'Devastating': Tributes For UK Plane Victims

Ten Britons are now confirmed to have been among the 298 people on board flight MH17, which was shot down in Ukraine.

Friends and colleagues today paid tribute to the British victims named, including Leeds University student Richard Mayne, 20, from Leicestershire.

He had recently completed a charity trek to Everest Base Camp was described as a man who had a "great thirst for life" and "wanted to make the world a better place" by his former headteacher.

John Wood, from the Dixie Grammar School in Nuneaton, said: "Richard was an extremely pleasant and thoughtful young man who gave his time generously for everyone."

Richard Mayne during a trip to Nepal (L) and Ben Pocock (R). Pics: Facebook

His sister Scarlett posted a picture of her and Richard on Instagram with the caption: "Always been my hero. Forever loved, never forgotten."

Ben Pocock was flying to Australia to begin a professional placement and study, Loughborough University said.

His family have spoken of their "devastation".

"He was a gifted academic, talented athlete but more importantly a warm, caring, fun-loving son and brother who had an extremely bright future ahead of him," they said.

"Ben is going to be terribly missed not only by his family but by the wider Keynsham community where he made so many long-lasting friends."

Helicopter pilot Cameron Dalziel. Pic: Facebook

The latest British victim to be confirmed is Cameron Dalziel, a 42-year-old helicopter pilot living in South Africa.

His brother Campbell Dalziel said he "couldn't believe" his brother was gone: "It was [Thursday evening] while we were watching Sky News - he had been in Amsterdam at a conference.

"If the reports are credible and true we are saddened by this news. It's not only him that was taken away from us.

"From an early age he always believed in helping people you know and encouraging people from being a lifeguard on the beach to flying helicopters.

"He was part of the sea rescue team. He never ever wanted recognition just you know he enjoyed it. He loved doing it. If he didn't love it he wouldn't do it."

Newcastle United fans Liam Sweeney (L) and John Alder

Newcastle United fans, John Alder and Liam Sweeney, who were travelling to see their football team play in New Zealand, also died in the crash, according to NUFC.com and the Newcastle Evening Chronicle.

Newcastle United said the pair were among the club's most loyal supporters.

Managing Director Lee Charnley said: "The loss of John and Liam is truly devastating news.

"Both men were dedicated supporters of our Club and were known to thousands of fans and staff alike."

Glenn Thomas was on his way to an Aids conference. Pic: Facebook

Glenn Thomas, 49, from Blackpool, was among 100 delegates reportedly on their way to the International Aids Society (IAS) summit in Melbourne, Australia.

Friends spoke of their shock and loss of the media officer at the World Health Organisation (WHO) in Geneva.

WHO spokeswoman Fadela Chaib said: "We have lost a wonderful person and a great professional. Our hearts are broken. We are all in shock."

Stephen Anderson, 44, was reported by the Daily Telegraph to be among the dead.

The former RAF search and rescue co-ordinator, he grew up and worked in Britain before moving to Penang in Malaysia four years with his wife Joanna, 37, where he worked as a technician for Maersk Drilling.

Mr Anderson had spent 23 years with the RAF, including running the search and rescue team at Lossiemouth in Scotland for three years.

Mr Anderson's niece reportedly posted photos on Twitter yesterday with the message: "Rest in Peace Uncle Steve. You didn't deserve to die. No one on that flight did. I love you so much."

14.59 | 0 komentar | Read More

Rebels Agree To 'Security Zone' At Crash Site

Pro-Russian separatists have agreed to set up a "security zone" around the Malaysia Airlines crash scene amid reports of looting and evidence being compromised.

Ukraine said talks between the two sides "concluded with an agreement to set up a 20km (12 miles) security zone so that Ukraine could fulfil the most important thing - identify the bodies (and) hand them over to relatives".

Concerns have been raised about the investigation into the plane disaster after a team of 30 international observers complained they were confronted by aggressive armed rebels who restricted their access to the crash site.

Security monitors speak to a separatist at the crash scene

Critically, they said they were unable to speak to anyone about the whereabouts of the jet's two black box voice and data recorders.

Six air accident investigators from Britain and a Malaysian disaster response team are due in the capital Kiev later.

Reports of looting have also emerged as victims' bodies and belongings remain strewn across the area two days after the crash.

Sky's Michelle Clifford, in Donetsk, said: "These disturbing reports are gaining currency about looting at the site, that valuables, credit cards are being taken from bags from the wreckage, and in some cases from bodies.

The debris was scattered over a wide area

"I think we should also see these reports in the context of a propaganda war. It may be part of a narrative to discredit the rebels.

"But, I have just spoken to somebody, a contact I know very well and trust, and he said with his own eyes he saw the rebels taking money and valuables from luggage at the site."

Some 298 people, including 10 Britons and 80 children were killed when flight MH17 was brought down near Grabovo, Donetsk.

The British Government has joined the United States in blaming pro-Russian separatists for the catastrophe.

A children's toy lies among the passengers' possessions

Downing Street said it appeared "increasingly likely" a surface-to-air missile had been fired from near Torez, in territory controlled by rebels seeking closer ties to Moscow.

US ambassador Samantha Power said Washington could not rule out the possibility that Russia offered help to separatists to launch the missile, believed to be an SA-11.

The Boeing 777-200 was flying on an established route from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur that had been declared safe by the International Civil Aviation Organisation.

It came down close to where Ukrainian forces have been battling separatists, with both sides blaming each other for the disaster.

British victims Richard Mayne, Ben Pocock, Glenn Thomas and Liam Sweeney

Ukraine condemned the "act of terrorism" and released what it claimed was a recording of an intercepted phone call between two Russian military intelligence officers, discussing the downing of the plane.

In an unverified video, apparently taken moments after the plane was hit, an alleged pro-Russian rebel boasts: "Wow, that was a blast."

However, Russia pointed the finger at its neighbour, saying it picked up radar activity from a Ukrainian Buk missile system south of Donetsk when the aircraft came down.

:: The Foreign Office has set up a helpline for anyone concerned.  Text MH17 to +447860010026, or call 020 7008 1500. Malaysia Airlines's emergency line is 00 6 037 884 1234.

14.59 | 0 komentar | Read More

Answers Demanded After Jet 'Blown Out Of Sky'

World leaders are demanding an international investigation after a passenger plane was allegedly shot down over eastern Ukraine, killing all 298 people on board.

Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 was heading from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur at an altitude of 33,000ft (10,000m) when contact was lost yesterday afternoon and it crashed near the border with Russia.

An adviser to the Ukrainian interior ministry said the Boeing 777 was hit by a Buk ground-to-air missile. US intelligence also concluded a surface-to-air missile had brought the plane down.

An emergency worker at the scene of the crash

Authorities in Kiev said pro-Russian separatists were to blame, as President Petro Poroshenko called it an "act of terrorism".

However, separatist leader Alexander Borodai said the aircraft was shot down by Ukrainian government forces - and another separatist claimed the rebels did not have weapons capable of shooting down a plane at such height.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said: "The state over whose territory this occurred bears responsibility."

Flames rise from wreckage of the Malaysia Airlines jet

Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott criticised Russia's attitude, saying the crash was "not an accident, but a crime".

"I have to tell you that the initial response of the Russian ambassador was to blame Ukraine for this, and I have to say that this is deeply, deeply unsatisfactory," he said.

Among the 283 passengers and 15 crew on board were nine Britons, 154 Dutch, 43 Malaysians, 27 Australians, 12 Indonesians, four Germans, four Belgians, three Filipinos and one Canadian.

Three infants are among the dead, and the nationalities of 41 passengers have yet to be verified.

Many of the passengers were on their way to an International Aids Society (IAS) conference in Melbourne, and the Society has said they may have included one of its former presidents, Joep Lange.

Plumes of thick, black smoke could be seen rising high into the air near the village of Grabovo, Donetsk, where the airliner came down.

Flight MH17 taking off at Schiphol Airport in the Netherlands

The cockpit and one of the turbines were over half a mile apart, and residents said the tail was about six miles away, indicating the aircraft most likely broke up before hitting the ground.

Pro-Russian separatists in the region said they had found one of the "black box" recorders and rescue workers have recovered a second flight recorder.

Britain has joined the US and other countries in calling for an international probe into the disaster. US President Barack Obama has said it should be "prompt, full, credible and unimpeded".

The last known location of flight MH17

US Vice-President Joe Biden said the jet appeared to have been deliberately "blown out of the sky", with an unnamed US official blaming Ukrainian separatists backed by Russia.

Sky's Katie Stallard, in Moscow, said Igor Strelkov, the commander of the pro-Russian Donetsk People's Republic, appeared to have boasted about the incident on social media.

In one deleted message recovered by Sky News, he allegedly wrote: "We warned you not to fly over our sky."

Armed Russian separatists inspect the wreckage

Ukraine's security service also released what it claimed was a recording of an intercepted phone call between two Russian military intelligence officers, discussing the downing of the plane.

Sky's Mark White said the aircraft had been flying just 1,000ft (300m) above a zone deemed "unsuitable for civilian aircraft".

The wreckage was scattered over a wide area

However Malaysia Airlines has said the route taken by flight MH17 had been declared safe by the International Civil Aviation Organisation.

The operator, still reeling from the loss of flight MH370 in March, has announced all its European flights will be taking alternative routes with immediate effect.

A distressed woman waits for information in Kuala Lumpur

The disaster is the latest in a series of reported attacks on planes in Ukrainian airspace and came a day after one of the country's Sukhoi-25 fighter jets was shot down.

The United Nations Security Council is to hold an emergency meeting on Ukraine later today.

:: Malaysia Airlines has set up an emergency line for worried relatives: 00 6 037 884 1234.

14.59 | 0 komentar | Read More

Crash Investigators Get Access To Conflict Zone

Who And What Shot Flight MH17 Down - And Why?

Updated: 9:13pm UK, Thursday 17 July 2014

By Alistair Bunkall, Defence Correspondent

From Washington to Moscow, via London, Brussels and Amsterdam, intelligence analysts will be studying data and imagery to find out how and why Malaysia flight MH17 came down in Eastern Ukraine.

The Pentagon has a number of satellites covering the area. They have been constantly monitoring ground activity since Ukrainian/Russian relations broke down so dangerously months ago.

Their analysts will be looking for two things: a flash of light indicating a missile launch and/or an ultra-violet trail. If they can identify either, they should be able to track the trajectory of a missile and triangulate a launch site.

A UK E 3-D Sentry aircraft is operating under NATO orders in the region monitoring Russian and rebel movements.

If that had been in the air and within roughly 200 miles of the location, then it would have picked up activity. My understanding, however, is that it wasn't flying at the time.

If the plane was shot down, who did it, and how?

MANPAD, shoulder-borne anti-aircraft missiles favoured by guerrilla groups around the world, have a range of about 15,000ft (4,572m). They are best used against low-flying aircraft with high heat signatures - helicopters, for example.

They have been used to target commercial aircraft but only during take-off and landing. 

MH17, four hours into its flight, was at a cruising altitudes of 30,000ft+ (9,144m). Well out of range.

The most probable weapon is what NATO call "the grizzly", the SA-17 Buk 2. This was designed and developed by the Russians back in the Cold War. It is fired from what is essentially the back of a big truck.

Both the Ukrainian and Russian militaries own Buk systems. MH17 would have easily been within range.

But unlike MANPADS, which track targets using heat, the Buk uses radar meaning that anyone operating it must be well-trained - this backs up the idea of state-lent soldiers to support the rebels.

Could this have been a mistake? Very possibly, even probably.

Strategically you have to wonder what any of the possible suspects - Russians, Ukrainians, rebels - have to gain by shooting down a Malaysian passenger plane.

One early theory is that the target could have been a Ukrainian military plane. If the missile missed it might have locked onto an alternative source. A bit far-fetched maybe, but not to be discounted just yet.

Civilian aircraft are easy to identify. They broadcast a squawk which would be picked up by any weapons system trying to "paint" or lock on to it. They also fly well-known, clearly defined routes.

But unlike military aircraft, they have no warning systems. If a missile was locked on, and flying straight for them, they would have no clue, until it was too late.

14.59 | 0 komentar | Read More

'Bedroom Tax': Lib Dems Withdraw Support

The Liberal Democrats have withdrawn support for the so-called "bedroom tax" setting up a showdown with the Conservatives and sparking questions over credibility.

Chief Secretary to the Treasury Danny Alexander called for fundamental changes to one of the Government's highest profile and controversial welfare reforms, which the Lib Dems had previously backed.

Mr Alexander told the Tories it was "clearly time to take stock and change our approach" on the policy.

Writing in the Daily Mirror, he called for an exemption for disabled people and for no cuts in state help for those who could not find a suitable smaller property.

Danny Alexander revealed the Lib Dem shift in a Daily Mirror article

He said: "The Liberal Democrats will make the case for these new fairer rules, seeking to get them in place during this Parliament.

"If we can't convince our Conservative coalition partners, we will commit to these reforms in our 2015 manifesto."

The Liberal Democrats had not discussed their change of stance with their coalition partners and Tory sources told Sky News: "It was news to us." However, the party remains "committed" to the change.

They said the volte-face struck at the heart of the Lib Dem's credibility and added: "They say one thing and do another. They have no conviction in their beliefs."

Mr Alexander said the reform needed to be fundamentally changed

The party's credibility suffered badly after it broke its 2010 manifesto pledge to vote against a rise in university tuition fees when it formed the coaltion.

Labour, which hopes to force Lib Dem ministers to commit to scrapping the policy in a fresh Commons vote, said Deputy PM Nick Clegg was guilty of "unbelievable hypocrisy" over the issue.

Shadow work and pensions secretary Rachel Reeves said: "The Lib Dems voted for the bedroom tax. There wouldn't be a bedroom tax if it wasn't for the Lib Dems. And in February when Labour tabled a bill to scrap the bedroom tax, the Lib Dems were nowhere to be seen."

Rachel Reeves said Labour will look to call a fresh vote on the policy

The reform has seen social housing tenants deemed to have more bedrooms than they need have their housing benefit reduced, to offset what the Government calls a "spare room subsidy".

Mr Clegg has come under pressure to oppose the policy since his party conference voted overwhelmingly to review what activists called a "reprehensible and evil" move.

The shift came after an internal government review showed a shortage of smaller properties meant just 4.5% of tenants had been able to downsize.

14.59 | 0 komentar | Read More

Israeli Forces 'Foil Palestinian Tunnel Attack'

The Israeli military has said it has foiled an attack by 13 Palestinian gunmen who tunnelled in from Gaza, as a temporary truce gets under way.

A spokesman said the Hamas fighters were identified some 820ft (250 metres) inside Israel and were struck by aircraft.

He said at least one militant was killed and the remaining fighters appeared to have returned to Gaza through the tunnel which they had been digging for some time.

They were heading towards Sufa kibbutz, a small community about a mile away, when they were spotted. 

It is the second time Palestinian fighters have infiltrated Israel from Gaza. Last week four were killed as they attempted to enter from the sea.

Gaza City (foreground) and the Israeli city of Ashkelon (background)

It comes amid reports Israel and Hamas have been holding indirect talks in the Egyptian capital Cairo.

Both sides agreed to halt fighting for five hours on humanitarian grounds on Thursday, while efforts continue to broker a longer-term truce.

A senior Israeli official said his country had agreed to a five-hour ceasefire put forward by the United Nations, starting at 10am local time (8am BST).

A Hamas spokesman later added Palestinian factions had also agreed to accept the offer for "a cooling-down on the ground".

It will allow for humanitarian aid to get through and for people to go out and shop for vital provisions.

Israel said it would stand by the agreement despite the infiltration - but warned the attack "could have had devastating consequences" as the Palestinian fighters were armed with "extensive weapons", including rocket-propelled grenades.

Four children were killed in an Israeli strike on a Gaza beach on Wednesday

Sky's Chief Correspondent Stuart Ramsay, who is in the Israeli city of Ashkelon, said: "It is one of the biggest fears in Israel that Hamas fighters can get into Israel and wreak havoc in the kibbutz that are along the border with Gaza.

"The whole of that border is watched very, very closely at all times, and so the Israelis here are saying that they expected there would be some type of spectacular attempt to attack Israeli citizens, but they were able to foil it."

Fighting between the two sides continued right up to the start of the start of the ceasefire.

Palestinian police said three civilians were killed when tank shells landed on a home in the southern Gaza town of Rafah, while the Israel military said 15 rockets were fired into Israel this morning.

The temporary truce comes after a group of Palestinian children were killed on Wednesday when a shell landed on a beach they were playing on.

Gaza's health ministry described the attack as "cowardly", while the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) promised a full investigation and said the deaths appeared to have been a "tragic outcome" of a strike aimed at Hamas militants.

Some 230 people have been killed so far in the 10 days of cross-border fighting.

Tensions in the region have been inflamed following the kidnap and murder of three Israeli teenagers and the suspected revenge killing of a Palestinian teenager.

More follows...

14.59 | 0 komentar | Read More

Palestinians Urged To Leave Homes As Truce Fails

Israel's military has urged tens of thousands of Palestinians living in northern and eastern Gaza to leave their homes.

The move could signal more airstrikes are planned for those areas after Israel warned the ruling Hamas militant group would "pay the price" for rejecting a ceasefire plan.

Israel says it will "expand and intensify" its offensive as aerial assaults resumed on Tuesday after being briefly suspended following its acceptance of the Egypt-brokered truce.

Palestinian militants fired dozens of rockets in the first six hours of the ceasefire plan which led to Israel restarting its strikes in Gaza - that has a population of 1.7 million.

The fresh raids hit Gaza City, southern Khan Younis, Rafah and central Johr al Deeq, killing five people, reported the AFP news agency.

Israel has confirmed its first death of the week-long conflict - a man who was delivering food to soldiers suffered fatal wounds when a Hamas rocket struck the Erez crossing on the Gaza border.

People carry their belongings among building debris in Gaza

The Israeli military has told residents of the northern Gaza town of Beit Lahiya and the Gaza City neighbourhoods of Shijaiyah and Zeitoun in automated telephone calls to leave their properties.

Sami Wadiya, a resident of one of the areas likely to be targeted, said he would not leave his home. "We know it's risky, but there are no secure places to go to."

Prior to the calls, the raids have already prompted around 17,000 people to flee their homes, particularly in northern Gaza, with many taking refuge in UN schools.

Hamas officials said they had not been consulted on the ceasefire proposal and would not halt violence without a fully-fledged deal including Israeli concessions.

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu

More than 190 Palestinians, including many civilians - some children - have been killed by the bombardment over the last week and the Israelis say the raids are designed to stop rocket fire from Gaza.

Since July 8, Gaza militants have fired more than 1,200 rockets at Israel - hundreds of which have been intercepted by the Iron Dome air defence system - while Israeli aircraft have struck close to 1,700 times.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said: "It would have been preferable to have solved this diplomatically, and this is what we tried to do when we accepted the Egyptian proposal for a ceasefire.

"But Hamas leaves us no choice but to expand and intensify the campaign against it."

He added: "Hamas chose to continue fighting and will pay the price for that decision. When there is no ceasefire, our answer is fire."

Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri said the movement had not been consulted on the truce bid.

"We didn't get to see the Egyptian proposal except through the media," he said.

"The idea of halting fire before there is any agreement on the conditions laid out by the resistance is unacceptable and we reject it."

Hamas has said it wants the end of Israel's blockade of Gaza and the opening of the Rafah border crossing with Egypt as part of a truce deal.

It also wants Israel to free Palestinians it re-arrested after releasing them in a 2011 exchange for an Israeli soldier held by Gaza militants for more than five years.

14.59 | 0 komentar | Read More

Failing England Care Homes Risk Being Shut Down

By Thomas Moore, Health Correspondent

Every care home in England is to be inspected and rated in a new drive to prevent abuse and neglect of residents.

All 25,000 care homes and homecare services will be assessed by the Care Quality Commission, starting in October.

And from April next year, those rated as inadequate face being put into special measures.

If they fail to improve care within a set time limit they could be closed down.

The move follows the success of a turnaround programme in hospitals identified last year by NHS England as having a high death rate.

Details released by the Department of Health show that of 11 hospitals that were put into special measures, five have improved to such an extent that they have now been cleared, or are expected to be shortly.

Another four have made significant improvements but are expected to be kept under special measures for another six months. A decision on the final two is expected later this week.

Chief inspector of hospitals Professor Sir Mike Richards said: "We have seen significant improvements in almost all of the 11 trusts that were put into special measures, with exceptional progress in two trusts and very good progress in a further three.

"The hard work by trust staff that has underpinned this progress should be recognised.

"Special measures brings a new focus on quality improvement in trusts which have previously struggled to provide high quality care."

The failing hospitals were paired up with successful NHS Trusts to implement an action plan for improving care.

Overall, they recruited 603 more nurses, 721 nursing support staff and 101 doctors.

Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt said: "Mid Staffs was a wake-up call which uncovered how staff in a minority of isolated hospitals believed poor care was somehow normal and acceptable.

"Thanks to a sharp focus on admitting problems rather burying heads in the sand, some of these hospitals have tackled their deep-rooted failings for the first time and are on the road to recovery.

"Everybody wants to know they can get safe, compassionate care from their local hospital."

Tom Sandford, of the Royal College of Nursing, added: "Staffing levels must never again be dictated by finances rather than patient need.

"Getting staffing levels right will ensure that patients receive the care they deserve."

14.59 | 0 komentar | Read More

William Hague Ends 40-Year Tory Career

William Hague burst on to the political scene at the age of 16 when he took the 1977 Conservative Party conference by storm.

Nearly 40 years later he has stolen the headlines again with his bombshell resignation announcement overshadowing the rest of David Cameron's reshuffle.

"Role as Leader of the House means I will finish in politics as I began - speaking in Parliament and campaigning among the voters," he tweeted.

He says after the General Election, when he will step down as MP for the "All Creatures Great and Small" constituency of Richmond in the Yorkshire Dales, he will return to writing, supporting the Tories and campaigning on international issues.

So he's likely to continue his high-profile trips with Angelina Jolie campaigning against sexual violence in conflict, while giving up the dross of EU foreign ministers' meetings and other tiresome international summits.

He will also, I predict, return to the lucrative after-dinner speaking circuit, where he made a handsome income after stepping down as Tory leader until his recall to the front line by David Cameron in 2005.

Mr Hague, flanked by wife Ffion, resigns after 2001 election defeat

His replacement as Foreign Secretary, Philip Hammond, has none of the flair or wit of Mr Hague, though he has proved to be a safe pair of hands at the Ministry of Defence and won the trust of previously sceptical military chiefs.

After his barnstorming conference speech at 16, William Hague waited another 12 years before becoming an MP in the by-election caused when Leon Brittan - back in the news again now - went to Brussels as an EU commissioner.

He only won the by-election because the Liberals and Social Democrats, then going through an acrimonious merger, fought against each other. But since then, Mr Hague has turned Richmond into one of the safest Tory seats in the country.

He was a junior minister, then Welsh secretary when John Redwood challenged John Major for the Tory leadership and then party leader at just 36 after Tony Blair's landslide victory in 1997.

The Foreign Secretary has campaigned with Hollywood star Angelina Jolie

But while Mr Hague outwitted Mr Blair in the Commons, the Conservatives were still trounced by Labour again in 2001 in a result almost identical to 1997 and it seemed his top-flight political career was over until Mr Cameron persuaded him to return.

Nearly a decade after his comeback, in what looks like a purge of middle-aged men by the Prime Minister, at least Mr Hague's departure from the Foreign Office was his own decision.

And the Tories will benefit enormously from his skills in the Commons as Leader of the House and campaigning on the domestic front - particularly in the north of England - in the run-up to the next election.

Plenty of other middle-aged men have been ruthlessly sacked by David Cameron in what one of them called "the cull of all the innocents".

Downing Street listed seven ministers - all men - who had resigned. They were Kenneth Clarke, David Willetts, Alan Duncan, Hugh Robertson, Sir George Young, Andrew Robathan and Greg Barker.

Damian Green is one of the high-profile Cabinet casualties

But the No 10 list did not include the names of David Jones (Wales), Dominic Grieve (Attorney General), Damian Green (Policing) and Stephen Hammond (Transport). All were sacked. And all were shell-shocked by their dismissal.

As news of the sackings spread through Westminster, middle-aged male Tory MPs stood around in conspiratorial huddles of three or four, whispering and muttering.

For the moment, there is a lot of ill-feeling on the back benches.

But after the disappointed will come the appointed - promotion for younger, telegenic women MPs. The traditional parade up Downing Street and the smiles for the cameras.

Mr Cameron has got the bad news out of the way first. Labour has called his reshuffle a "massacre of the moderates". The PM will be hoping for more favourable publicity for day two of his changes.

But William Hague quitting is a serious blow. And if things go badly for the Tories at the next election, don't bet against Lord Hague of Richmond taking the Conservative Party conference by storm once again.

14.59 | 0 komentar | Read More

PM Shapes New Team As Cull Sees Hague Exit

Hague Calls Time On Roller-Coaster Career

Updated: 6:57am UK, Tuesday 15 July 2014

By Jon Craig, Chief Political Correspondent

William Hague burst on to the political scene at the age of 16 when he took the 1977 Conservative Party conference by storm.

Nearly 40 years later he has stolen the headlines again with his bombshell resignation announcement overshadowing the rest of David Cameron's reshuffle.

"Role as Leader of the House means I will finish in politics as I began - speaking in Parliament and campaigning among the voters," he tweeted.

He says after the General Election, when he will step down as MP for the "All Creatures Great and Small" constituency of Richmond in the Yorkshire Dales, he will return to writing, supporting the Tories and campaigning on international issues.

So he's likely to continue his high-profile trips with Angelina Jolie campaigning against sexual violence in conflict, while giving up the dross of EU foreign ministers' meetings and other tiresome international summits.

He will also, I predict, return to the lucrative after-dinner speaking circuit, where he made a handsome income after stepping down as Tory leader until his recall to the front line by David Cameron in 2005.

His replacement as Foreign Secretary, Philip Hammond, has none of the flair or wit of Mr Hague, though he has proved to be a safe pair of hands at the Ministry of Defence and won the trust of previously sceptical military chiefs.

After his barnstorming conference speech at 16, William Hague waited another 12 years before becoming an MP in the by-election caused when Leon Brittan - back in the news again now - went to Brussels as an EU commissioner.

He only won the by-election because the Liberals and Social Democrats, then going through an acrimonious merger, fought against each other. But since then, Mr Hague has turned Richmond into one of the safest Tory seats in the country.

He was a junior minister, then Welsh secretary when John Redwood challenged John Major for the Tory leadership and then party leader at just 36 after Tony Blair's landslide victory in 1997.

But while Mr Hague outwitted Mr Blair in the Commons, the Conservatives were still trounced by Labour again in 2001 in a result almost identical to 1997 and it seemed his top-flight political career was over until Mr Cameron persuaded him to return.

Nearly a decade after his comeback, in what looks like a purge of middle-aged men by the Prime Minister, at least Mr Hague's departure from the Foreign Office was his own decision.

And the Tories will benefit enormously from his skills in the Commons as Leader of the House and campaigning on the domestic front - particularly in the north of England - in the run-up to the next election.

Plenty of other middle-aged men have been ruthlessly sacked by David Cameron in what one of them called "the cull of all the innocents".

Downing Street listed seven ministers - all men - who had resigned. They were Kenneth Clarke, David Willetts, Alan Duncan, Hugh Robertson, Sir George Young, Andrew Robathan and Greg Barker.

But the No 10 list did not include the names of David Jones (Wales), Dominic Grieve (Attorney General), Damian Green (Policing) and Stephen Hammond (Transport). All were sacked. And all were shell-shocked by their dismissal.

As news of the sackings spread through Westminster, middle-aged male Tory MPs stood around in conspiratorial huddles of three or four, whispering and muttering.

For the moment, there is a lot of ill-feeling on the back benches.

But after the disappointed will come the appointed - promotion for younger, telegenic women MPs. The traditional parade up Downing Street and the smiles for the cameras.

Mr Cameron has got the bad news out of the way first. Labour has called his reshuffle a "massacre of the moderates". The PM will be hoping for more favourable publicity for day two of his changes.

But William Hague quitting is a serious blow. And if things go badly for the Tories at the next election, don't bet against Lord Hague of Richmond taking the Conservative Party conference by storm once again.

14.59 | 0 komentar | Read More

World Cup: Germany Win Trophy For Fourth Time

Terrific World Cup That Swept Aside The Doubts

Updated: 11:40pm UK, Sunday 13 July 2014

By Nick Powell, Sports Editor

It was entirely appropriate that a competition where predictions became impossible should be settled in extra-time by a German who came on as substitute for the World Cup's all-time leading goalscorer.

After a gripping but goalless opening 90 minutes, Mario Gotze, replacement for Miroslav Klose, beat Argentina with a sublime piece of skill befitting what we have seen this past month.

For sustained team excellence throughout, Germany are worthy champions.

It was unquestionably a terrific tournament.

Best ever? Too subjective. One of the best, certainly. 1970 and 1998, to name but two, gave us plenty to enjoy.

But football has changed since then, and World Cups too.

Fitter, faster, stronger players. Bigger tournaments. More countries, for heaven's sake, and more finalists (after an expansion to 32 countries in 1998).

One argument against that has been exploded this past month in Brazil, namely that too many weak teams would feature.

Costa Rica, Algeria? Both reached the last 16, where the former won again and the latter took Germany to extra-time.

The competition's compelling nature proved enough to quell most of the Brazilian protests about its cost, and help us generally forget the questions about FIFA's competence and propriety.

But match-fixing allegations surrounding Cameroon were an in-tournament reminder of football's seamy side, or more accurately of the sport's attractiveness to criminals seeking a fast illegal million bucks or a money laundry.

Luis Suarez snaffled himself more column inches through his incisors than his prodigious talent or his noteworthy comeback from knee surgery to blast England out of the World Cup.

Ah yes, England ... no, let's move on, as they might yet successfully do themselves if Roy Hodgson can get them playing consistently as they did for long periods against Italy.

FIFA acted quickly and strongly against Suarez, less so against the brutality which many teams realised they could get away with - not least Brazil, who themselves ironically lost poster boy Neymar to a crude knee in the back.

That must be sorted by Russia 2018 - always assuming investigator Michael Garcia has not found reasons to switch the venue (unlikely).

Which brings us to Qatar 2022, and a welter of unanswered questions guaranteed to keep journalists busy and lawyers rich.

And to Teflon-coated FIFA President Sepp Blatter.

Like the poor, always with us, and set on asking in 2015 for another four-year term to stay as football's overload until he's 83.

The politics are on the doorstep.

But it's acceptable for now to put our fingers in our ears, draw the curtains, and replay in our minds (or on video) the sporting delights served up this past four weeks by unheralded talents like Colombia forward James Rodriguez and Costa Rica goalkeeper Keylor Navas, and acknowledged superstars like Neymar, Dutch wizard Arjen Robben.

Not to mention the wonderfully gifted Argentinian Lionel Messi, who fell one step short of football's ultimate prize.

His team's fans ended the night in tears.

Only four more years ....

14.59 | 0 komentar | Read More

Costa Concordia: Cruise Ship Being Refloated

The operation to refloat the shipwrecked Costa Concordia has begun with compressed air being pumped into 30 tanks attached to the sides of the vessel to force out the seawater inside.

Thirty-two people died when the huge ship slammed into rocks off the Italian island of Giglio in January 2012 and part of the ship's 290-metre-long hull sank beneath the water.

But having been hauled into an upright position after a 19-hour operation last September, the wreckage of the luxury liner is now being refloated before a flotilla of tugboats will drag it to the port of Genoa.

The Costa Concordia has been resting on a huge underwater platform

It will then be broken up and sold as scrap.

The 114,500-tonne vessel will be raised two metres off the artificial platforms it has rested on since September in the initial phase of the operation on Monday.

It will then be towed away from the shore and moored using anchors and cables.

The salvage operation is the biggest in maritime history

"The risks are that the ship could bend as it is raised, or the chains underneath it could snap," Salvage Master Nick Sloane said.

"There will be 42 people on board during the first manoeuvre. If disaster strikes we will evacuate through emergency escapes on the bow and stern."

The bulk of the refloating operation is due to take place from Thursday to Saturday, as the decks slowly emerge to be cleared of debris and checked for structural damage.

Mr Rebello, second left, is the only victim whose body is still missing

Search teams will scour the wreck as it is refloated in an attempt to find the body of the only victim still missing, Russel Rebello, an Indian waiter. 

In an interview with Sky News last January, Mr Rebello's brother, Kevin, who has made regular trips to Giglio from his home in Milan, said: "More than anything we would just like to find Russel's body so we can bury him and draw a line on what happened.''

Eerie video footage shot by divers and released by police earlier this month showed twisted metalwork, broken furniture and discarded belongings left by the 4,200 people who were on board the Costa Concordia when it crashed.

Francesco Schettino is accused of fleeing the ship

Francesco Schettino, the ship's captain, is on trial for charges including manslaughter.

He is accused of deliberately altering the course of the Concordia in order to carry out a sail-by salute of the island in order to impress local residents and passengers.

The 53-year-old, who was allegedly on the bridge with his Moldovan lover Domnica Cemortan, claimed it was ''too dark to see anything'' and told investigators he had not fled but had ''tripped and fell into a lifeboat".

He was dubbed 'Captain Coward' by some tabloid newspapers after reportedly refusing orders from the coastguard to return to the ship to help with the rescue operation.

14.59 | 0 komentar | Read More

Ambulance Response Times 'Putting Lives At Risk'

Ambulances are taking longer to reach patients suffering from life-threatening conditions compared to three years ago, according to a new report.

Figures from NHS England suggest that in some areas of the UK, heart attack and stroke victims have to wait almost three minutes more to be seen by a paramedic.

Category A calls where a patient's life is in danger should arrive within eight minutes. But ambulances are taking more than a minute longer to arrive on average and experts warn this is putting lives at risk.

Dr Dale Webb, director of research and information at the Stroke Association, said: "When a stroke strikes, the blood supply to part of your brain is cut off which causes brain cells in the affected area to die.

Paramedic Danny Wroe says increases in traffic are causing longer delays

"So time lost is brain lost. These figures are a concern because stroke patients need to get specialist treatment as soon as possible.

"The quicker someone arrives at a specialist stroke unit the quicker they should receive the right treatment and the more likely they are to make a better recovery."

In the East of England, ambulances are taking some 2.8 minutes longer to respond to the most serious calls. In the East Midlands, ambulances are taking 2.3 minutes longer compared to three years ago.

But an East Midlands Ambulance Service spokesperson cast doubt on the data.

''EMAS is an improving organisation and hit all of its key performance standards during the first quarter of 2014," he said.

One trust is recruiting more staff like Danny to help with response times

''The method used nationally to measure response times changed between years so the figures quoted do not compare like with like.

"The figure of 489 seconds for May 2014 uses the new criteria and is correct. However, if the new measurement criteria were applied to the May 2013 figure, it would read 476 rather than 376.

"This means the change from 2013 to 2014 is 13 seconds."

Portsmouth-based paramedic Danny Wroe told Sky News: "Traffic is on the increase and people's inability to use their mirrors is a major thing."

The chief executive of the East of England Ambulance Service said the service was dealing with delays by recruiting extra paramedics and putting additional ambulances on the road.

Dr Anthony Marsh said: "We are putting more staff on the front line and reducing the number of cars to increase the number of ambulances.

"We are recruiting 400 student paramedics by April 2015, the first group of which are already working from ambulance stations across the region, as well as up-skilling our existing emergency medical technicians and emergency care assistants.

"Additional ambulances are also on the road, and we launched a replacement programme to ensure no ambulance in our fleet is older than five years by next spring."

14.59 | 0 komentar | Read More

Israeli Troops Launch First Ground Raid On Gaza

Israeli troops have launched a ground operation in the northern Gaza Strip, the first since the offensive against Hamas began, according to Israeli public radio.

The navy commandos' brief incursion - which ignored a United Nations call for a ceasefire - apparently targeted a rocket launcher site.

The armed branch of Hamas confirmed that Israeli troops had exchanged gunfire with Palestinian fighters.

Artillery flares illuminate the sky following an Israeli airstrike in Gaza

Four Israeli soldiers were injured during the operation, an Israeli military spokesman said.

Residents in northern Gaza spent the night fleeing their homes, after a warning from Israel's military that they should leave "for their own safety".

Israel says it plans to step up its offensive against Hamas militants in Gaza today in an effort to stop missiles being fired into Israel.

A picture tweeted by Israel claiming to target a militant rocket site

It has been massing military hardware and troops close to the border with northern Gaza.

Sky's Alex Rossi said more than 100 Israeli armoured personnel carriers and tanks are in the area.

Israel began its offensive on Tuesday in response to weeks of rocket attacks from Hamas militants in Gaza, who are understood to have fired some 600 missiles into the country.

Tel Aviv residents take cover during an air raid siren warning of an attack

On Saturday evening, an Israeli warplane bombed the home of Gaza's police chief and damaged a nearby mosque, killing at least 18 people and wounding 50.

It was the deadliest single attack during the five-day conflict, which has now claimed more than 140 lives.

Israeli soldiers rest in the shade of trees near central Gaza

Injured Palestinians were taken to al Shifa hospital in Gaza City as the bombardment continued.

Dr Ayman al Sahabany, director of emergency ward at the hospital, said: "Women and children are more than half of the casualties. And children form a third of the total casualties."

Israeli soldiers walk across a field near central Gaza strip

No Israelis have died so far in the latest conflict, and many of the rockets fired into the country have been intercepted by Israel's Iron Dome missile defence system.

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said he will not end the campaign until he achieves his goal of stopping the rocket attacks from a "terrorist organisation which calls for our destruction".

Former Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniya said: "(Israel) is the one that started this aggression and it must stop, because we are (simply) defending ourselves."

14.59 | 0 komentar | Read More