldier's death as a tragedy.

However, he said that the number of people present while the attack was taking place meant the casualties could have been a lot higher.

Video: Local Politician Charlie Angus MP

"This is caucus time on Parliament Hill and all three parties have everybody in one room," he said.

He also revealed that his wife had witnessed the shooting of the soldier after dropping him off outside the parliament building.

"She ... was in behind, believe it or not, the little black car that was stopped right beside the war memorial on the main thoroughfare on Wellington Street," he said.

"She saw this one gentleman get out with blankets ... and he walked towards the war memorial and she glimpsed some light and obviously that was the shot, the unarmed soldier doing sentry duty at the war memorial.

Video: Witness & Reporter Peter Henderson

"But she is safe and my family is safe."

Charlie Angus of the New Democratic Party said he thought: "Thank God this guy wasn't very bright".

"If he had come an hour later everybody would have been piling out into the main hall with the national media," he told Sky News.

"When he came in we were meeting in our caucuses and he may not have realised we were there."

1/24

1. Gallery: Ottawa In Lockdown After Attacks

   At around 10am on Wednesday, 32-year-old petty criminal Michael Zehaf-Bibeau killed a soldier standing guard at Ottawa's war memorial

2. He then ran into the nearby Canadian Parliament building where he was shot to death by the ceremonial Sergeant-at-Arms

3. Conservative and Liberal MPs were holding their weekly caucus meetings at the time

4. Cabinet minister Tony Clement tweeted that at least 30 shots were heard inside Parliament

5. In a national TV statement, Prime Minister Stephen Harper said: "We will not be intimidated. Canada will never be intimidated"

6. It was the second deadly attack in three days against members of the Canadian military

7. On Monday, a man Harper described as an "ISIL-inspired terrorist" ran over two soldiers in Quebec, killing one and injuring another before being shot to death by police

8. Witnesses said the soldier killed in the latest attack, Cpl Nathan Cirillo, was gunned down at point-blank range by a man carrying a rifle and dressed all in black, his face half-covered with a scarf

9. One said: "The honour guard dropped to the ground, and the shooter kind of raised his arms in triumph holding the rifle"

10. At least three people were treated for minor injuries

11. Some people fled the complex by scrambling down scaffolding erected for renovations

12. Others took cover inside as police with rifles and body armour took up positions outside and cordoned off streets

13. The two attacks have raised fears Canada is being targeted for reprisals for joining the air campaign against Islamic State extremists in Iraq and Syria

14. The National War Memorial contains an arched granite cenotaph, or tomb, with bronze sculptures commemorating World War I

15. The gunman had convictions for assault, robbery, drug and weapons offences, and other crimes. Swipe through for more images of the attack and its aftermath

Outside parliament, John McKay said: I was just taking off my jacket to go into caucus when I heard pop, pop, pop - possibly 10 shots.

"I thought it was dynamite or construction rather than anything else."

He added: "This is the kind of day that changes everything."

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Canada Will 'Never Be Intimidated' By Terrorists

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

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

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

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

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

Video: Footage Of The Ottawa Gunman

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

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

The attacker has been named by Canadian media as Michael Zehaf- Bibeau, 32, who US agencies have been advised is a Canadian convert to Islam.

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

Video: Canadian PM: The Full Statement

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

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

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

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

Video: How The Ottawa Attack Unfolded

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

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

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

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

Video: "We Must Remain Vigilant"

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

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

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

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Nathan Cirillo Made 'The Ultimate Sacrifice'

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

Corporal Nathan Cirillo, of the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, was guarding the National War Memorial in the Canadian capital when he was attacked.

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

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

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

Video: Canadian PM: The Full Statement

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

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

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

Video: The Face Of Canada's Terror Fight

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

1/24

1. Gallery: Ottawa In Lockdown After Attacks

   At around 10am on Wednesday, 32-year-old petty criminal Michael Zehaf-Bibeau killed a soldier standing guard at Ottawa's war memorial

2. He then ran into the nearby Canadian Parliament building where he was shot to death by the ceremonial Sergeant-at-Arms

3. Conservative and Liberal MPs were holding their weekly caucus meetings at the time

4. Cabinet minister Tony Clement tweeted that at least 30 shots were heard inside Parliament

5. In a national TV statement, Prime Minister Stephen Harper said: "We will not be intimidated. Canada will never be intimidated"

6. It was the second deadly attack in three days against members of the Canadian military

7. On Monday, a man Harper described as an "ISIL-inspired terrorist" ran over two soldiers in Quebec, killing one and injuring another before being shot to death by police

8. Witnesses said the soldier killed in the latest attack, Cpl Nathan Cirillo, was gunned down at point-blank range by a man carrying a rifle and dressed all in black, his face half-covered with a scarf

9. One said: "The honour guard dropped to the ground, and the shooter kind of raised his arms in triumph holding the rifle"

10. At least three people were treated for minor injuries

11. Some people fled the complex by scrambling down scaffolding erected for renovations

12. Others took cover inside as police with rifles and body armour took up positions outside and cordoned off streets

13. The two attacks have raised fears Canada is being targeted for reprisals for joining the air campaign against Islamic State extremists in Iraq and Syria

14. The National War Memorial contains an arched granite cenotaph, or tomb, with bronze sculptures commemorating World War I

15. The gunman had convictions for assault, robbery, drug and weapons offences, and other crimes. Swipe through for more images of the attack and its aftermath

Video: Witness & Reporter Peter Henderson

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Nigerian Schoolgirls Could Be Free Within Days

Nigeria hopes 219 schoolgirls kidnapped by Islamist group Boko Haram will be freed by Tuesday, according to a government source.

Authorities earlier said they had agreed a ceasefire with the militant group to make the release possible.

"I can confirm the Federal Government is working hard to meet its own part of the agreement so that the release of the abductees can by effected either on Monday or latest by Tuesday next week," the source said.

The girls were kidnapped from a school in Chibok in April

But Bana Lawan, chairman of Chibok Local Government Area urged caution and said: "We don't know how true it is until we prove it. We will know the negotiations were successful when we see the girls physically.

"Then we will know it is true. And then we will celebrate."

Community leader Pogu Bitrus said: "People rejoiced, but with caution."

Both men said residents have been disappointed too many times in the past by reports of progress by Nigeria's government and military that later proved to be false.

And this caution seemed well-founded with suspected Boko Haram militants carrying out two deadly attacks on Nigerian villages after the announcement of the ceasefire.

On Friday, French President Francois Hollande had told a news conference in Paris that the girls' release "could happen in the coming hours and days".

1/7

1. Gallery: Profile: Boko Haram Leader

   Abubakar Shekau is the leader of Boko Haram. He took control of the Islamist group after the death of founder Mohammed Yusuf in 2009.

2. Little is known about him, although he was born in Shekau village in the northeastern state of Yobe and is now thought to be in his early 40s.

3. Shekau is Nigeria's most-wanted man and was designated a terrorist by the U.S. government in 2012. A reward of $7m (£4.6m) and 50m Nigerian naira (£182,000) has been issued for information leading to his location.

4. Shekau is also known as "Darul Tawheed", a reference to his knowledge of an orthodox doctrine of Islam centred on the oneness of Allah.

5. Nigerian authorities thought he had been killed in 2009 during clashes with security forces, but he reappeared in a video in 2010 to claim leadership of Boko Haram.

6. Shekau is believed to have been behind the August 2011 bombing of the UN compound in the capital Abuja, which killed at least 21 people.

7. In a video released after the abduction of 276 girls from a boarding school in the village of Chibok on April 14, he described the youngsters as "slaves" and threatened to "sell them in the market".

France had been involved in negotiations that led to the release of several of its citizens kidnapped by Boko Haram in Cameroon.

Boko Haram (their name means 'education is sinful') kidnapped the 276 girls at gunpoint from a school in Chibok, northeastern Nigeria, on April 14.

Some of the girls managed to escape in the aftermath of their kidnap or during fighting among militants, but 219 are still unaccounted for.

The group has demanded the release of detained extremists in exchange for the girls.

Video: Nigeria 'Optimistic' Over Girls

Sky's Special Correspondent Alex Crawford said Boko Haram had "assured Nigerian authorities that the Chibok schoolgirls are well and safe".

The country's leader, Goodluck Jonathan, has faced strong criticism over a deteriorating security situation in Nigeria, with areas in the northeast Borno state inaccessible due to the threat from Boko Haram.

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Hong Kong Clashes As Protesters Fight Back

Dozens of people have been injured in new clashes in Hong Kong as pro-democracy campaigners took back an area that was cleared by police less than 24 hours earlier.

Riot officers used batons and pepper spray against protesters who pushed against police lines and shielded themselves with umbrellas.

Officers were eventually forced to retreat during violent scuffles with the crowd which numbered around 9,000.

Demonstrator Peter Yuen said: "The police have lost control of the situation. They've lost their minds. We've come here peacefully, to peacefully protest for our future."

Activists rushed to reoccupy their protest camp and rebuild makeshift barricades from packing crates and fences in an area of the Mong Kok district which police had opened to traffic just hours before.

Protesters push over barricades

At least 33 people were reportedly arrested in the skirmishes, while 18 officers were among the injured.

The protests, calling for fully free elections and the resignation of the territory's leader, Leung Chun-ying, have been going on for three weeks.

Video: Police Accused Of Protest Brutality

It was the third consecutive night violence had broken out after a fortnight which has been relatively quiet. The first week saw major clashes.

The latest came just hours after Mr Leung offered talks with student leaders next week in an attempt to defuse the protests.

His chief secretary, Carrie Lam, later announced discussions would take place for two hours on Tuesday.

Video: Dozens Held After Hong Kong Clashes

The Mong Kok area was calm later on Saturday with the number of protesters much smaller as activists rested. Police stood away from the barricades.

During the demonstrations, protesters have held sit-ins at three major intersections causing significant disruption to the city.

China has insisted that whoever stands to replace Mr Leung in elections in 2017 must be vetted by a committee that is expected to be loyal to Beijing.

Video: HK Protest Barriers Dismantled

But the protesters have dismissed the proposal as "fake democracy".

Hong Kong police commissioner Andy Tsang said his force had been tolerant since the rallies began in the hope that demonstrators would "calm down".

"Unfortunately these protesters chose to carry on with their unlawful acts, including acts which are even more radical and more violent," Mr Tsang said.

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MH17 Parents Plead For End To 'Pointless War'

By Jonathan Samuels, Australia Corespondent

The parents of three children killed in the MH17 tragedy have issued a heartbreaking statement, calling for the Ukraine war to end.

The bodies of the Maslin children, Mo, 12, Evie, 10, and Otis, 8, were returned to Australian soil on Thursday.

They died along with their grandfather, Nick Norris, after a missile shot the Malaysia Airlines jet out of the sky on 17 July, killing 298 people.

Anthony Maslin and Marite Norris said: "Our lives are an ongoing hell.

The plane was shot down in eastern Ukraine, killing 298 people

"The pain we are enduring is unfathomable, and we grieve alongside families in the Ukraine, the Netherlands, Russia, Malaysia, Australia and elsewhere.

"Please respect our children's memory, and stop this pointless war.

1/19

1. Gallery: Images Of Flight MH17 Wreckage

   The crash site of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 in Ukraine

5. A pro-Russian separatist holds up a stuffed toy found at the crash site

6. Some 298 people were killed when flight MH17, flying from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur, was brought down near Grabovo, Donetsk, where Ukrainian forces have been battling separatists

7. Pro-Russian rebels have been accused of stopping investigators accessing the site

8. International pressure is growing on Russia to aid the investigation and apply pressure on the rebels

9. Body parts are now being removed by Ukraine emergency ministry staff. Continue for more images from the crash site

"No hate in the world is as strong as the love we have for our children, for Mo, for Evie, for Otis.

"No hate in the world is as strong as the love we have for Grandad Nick.

"No hate in the world is as strong as the love we have for each other."

The couple paid moving tributes to their three children, who were among 38 Australians killed in the crash.

"We honour Mo - his wisdom, his compassionate heart, and his total selflessness. Mo is peaceful and inclusive," they said.

"We honour Evie and her boundless, unlimited love. She is empathetic, beautiful, funny, artistic and creative.

Video: MH17 'Split Into Pieces' In Flight

"We honour Otis and his complete and humbling fascination with all things outdoors, big and small, near and far.

"Oti provides all of us with carefree joy and laughter - perhaps the most powerful gift of all."

The Boeing 777 was flying from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur when it was shot down over rebel-held territory in eastern Ukraine.

The Maslin children had been travelling home to Perth with their grandfather while their parents stayed on in the Netherlands to enjoy a few extra days of holiday.

The couple go on to say they have been two of the "luckiest and happiest people on the planet" and their love for their children will never weaken.

"Our children were taken from us by a war in which we, and our country had no part. It is impossible to understand the reason they were blown out of the sky," they said.

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1. Gallery: Impact Marks On MH17 Fuselage

   These stills were released by the Dutch Safety Board on September 9, 2014

2. They show clearly visible puncture marks scattered across the fuselage of MH17

3. On July 17, the Malaysia Airlines flight lost all 298 passengers and crew

4. The plane was flying from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur

5. The disaster occurred over an area of Ukraine controlled by pro-Russian separatists

6. Crash investigators say it was probably downed by "a large number of high-energy objects"

7. The Dutch Safety Board has ruled out technical fault or human error

Australia wants investigation teams to re-examine the crash site.

Australia's foreign minister, Julie Bishop, recently held a "detailed discussion" with Russian leader Vladimir Putin.

She said she received assurances from Mr Putin that he would help get access to the site, but could not give details of when that might happen.

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