UN 'Completely Overwhelmed' By Gaza Refugees

The United Nations says it is "completely overwhelmed" by the number of Palestinians seeking refuge in its Gaza camps.

Chris Gunness, spokesman for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), told Sky News its shelters were "overflowing" and that "Gaza is being destroyed".

"Eight of my colleagues have been killed. We simply can't cope," said Mr Gunness.

"The Israeli army has been dropping leaflets over Gaza telling people to leave their homes.

"We may well soon be in a position where there are tens of thousands stranded in the streets of Gaza with missiles flying in, rockets flying out.

"These people will be without food, shelter, blankets, mattresses, without water.

Palestinians survey the rubble of a house in Gaza

"The parties to this conflict need to realise that UNRWA does not have an infinite capacity to absorb the consequences of their military campaign."

Some 245,000 Palestinians have fled to 80 UN-run schools and other public buildings as their homes have been destroyed by Israeli rockets, or are under threat of being hit.

Children in the Jebalya camp, home to more than 3,000 refugees

A rocket which hit a camp in Jebalya on Wednesday morning as families slept killed at least 16 people and has been widely condemned.

Israel has said it is investigating the incident and reiterated it does not intentionally target civilians.

It blames Hamas for embedding itself among the civilian population and points to the fact that the group's rockets have been found in three UN schools.

The Jebalya camp was hit - but Israel says it does not target civilians

Mr Gunness conceded that Hamas fighters had infiltrated three of its facilities but said that militants had taken advantage of empty schools "mothballed" for the summer.

"As soon as we found out about this ... we proactively told the parties about them, we issued a public condemnation.

"Were we expected to chuck these weapons in the back of a pick-up and drive them through a warzone and somehow disable them? Or drive them across the confrontation line and give them to Israel?"

Chris Gunness admitted militants had stored rockets at three schools

The UN says nearly 1,300 Palestinians have been killed since Israeli began rocket attacks early in July.

"Gaza is being destroyed," said Mr Gunness.

"On the ground, the effort to rebuild Gaza is going to be very long and very expensive and the people who are stranded ... what is going to happen to them?"

"When this war is over they will have nowhere to go. We cannot have a situation where these people are left in these totally overcrowded UNRWA schools."

Israel's prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has said the country will not agree a ceasefire until all of Hamas' cross-border "terror tunnels" are destroyed.

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International Experts Reach MH17 Crash Site

International observers have reached the crash site of the downed Malaysia Airlines plane in eastern Ukraine.

It is the first time experts have been able to visit the scene in almost a week due to fierce fighting between Ukrainian forces and pro-Russian rebels.

Dutch PM Mark Rutte said the pain of the tragedy was 'almost unbearable'

The ongoing violence has frustrated efforts by investigators to reach the site to recover the remains of victims and examine the scene of the disaster, which claimed the lives of 298 people.

The Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe's monitoring mission tweeted: "Monitors reach MH17 crash site for first time in almost week, accompanied by four Dutch, Australian experts. Used new route to access."

However, as observers arrived there were reports of loud explosions close to the crash site with black smoke seen coming from a nearby village.

Observers used a new route to gain access to the area

A statement from the Dutch mission said a small team would carry out initial checks.

It said: "They will now only do initial reconnaissance, so that they can start searching as soon as possible during a later visit."

Shortly before they reached the area, Malaysia's Prime Minister called on the warring sides to agree to a ceasefire around the site.

Najib Razak said: "The conflict in eastern Ukraine may not be easily resolved, but the people on board that plane had no part in it."

The Malaysian PM's message in the book of condolence for MH17 victims

Speaking at a joint press conference with Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte in The Hague, Mr Razak added: "We ask there be an immediate cessation of hostilities in and around the crash site by both Ukrainian and separatist forces.

"We ask that all sides respect the lives lost and the integrity of the crash site so that the investigation may proceed."

Mr Rutte said: "The pain of the terrible accident is almost unbearable."

Earlier, Ukraine claimed it had suspended military operations to allow monitors to reach the site, but separatists were continuing to attack its troops.

But the rebels have accused Ukraine forces of breaching a ceasefire in the crash area, and so preventing monitors from carrying out their work.

Meanwhile, Russia's aviation authorities said a team of their own experts had arrived in Kiev and were hoping to reach the crash site.

Western countries blame rebels for allegedly shooting down the airliner with a missile, mistaking it for a Ukrainian plane, but the separatists deny any involvement.

More follows...

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Sudan Mum Who Was On Death Row Flies To US

A mother-of-two who faced a death sentence, later overturned, over claims she converted to Christianity in Sudan is flying to the US to start afresh.

Meriam Ibrahim, her husband and children were due to arrive in Philadelphia on Thursday afternoon on a flight from Rome, where she was last week greeted by the Pope.

The family are then expected to take another flight to Manchester, New Hampshire, where her husband, South Sudanese-American Daniel Wani, used to live.

Ms Ibrahim was initially prevented from flying to the US last month after her conviction in May for converting from Islam and marrying a Christian man was quashed.

She gave birth to her baby daughter Maya while in prison. 

Ms Ibrahim was convicted of apostasy and adultery despite claiming she had always been a Christian, having been raised by her Ethiopian mother while her Muslim father had left when she was young.

After international outcry, her death sentence was initially suspended for two years so she could nurse the baby in prison.

Ms Ibrahim's young son Martin was also living in prison with her.

The death sentence was later overturned and she was freed, but when Ms Ibrahim went to Khartoum Airport with her family to fly to the US, she was initially accused of forging travel documents and detained again.

After weeks at the US embassy in Khartoum, the family was finally allowed to leave the country.

Last week Ms Ibrahim was invited to the Vatican to meet Pope Francis, who thanked her for being a "witness to faith".

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Ebola Crisis: Your Questions Answered

Here's a recap of Alex Crawford's live question and answer session on the ebola crisis.

Taiwo Ogunye: In my own opinion, WHO and the UN are not doing enough to help keep ebola from spreading.

Alex Crawford:  I think I would have to agree sadly.

Kayleigh Sowerby: What are the chances that ebola will make it to the UK?

Alex Crawford: I believe slim and if it did, could be halted in its tracks through prompt action, simple hygiene, awareness. But vigilance required.

Leslee Welch: How safe is air travel in region? Husband flying in Nigeria on national airline.

Alex Crawford: Chances of catching on flight are slim. One victim who died did not infect all 11 people he came into direct contact with.

Mike Wilson: Do you know if an infected person is contagious whilst in the incubation period?

Alex Crawford: Yes, and the advice is to refrain from unprotected intercourse for seven weeks after.

Mike Wilson: Why don't they isolate the countries by restricting air travel? Huge world risk with normal flight operations.

Alex Crawford: An extreme solution. Ploughing more resources into help and education would probably do the job.

Sarah Jane: You need to bring someone onto Sky News who has seen what it can do.

Alex Crawford: Agree. We've had a number of specialists on including the man who first discovered it.

Harrison Hooley: If a victim survives, how long will the symptoms last?

Alex Crawford: It has an incubation period of around 21 days. Problem with survivor in these communities is they are often outcast. One of the main reasons of spread is culture of washing, weeping over and eating with infected corpse.

Andy: Those poor people must be so frightening for them.

Alex Crawford: Very scary and those in the epicentre are terrified. They distrust modern medicine and fear isolation tents are a death sentence.

Steve Onyeocha: I suppose this is global issue and should be treated with more care as it is not just West African problem.

Alex Crawford: Agree wholeheartedly.

Alan Knight: I saw you at Mamba Point. I should have realised if you are in town its time to get out.

Alex Crawford: Apologies for being bearer of bad news. Hopefully it enlightened some...

Andy: If ebola came to the UK, how long (in theory) before it would spread across the whole island?

Alex Crawford: It unlikely to spread as rapidly in rich Western countries with different cultural traditions.

Jo: This hospital where the ebola specialist himself died, how will it cope now without him?

Alex Crawford: He was a national hero. Tragic. But he worked in a team.

Steve Onyeocha: Is it true that ebola is in Nigeria now ? and how many victims has it made?

Alex Crawford: A victim travelled to and I believe died in Lagos. They're trying to trace all who came into contact with victim.

Pete: What checks are other African nations tackling to stop virus migrating across continent?

Alex Crawford: Not enough. Borders at the epicentre are very porous and largely open.

Matthew Vincent: How quickly is the ebola growing and what countries other than Africa are currently affected?

Alex Crawford: I believe there has been a case in Hong Kong but largely contained in African countries right now. Its spreading the fastest its ever done since first detected and the medics dealing with it feel overwhelmed.

Ringu: Will they stop flights coming in and out of those affected countries?

Alex Crawford: There do not appear to be any plans just yet and probably not required. But education and personnel ARE needed.

CC: I think it's so scary, can you imagine the problems this could cause?

Alex Crawford: It is already causing massive problems and fear in countries affected.

Adam Herbert: Simply put, should we worrying yet? What steps, if any, can we take to help?

Alex Crawford: I think if you are a member of the global village then worry definitely. These are the world's poorest.

Hardeytaryor Francis: Is there any way to cure this deadly disease?

Alex Crawford: At the moment, no.

Ajia Mammud Olayinka: What preventative measures can one take against this outbreak?

Alex Crawford: From my experience I would say education is key. Not enough known about it in key areas.

Jo: I would like to know what medical treatment patients receive (considering there's no cure)?

Alex Crawford: They are largely rehydrated and given antibiotics to add strength to fight virus.

Liam Boyall: Is Alex Crawford qualified in this area?

Alex Crawford: Only qualified in that have been to the epicentre.

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Ship Found At Ground Zero Dates To 1773

A ship found four years ago at the World Trade Center site was made from wood cut around 1773, new research shows.

Scientists at Columbia University's Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory said the white oak in the ship's frame came from a Philadelphia-area forest and matched the material used to build the city's Independence Hall.

They announced the findings in the July issue of the journal Tree Ring Research.

The discovery links the ship to key dates in American history: 1773 was two years before the start of the war and three years before the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

The ship was discovered in July 2010

The scientists identified the vessel as a Dutch-designed, Philadelphia-built sloop made to carry passengers and cargo over shallow, rocky water.

The white oak in the ship's frame came from a Philadelphia-area forest

They said it sailed for 20 to 30 years before being weighed down and sunk to the bottom of the Hudson River.

Archaeologists dismantled the ship piece by piece to study it

A 32ft (10m) piece of the vessel was found in July 2010 about 20ft (6m) under a street during construction of a parking garage for the new 1 World Trade Center.

The tower is part of the complex that was rebuilt after the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

A 100-pound iron anchor was found a few yards from the hull

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Deadly Indian Landslide Wipes Out Village

By Neville Lazarus, India Producer

At least 30 people have been killed after a landslide buried a remote village in western India.

It is feared the number of dead will grow as more than 150 people are believed to be buried under the debris in Malin, in the foothills of the Sahyadri mountains.

Rescue workers and villagers have been digging through deep mud and rocks, some using their bare hands, in a frantic bid to find survivors.

Rescuers use their bare hands in the frantic search for survivors

Two days of torrential rain triggered the landslide on Wednesday while many were asleep in their homes, but emergency teams could not reach the area for several hours due to poor communications and dangerous roads.

More than 40 houses lie buried under almost 15ft of debris.

The alarm was only raised when a passing bus driver saw the village, in Pune district of Maharashtra state, had been wiped out.

Suresh Jadhav, a district official, said: "The driver returned to a nearby city and alerted authorities. Everything on the mountain came down."

A National Disaster Response Force commander, Alok Avasthy, said there was a very small chance of finding any more survivors, but added: "Miracles do happen."

Distraught villagers in the wake of the disaster

Heavy rain also continued to hamper relief efforts, which continued throughout the night with flood lights mounted on jeeps used to illuminate the area.

Pravin Sadhale of the state's Emergency Medical Services said: "As we remove the mud from one place, more is flowing in since the rains have been incessant."

Around 250 disaster response workers and at least 100 ambulances are involved in the rescue.

Care is being taken to not endanger those trapped who may still be alive, but it is a race against time to find survivors.

Heavy rain has been hampering rescue efforts in the remote area

Hospitals in the region have been put on standby.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has mourned the loss of life and said every effort must be made to help the victims.

He has sent Home Minister Rajnath Singh to the scene.

Landslides are common in the area during the monsoon season, which runs from June until September.

The area around the village has been deforested extensively, increasing the threat of landslides.

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Ebola Crisis: Two US Volunteers In Isolation

Two American volunteers have been placed in isolation amid fears they could have contracted the virus in West Africa.

The pair - working for America's Peace Corps movement  - have not displayed symptoms but are under observation after coming into contact with an ebola sufferer, who later died.

The Peace Corps said it was evacuating 340 volunteers from Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone, the three countries worst affected in the outbreak.

The virus - which has no vaccine, no specific treatment and a fatality rate of up to 90% - has now killed more than 670 in west Africa.

Liberia has closed schools and is considering quarantining some communities and closing markets in areas bordering Guinea and Sierra Leone.

Health workers' clothing and equipment have to be sterilised

Many civil servants have also been told to stay at home for 30 days.

The measures were announced after an isolation unit treating people in the capital Monrovia was revealed to be overrun with cases.

It has forced health workers to treat up to 20 new patients in their homes.

Liberia's Information minister Lewis Brown told Reuters: "This is a major public health emergency.

"It's fierce, deadly and many of our countrymen are dying and we need to act to stop the spread

"We need the support of the international community now more than ever. We desperately need all the help we can get."

Dozens of flights come into Europe from the affected countries

A lack of effective communication has led to misinformation about the virus spreading in Liberia, with rural communities accusing foreign aid workers of bringing in the deadly virus.

Others blamed the government with one man setting fire to the health ministry building in Monrovia after his teenage brother reportedly died of ebola.

The concerns prompted Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf to issue an urgent warning.

She said: "My fellow Liberians, ebola is real, ebola is contagious and ebola kills.

"Denying that the disease exists is not doing your part, so keep yourselves and your loved ones safe."

Two airlines have suspended flights to some of the affected countries.

Dr Kent Brantly is said to be improving after being in a serious condition

So far, one US citizen has died from ebola, in Nigeria, after he took a flight from Liberia.

Two other American aid workers infected with ebola, Dr Kent Brantly and missionary Nancy Writebol, are in a serious condition but are said to have improved overnight.

Dozens of health workers are said to have died while treating patients.

The EU allocated an additional €2m (£1.58m) to fight the outbreak on Wednesday, bringing total funding to €3.9m (£3.08m).

Hong Kong said it was quarantining all people from Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia who showed ebola-like symptoms arriving in the city.

In Britain, Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond said "precautionary measures" had been put in place amid fears the virus could spread globally.

Doctors have been put on alert to spot symptoms of the deadly disease.

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Fast Food Slump Over China Meat Scandals

US fast food firms are feeling the heat in China, amid a meat contamination scare that has stretched customer loyalty.

KFC, Pizza Hut and McDonald's have all become embroiled in the scandal because of safety issues surrounding local sourcing of beef and chicken.

Yum! Brands said the scandal has caused it "significant, negative" sales at its chains, KFC and Pizza Hut, over the past two weeks.

Shares in Yum!, which counts China as its premier market, tumbled more than 6% in early Thursday trading on the New York Stock Exchange.

A television report in early July triggered the concern after showing improper meat handling by one of its suppliers, Shanghai Husi Foods.

Fast food restaurants have become magnets for upwardly mobile Chinese

In a US regulatory filing on Wednesday, Yum! said: "If the significant sales impact is sustained, it will have a material effect on full-year earnings per share."

Its stock has tumbled more than 12% since it posted second-quarter results on July 17.

McDonald's in China and Hong Kong did not respond to requests for information on the impact on sales from the scandal.

However, McDonald's in Japan scrapped its full-year result forecast on Tuesday, amid a switch to alternative chicken supplies.

One of its Japan executive told Reuters daily sales had dropped by almost 20% due to the scare.

Both McDonald's and Yum! have looked to China - where the rising middle class sees foreign brands as offering better food quality - for long-term growth.

There are more than 1,200 Pizza Hut diners in China

At the end of 2013 Yum! operated 4,563 KFCs, 1,264 Pizza Huts and 389 Little Sheep eateries in the world's most populous country.

It opened a new outlet nearly every day during 2013.

Safe supply chains have become an increasingly important issue for the companies, which insist on high hygiene standards.

Richard Brubaker, an adjunct professor at the China Europe International Business School and founder of the Collective Responsibility consultancy, said: "For Yum, this is a problem because it has a history of problems in China.

"For McDonald's, it's the sheer size of the problem and the inability to get product."

Asian KFC stores, including this one in Vietnam, were closed over avian flu

McDonald's, which has more than 2,000 restaurants in China, has had a long relationship with OSI Group - the US parent of Shanghai Husi Food - and was more dependent on the supplier than Yum!.

Many McDonald's China outlets have been hit by meat shortages since the company ended its relationship with OSI there.

"For people like us, McDonald's and KFC are places to meet friends," Shanghai student Yao Nanfang,16, said.

"We'll still go to McDonald's, but we'll order fewer meat products."

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Tiger Attack: Boy Loses Arm At Brazil Zoo

By Karine Mayer, South America Editor

An 11-year-old boy has had his right arm amputated after it was nearly torn off by a tiger in a zoo in southern Brazil.

He was at Cascavel Zoo, in the state of Parana, with his father and three-year-old brother when he got into an area just outside the tiger's enclosure and tried to pet the animal through the bars of the cage.

Several visitors tried to alert the father that he was in a prohibited area.

Local teacher Ricardo Espindula, who feared something might happen, recorded footage of the boy with the tiger moments before the attack on his mobile phone.

When the father next looked, he saw his son covered in blood.

The boy reaches out to the tiger after entering a prohibited area

First aiders arrived quickly and took the boy to a local university hospital where he received treatment for the deep cuts to his right arm.

He was operated on several times, but lost the injured limb and remains in intensive care.

A biologist at the zoo said the tiger, called Hu and weighing more than 200kg, was a docile animal and had been at the facility for more than two years.

There is a guard usually watching the animal but he had gone on his rounds at the time of the attack.

The tiger is currently in isolation.

The father was charged by the police for negligence and has been released on bail.

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Israel's PM 'To Finish Job' As Troops Boosted

Thousands more Israeli troops are to join the fight in Gaza, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu promising to destroy Hamas tunnels "with or without a ceasefire".

Some 16,000 additional troops are joining the operation in Gaza "to allow troops on the ground to rest", said an army spokeswoman.

The boost takes the number of reservists involved to 86,000.

It comes as the Commissioner General for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) warned that Gaza is on a "precipice".

Israel says it is close to destroying all Hamas cross-border attack tunnels

Pierre Krahenbuhl told the UN Security Council he had witnessed the "catastrophic human cost" of the conflict, in which more than 1,300 Palestinians have been killed.

He said the estimated 240,000 people who have sought refuge in UN shelters are facing "dire conditions" as a result of the "extensive and often disproportionate use of force."

Strikes on Gaza continued on Thursday

UN humanitarian chief Valerie Amos told the Council the total number of displaced people now stands at 440,000, roughly 25% of Gaza's population.

Israel launched Operation Protective Edge on July 8 with the stated intention of ending persistent Hamas rocket attacks.

It later ordered its ground forces to locate and destroy a warren of cross-border tunnels which it says Hamas has used to infiltrate southern towns and army bases.

The school where Palestinian officials say at least 16 died in shelling

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told a cabinet meeting on Thursday he was determined to finish the job "with or without a ceasefire," as attacks on both sides continued.

He said: "I wont agree to any proposal that will not enable the Israeli military to complete this important task for the sake of Israel's security."

The army said 32 secret passages had been found so far and half of them blown up, with the end of the operation apparently just days away.

Three Israeli soldiers were killed on Wednesday by a booby trap detonated as they uncovered a tunnel shaft, the army said, bringing the total military death toll to 56.

Three civilians have also been killed in Israeli, including a Thai national.

The locations of refugee camps in the Gaza Strip

Hamas' military leader Mohammed Deif has said the militants will not cease firing until their demands are met.

They want Israel and Egypt to lift a crippling border blockade imposed after Hamas took control of Gaza in 2007.

Meanwhile investigations continue into Wednesday's shelling of a market and a UN-run school housing more than 3,000 refugees.

The school attack left 16 people dead, including children.

Israel has said it is looking into the case, but has repeated it does not have a policy of targeting civilians.

It was the second attack on one of the UN's 80 schools, which are designated safe zones.

The strike on the Shejaiza market is said to have killed at least 17 people

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said the school shelling was "outrageous" and "unjustifiable".

He said: "Nothing is more shameful than attacking sleeping children."

A carefully-worded White House statement also "condemned the shelling," but did not mention Israel explicitly.

The Pentagon later confirmed it had agreed to an "emergency" Israeli request to stock up on grenades and mortar rounds from a store it has kept in the country for several years.

Pentagon spokesman Admiral John Kirby said the request was received on July 20 and approved three days later, without needing White House approval.

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