Boko Haram kills 18 women at a funeral in Nigeria

Boko Haram fighters have killed at least 18 people at a funeral in northeast Nigeria, a witness and a police official have said.

The attackers shot at mourners and set houses on fire after arriving on motorbikes in the village of Kuda near Madagali town of Adamawa state on Thursday evening, witnesses said.

At least 10 people were injured in the incident, one witness told the Associated Press news agency on condition of anonymity due to security concerns.

Resident Moses Kwagh told the Reuters news agency that people waited until three hours after the attack and then counted 18 women's bodies. Some women were still missing, he said.

"When we said that Boko Haram is still in this place, some people sit in Abuja and claim that there is no more Boko Haram - but see what has happened," Kwagh said.

Othman Abubakar, a police spokesman, said on Friday that the number of dead could rise.

State lawmaker Emmanuel Tsamdu told Reuters: "I am yet to get the details on how it happened and the real number of people killed. I have sent hunters to go to the area and get me the details because people are afraid to go to the village."

Kuda is close to the Sambisa Forest, a vast colonial-era game reserve where Boko Haram fighters hide in secluded camps to avoid the Nigerian military. The village was previously attacked by Boko Haram in February.

Under President Muhammadu Buhari's command and aided by Nigeria's neighbours, the army has recaptured most of the territory seized by Boko Haram, but the armed group still regularly stages attacks.

Recent attacks in southeastern Niger bordering Nigeria killed more than 20 soldiers and displaced tens of thousands, worsening an already dire humanitarian situation in the region.

Boko Haram pledged support for the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS) last year. The Nigeria-based group's nearly seven-year-old violence has killed some 20,000 people, forced more than two million from their homes and spread into neighbouring countries.

Dozens Of US Diplomats Call For Syria Action

More than 50 diplomats have signed an internal memo calling on the US government to take military action against the Assad regime in Syria.

The cable was sent via an internal network called the "dissent channel" which allows State Department employees to flag up concerns.

Signed by mostly mid-level diplomats working in the region or in Washington, the memo calls for military action to pressure Syria's government into accepting a ceasefire and engaging in peace talks.

It says the only way to deal with the worsening humanitarian situation in Syria - where nearly half the population has been forced to flee their homes - is by using air attacks or other "stand-off" weapons fired from a distance.

It does not advocate troops on the ground.

The position is at odds with current US policy and is at a time when the regime of Bashar al Assad is being supported on the ground by Russian military forces.

US Secretary of State John Kerry said he has not seen the memo but "respects the process very much".

He added that it is "an important statement" and will discuss it when he returns to Washington DC from Denmark, where he has been meeting the Danish Prime Minister.

The conflict in Syria has been ongoing since 2011 and is thought to have led to the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people and prompted an exodus that heavily contributed to the migration crisis affecting Europe.

US President Barack Obama has been very reluctant to take direct action - only once threatening and then rolling back from airstrikes over Syria's use of chemical weapons.

The US is engaged in an air war over Syria but its airstrikes and those of its allies are directed solely at militants operating in the country and neighbouring Iraq.

Syrian forces meanwhile, including their Russian allies, have been carrying out airstrikes on targets they say are terrorists and campaigners say are civilians.

Republican and some Democratic politicians have called for military action against the Assad regime on several occasions.

The document has been classified since its release but was quoted from by both the Wall Street Journal and New York Times.

The Journal reported that the document said: "Failure to stem Assad's flagrant abuses will only bolster the ideological appeal of groups such as (IS), even as they endure tactical setbacks on the battlefield."

Dozens Of US Diplomats Call For Syria Action

More than 50 diplomats have signed an internal memo calling on the US government to take military action against the Assad regime in Syria.

The cable was sent via an internal network called the "dissent channel" which allows State Department employees to flag up concerns.

Signed by mostly mid-level diplomats working in the region or in Washington, the memo calls for military action to pressure Syria's government into accepting a ceasefire and engaging in peace talks.

It says the only way to deal with the worsening humanitarian situation in Syria - where nearly half the population has been forced to flee their homes - is by using air attacks or other "stand-off" weapons fired from a distance.

It does not advocate troops on the ground.

The position is at odds with current US policy and is at a time when the regime of Bashar al Assad is being supported on the ground by Russian military forces.

US Secretary of State John Kerry said he has not seen the memo but "respects the process very much".

He added that it is "an important statement" and will discuss it when he returns to Washington DC from Denmark, where he has been meeting the Danish Prime Minister.

The conflict in Syria has been ongoing since 2011 and is thought to have led to the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people and prompted an exodus that heavily contributed to the migration crisis affecting Europe.

US President Barack Obama has been very reluctant to take direct action - only once threatening and then rolling back from airstrikes over Syria's use of chemical weapons.

The US is engaged in an air war over Syria but its airstrikes and those of its allies are directed solely at militants operating in the country and neighbouring Iraq.

Syrian forces meanwhile, including their Russian allies, have been carrying out airstrikes on targets they say are terrorists and campaigners say are civilians.

Republican and some Democratic politicians have called for military action against the Assad regime on several occasions.

The document has been classified since its release but was quoted from by both the Wall Street Journal and New York Times.

The Journal reported that the document said: "Failure to stem Assad's flagrant abuses will only bolster the ideological appeal of groups such as (IS), even as they endure tactical setbacks on the battlefield."

MPs Defy Security Concerns After Jo Cox Shot

MPs have shown their defiance by pressing ahead with constituency advice surgeries following the death of their parliamentary colleague Jo Cox.

Politicians at Westminster have been advised to contact police about their security in the wake of the deadly attack on the Labour MP for Batley and Spen.

David Cameron, Jeremy Corbyn and John Bercow joined together to pay tribute to the Labour MP during a visit to her constituency.

52-year-old Tommy Mair has been arrested in connection with the killing

The 41-year-old mother-of-two was shot, stabbed and kicked in the street following a constituency surgery in Birstall, West Yorkshire.

Rachel Reeves, Labour MP for Leeds West, told Sky News: "The cornerstone of our democracy is that relationship between an MP and their constituents.

:: Live: Tributes To MP Jo Cox

"We are there not to serve our own interests but to serve the interests of the people who sent us to Parliament. Jo felt that very keenly.

"An MP could not do their job if they locked themselves up in their office in Westminster.

The actions of one individual, however violent and extreme they are, mustn't drive a wedge between MPs and their constituents.

am also determined, and I know that Jo would want this, that we continue to do the work that we were elected by our constituents to do and that is to serve them.

"You can't serve unless you are a part of that community."

Dan Jarvis, Labour MP for Barnsley Central, said: "I know MPs are scared. We'll be reviewing our security, but I'll walk through Barnsley today like every Friday."

Fellow Labour MP Jonathan Reynolds, who represents Stalybridge and Hyde, said: "I plan to keep to all my engagements today, including my surgery. I will ensure there is security present however."

Meanwhile, Downing Street has said the Conservative Party will not contest the by-election in Batley and Spen resulting from the death of Labour MP Jo Cox.

Cox was attacked by a man reportedly shouting "Britain first" or "put Britain first" at lunchtime on Thursday.

The alleged gunman arrested close to the scene has been named as Tommy Mair, 52.

:: Adam Boulton will present a Sky News Tonight special programme on Jo Cox at 7pm tonight.

Spreading 'Fire Tornado' Nears Oil Terminal

Hundreds of people have been forced to leave their homes in California over the threat from a huge wildfire to an oil processing terminal.

A fleet of aircraft has been dropping water and retardant on the wind-driven blaze which has been burning out of control in rugged coastal canyons west of Santa Barbara, California.

Hundreds of firefighters are employed tackling the fire which is said to be covering about 1,400 acres.

Some firefighters have told of a flame vortex - described as looking like a "fire tornado" - jumping across freeways and spreading the blaze rapidly.

California's famous coastal freeway Route 101 has been closed along a section west of Santa Barbara and several canyons, campsites and beaches have been closed.

Among the famous properties in the area is Rancho del Cielo, which was used by President Ronald Reagan as a holiday home.

The fire was about a mile from the ranch but was said to be moving away from it at midday on Thursday, officials said.

Strong gusts and rising temperatures across the dry western US have sparked a number of wildfires in other states.

Temperatures are forecast to reach triple figures in Fahrenheit (at least 37.7C) over the weekend in California.

About 1,000 homes are said to be at risk, including many used as ranches with livestock on the property.

The blaze has been nicknamed the Sherpa Fire after a ranch in the area where it started.

Clinton Condemns Killing Of 'Rising

US presidential candidate Hillary Clinton has condemned Jo Cox's killing, calling it a "violent act of political intolerance".

Mrs Clinton led the international tributes saying she was "horrified by the assassination".

She said in a statement: "Her (Mrs Cox) maiden speech in Parliament celebrated the diversity of her beloved Yorkshire constituency, and passionately made the case that there is more that unites us than divides us.

"It is cruel and terrible that her life was cut short by a violent act of political intolerance."

:: Westminster In Shock At MP's 'Horrific' Death

"It is critical that the United States and Britain, two of the world's oldest and greatest democracies, stand together against hatred and violence.

"This is how we must honour Jo Cox - by rejecting bigotry in all its forms, and instead embracing, as she always did, everything that binds us together.

"My thoughts and prayers are with her friends, her family, and the British people."

Former US congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, who survived an assassination attempt in 2011, said she was "absolutely sickened".

tweeted that Mrs Cox was a "courageous, young and a hard-working public servant. She was a rising star, a mother and a wife."

Canadian MP Nathan Cullen, a friend of Mrs Cox's, broke down in tears as he paid tribute in parliament.

The country's prime minister, Justin Trudeau, tweeted a message in French and English saying: "On behalf of our Parliament and all Canadians, I offer my deepest condolences to the family and colleagues of British MP Jo Cox."

Australian prime minister Malcolm Turnbull said he was "deeply shocked".

He added on Twitter: "Our condolences, prayers and solidarity are with her family & the people of the UK."

Ireland's prime minister Enda Kenny announced that, in light of the suspension of campaigning by the Leave and Remain groups, he would not be speaking on the EU referendum as planned.

He tweeted: "What an appalling tragedy. Jo Cox, a mother doing her public duty, her life taken away. My deepest sympathies to her family."

French prime minister Manuel Valls said he was "deeply sad for Mrs Cox's family and the British people".

added: "Through her it's our democratic ideals that were targeted. Never accept that!"

Danish prime minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen described the killing as "a true shock".

:: Adam Boulton will present a Sky News Tonight special programme on Jo Cox at 7pm tonight.

Disney To Post Alligator Signs After Boy's Death

install new signs warning of alligators following the death of a two-year-old boy who was dragged into a lake by one of the reptiles at a Disney resort in Florida, a source has said.

Toddler Lane Graves' body was recovered by divers on Wednesday from the manmade lake where he had been snatched by the alligator as he played at the water's edge the night before.

While Disney had posted "no swimming" signs at the Seven Seas Lagoon where the boy died, it did not have alligator warning signs, which are common around golf courses, ponds and public parks all over Florida.

It has raised questions about whether the company did enough to convey the potential danger to visitors.

A source with knowledge of the situation said the resort now plans to put up signs explicitly warning of the dangerous animals.

Lane Graves was drowned by the alligator

Earlier, Disney spokeswoman Jacquee Wahler said: "All of our beaches are currently closed, and we are conducting a swift and thorough review of all of our processes and protocols.

"This includes the number, placement and wording of our signage and warnings."

Lane was grabbed by the reptile while his family, on holiday from Nebraska, relaxed on the shore nearby, authorities have said.

His parents, Matt and Melissa Graves, tried to save the child but were unable to free him from the 7ft alligator's grip before it disappeared into the lagoon.

A post-mortem examination was carried out on Lane's body on Thursday, which was found intact underwater.

"The cause of death was ruled as a result of drowning and traumatic injuries," the Orange County Medical Examiner's Office said in a brief statement. It did not elaborate.

Rose Silva, a spokeswoman for the Orange County Sheriff's Office, said an investigation into the toddler's death was ongoing, but was not criminal in nature.

The Graves family released a statement praising local authorities: "Words cannot describe the shock and grief our family is experiencing over the loss of our son.

"We are devastated and ask for privacy during this extremely difficult time."