Muslims appeal for release of British hostage Alan Henning

Amid the release of Turkish hostages this morning, a group of Muslim scholars have made a plea to (IS) Islamic State aggressors to release the 47 yr old aid worker, Alan Henning.

A video message posted online, told the militants that his killing is against Islamic law and Shaykh Haitham al Haddad, a judge in the Sharia council in London said, "This is to confirm that executing this man is totally haram (sinful), is impermissible, prohibited according to Sharia for a number of reasons."

He went on to say, "No matter what our differences, no matter how differently we see the world, what there is no doubt about is that the killing of an innocent man is not permitted in the religion of Allah.”

Mr. Henning, a taxi driver from Salford, Manchester was helping deliver aid to Syria when he was captured. IS militants threatened he would be the next hostage killed at the end of the beheading of David Haines video.

100 Muslim leaders have also signed a plea to IS (Islamic State) for his release.

France begins air strikes on Islamic State

President Francois Hollande, who ordered the first air strikes against IS (Islamic State), has said that Rafale fighter jets have “entirely destroyed” a logistics depot in the northeast of the country.

Four early morning attacks hit the town of Zumar, one of the areas heavily controlled by the IS fighters, and reports are coming back that dozens of extremist fighters were killed in the attack, according to a spokesman in Iraq military forces.

"Other operations will follow in the coming days with the same goal - to weaken this terrorist organisation and come to the aid of the Iraqi authorities," Mr. Hollande stated. "There are always risks in taking up a responsibility. I reduced the risks to a minimum."

The air strikes comes a day after President Hollande said he had agreed to an Iraqi request for air support, but he said France would only target IS in Iraq and not in Syria. He also said that France would not be sending ground troops into the country.

The US military has already conducted over 176 air strikes in Iraq since August 8.

Salmond to stand down

After the defeat of the YES vote last night, Alex Salmond has decided to stand down as Scotland’s’ First Minister and SNP leader, after his dream of leading an independent country is now shattered, with 55% of voters electing No to independence.

Mr Salmond said he was "immensely proud" of the Yes campaign but believed his party, parliament and country would "benefit from new leadership" to take the delegation process forward.

He added: "My time as leader is nearly over but for Scotland... the dream shall never die."

Most of the YES votes came from Scotland’s largest city, Glasgow, resulting in a country divide.

The First Minister, 59, said now was the "opportunity to hold Westminster's feet to the fire on the 'vow' they have made to devolve further meaningful power to Scotland".

Mr Salmond has spoken to the Prime Minister on the telephone who assured the First Minister his intention to proceed as he outlined in his speech earlier today, but he added “would not commit to a second reading vote by March 27 on a new Scotland Bill", a promise that Gordon Brown announced during the referendum campaign.

Stones thrown at Royal Gibraltar Police

ROYAL GIBRALTAR POLICE have been involved in a nasty incident which saw them pelted with stones and rocks whilst carrying out an anti-tobacco smuggling operation.

A police operation was launched on Friday September 19 to combat tobacco smuggling which successfully resulted in the seizure of 90,000 cigarettes.

Events turned ugly, however, when a group of people on the Spanish side of the Frontier began to hurl rocks at the officers.

When reinforcements were called, yet more men starting throwing stones: this time Spaniards who had crossed over to Gibraltar. All of the assailants involved managed to flee back into Spain without being caught.

Although the RGP reported no injuries, a certain amount of damage was sustained to an official police vehicle.

A spokesman for RGP has said that this type of incident is not acceptable, and that an investigation into the events has been launched.

This week, the RGP has successfully confiscated 70,000 cigarettes, excluding the 90,000 seized in the latest haul.

Madrid police doing their utmost to catch Ciudad Lineal paedophile

MADRID police are doing their utmost to detain the Ciudad Lineal paedophile.

The Government Delegate in Madrid Cristina Cifuentes said police are doing everything in their power to bring the Ciudad Lineal paedophile to justice and pledged her unconditional support to law enforcement. It would be unfair to question the efficiency of the police, she said.

“If anyone doubts the police they should come out and say it,” remarked Cifuentes during the presentation of the results of Madrid’s summer security campaign. Her statement comes after a spokesman for the Government of the Community of Madrid said the solution to the paedophile’s threat is not to ask parents to never leave their children out of their sight or to never let go of their hand.

Cifuentes said she supports the measures taken, which include beefing up police surveillance in Ciudad Lineal and convening meetings with parents and local residents. People are seeing the results of the measures, which have kept the sexual predator from striking again, and a natural level of concern cannot turn into psychosis, she commented.

Nevertheless, Cifuentes asked anyone who may have useful information regarding the case to call 091 and talk to the police.

Madrid is a safe city, the second safest city in Europe after Vienna and its homicide rate is lower than that of Paris, London, Rome or Berlin. Furthermore, crime in Madrid dropped by 5 per cent in late August, she added.

Spanish Navy crosses into local waters again

THE Spanish Navy has made yet another incursion into British Gibraltar Territorial Waters (BGTW).

The Spanish vessel SPS Vigía was spotted in BGTW late on Thursday afternoon.

Although it claimed to be in Spanish territorial waters, when challenged by the Royal Navy the boat made a hasty retreat.

SPS Vigía’s actions were in breach of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), according to the Convent, and the Foreign Office will make a formal protest to the Spanish government.

According to the Gibraltarian authorities, the continued incursions by Spanish State vessels are a violation of, but not a threat to, British sovereignty in Gibraltar.

This is the fourth time a Spanish State vessel has flouted the UNCLOS in less than a week. Last weekend (September 13 and September 14) saw two Guardia Civil vessels pursue fishing boats into local waters.

Monday September 15 then witnessed an incursion by theSNS Infanta Cristina into BGTW, although the vessel at the time claimed to have remained within Spanish waters.

ETA member to serve 81 years in prison

A SPANISH terrorist is to serve a long sentence for the killing of three Guardia Civil officers.

The National Court of Spain has sentenced ETA member ‘Fanecas’ to 81 years behind bars for killing three Guardia Civil officers on October 4, 1980 in Salvatierra, Alava.

The officers, Avelino Palma, Angel Prado and Jose Vazquez, were directing and controlling traffic in Salvatierra during the town’s Patron saint’s feast day when they were shot in the head and torso by the defendant. The judges determined it was proven beyond any reasonable doubt that Fanecas participated in the killing with two other ETA members who are already in prison for the crime.

“They suddenly shot their victims in the head and torso and fled the scene and hid in a workers’ house in Salvatierra,” said the judges, who came to the conclusion that the killing had taken place with malice aforethought.

Fanecas has also been sentenced to pay the officers’ widows €390,000 in compensation, one of whom was four months pregnant at the time.

ETA is the Basque language acronym for Euskadi Ta Askatasuna, meaning Basque Homeland and Freedom. Founded in 1959, it is estimated that the nationalist and separatist organisation has been involved in the deaths of 862 people and in dozens of kidnappings since the late 60’s.