Boris Tells Blair: Put A Sock In It Over Iraq

Boris Johnson has launched a stinging attack on Tony Blair by claiming he has "finally gone mad" after insisting the current crisis in Iraq was caused by a failure to deal with the Syria conflict - not the 2003 US-led invasion.

Writing in his Daily Telegraph column, the Mayor of London said Mr Blair and then-US president George W Bush had shown "unbelievable arrogance" to believe toppling Saddam Hussein would not result in instability.

He went as far as accusing the ex-Labour leader of having sent British forces into the bloody conflict in part to gain personal "grandeur".

He suggested there were "specific and targeted" actions that could be taken by the US and its allies to deal with latest threat - as President Barack Obama considers a range of military options short of ground troops.

But he said that by refusing to accept that the 2003 war was "a tragic mistake", Mr Blair was "now undermining the very cause he advocates: the possibility of serious and effective intervention".

Mr Blair said the West's 'inaction' over Syria is to blame for Iraq

"Somebody needs to get on to Tony Blair and tell him to put a sock in it, or at least to accept the reality of the disaster he helped to engender. Then he might be worth hearing," Mr Johnson said.

"I have come to the conclusion that Tony Blair has finally gone mad. In discussing the disaster of modern Iraq he made assertions that are so jaw-droppingly and breathtakingly at variance with reality that he surely needs professional psychiatric help."

Speaking to Sky News' Dermot Murnaghan, Mr Blair said the West's inability to get tough with Syrian President Bashar al Assad and failure in Libya had allowed terrorism and chaos to spread across the Middle East.

Mr Blair told Murnaghan: "Some people will say 'well if we hadn't removed Saddam in 2003 we wouldn't have the problem today in Iraq and the reason I think that is profoundly mistaken is this: since 2011 there have been these Arab revolutions sweeping across the whole of the region - Tunisa, Libya, Yemen, Egypt, Bahrain, next door to Iraq in Syria - and we can see what would have happened if we left Saddam there in 2003.

Clare Short says Mr Blair was 'wrong, wrong, wrong'

"We have left Bashar Assad in Syria. The result is that there have now in the last three years in Syria been virtually the same number of people killed in Syria as in the whole of Iraq. You have had nine million people displaced from Syria, you have chaos and instability being pushed across the region."

Clare Short, who quit Mr Blair's cabinet in the aftermath of the 2003 invasion, added her voice to the critical chorus saying he had been "absolutely, consistently wrong, wrong, wrong" on the issue.

UKIP leader Nigel Farage dismissed Mr Blair as an "embarrassment" who should hold his tongue - and demanded "an end to the era of military intervention abroad".

And Sir Christopher Meyer, Britain's ambassador to the US from 1997 to 2003, said the handling of the campaign against Saddam was "perhaps the most significant reason" for today's violence.

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US Condemns 'Bloodlust' Of Iraq Militants

The US has condemned the massacre of hundreds of Iraqi soldiers by Islamic militants after graphic pictures of their deaths were posted online.

Tweets associated with the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) claimed the insurgents had killed 1,700 Shia soldiers.

The images showed the Sunni insurgents loading captives on to flatbed trucks, forcing them to lie face-down in a ditch with their arms tied behind their backs before they were shot dead.

Jen Psaki, spokeswoman for the US State Department, said: "The claim by ISIS that it has massacred 1,700 Iraqi Shia air force recruits in Tikrit is horrifying and a true depiction of the bloodlust that these terrorists represent.

"While we cannot confirm these reports, one of the primary goals of ISIL is to set fear into the hearts of all Iraqis and drive sectarian division among its people."

Militants have posted images purportedly showing the massacre of soldiers

Chief Iraqi military spokesman, Lieutenant General Qassim al Moussawi, confirmed the authenticity of the pictures and said he was aware of cases of mass murder of captured soldiers in areas held by ISIS.

Prime Minister Nouri al Maliki has vowed to recapture territory seized by the insurgents last week. 

But in the latest fighting, residents of the northern town of Tal Afar, near the Syrian border, said ISIS had taken control after a dawn raid.

Iraqi security forces have claimed to have killed 279 "terrorists" in the last 24 hours.

Mr Maliki said: "We will march and liberate every inch they defaced, from the country's northernmost point to the southernmost point."

Security in Baghdad has been tightened after the militants said they would march south to the capital.

However, Ms Psaki said the US would evacuate some of its staff and boost security at its embassy - located in Baghdad's Green Zone - due to the "ongoing instability".

Three explosions in the capital have left at least 15 people dead and dozens injured.

Peshmerga soldiers on patrol in northern Iraq

The US is reportedly preparing to stage direct talks with Iran, set to begin next week, over the situation in Iraq, the Wall Street Journal reported.

The White House, while declining to comment on the report, did not deny it.

Aircraft carrier the USS George HW Bush has arrived in the Persian Gulf as President Barack Obama considers possible military action against ISIS.

The US has "airlift assets" ready to evacuate people if they are requested, the Pentagon confirmed.

ISIS insurgents have been attacking the city of Tal Afar in northern Iraq, using rockets seized from military arms depots.

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Extremism Row: Gove Sorry As May Aide Quits

Education Secretary Michael Gove has been forced to apologise, while Theresa May's special adviser has quit in the public feud over the handling of alleged extremism in schools.

Mrs May's aide Fiona Cunningham resigned following the investigation ordered by Prime Minister David Cameron into the dispute between two of his most senior ministers.

And Mr Gove has written to apologise to Charles Farr, the director general of the Office for Security and Counter-Terrorism, and the Prime Minister "in acknowledgement of his role" in the row, which saw the Education Secretary's camp and Mrs May's side at loggerheads.

Fiona Cunningham has resigned after an investigation into the row

The rift became public after quotes attributed to a Department for Education source in The Times detailed Mr Gove's concerns about the Home Office's approach to tackling extremism.

In response, a letter was released from the Home Secretary to the Education Secretary which questioned his department's handling of the Islamist "Trojan horse" allegations in Birmingham schools, despite warnings dating back to 2010.

A source said: "Why is the DfE wanting to blame other people for information they had in 2010? Lord knows what more they have overlooked on the subject of the protection of kids in state schools? It scares me."

Mr Cameron was said to be "deeply frustrated" at the dispute, particularly the way it broke on the day of the Queen's Speech.

A Downing Street spokesman said: "In relation to unauthorised comments to the media about the Government's approach to tackling extremism and the improper release of correspondence between Ministers, the Prime Minister has received the Cabinet Secretary's review establishing the facts behind these events.

"In acknowledgement of his role, today, the Secretary of State for Education has written separately to Charles Farr and the Prime Minister apologising for the original comments made to the Times newspaper.

"In addition, in relation to further comments to the Times, Fiona Cunningham has today resigned."

Some 21 schools in Birmingham have been the subject of an Ofsted investigation after a letter referred to an alleged plot by hardline Muslims to seize control of governing boards in the city.

Ofsted will publish the findings of its investigation on Monday, with one of the schools expected to be found as "inadequate", with its management strongly criticised by inspectors.

Mr Gove is also to make a statement in the Commons, where he is set to face some uncomfortable questions from Labour which has seized on the spat, and accused the Government of "gross negligence" for failing to tackle the issue of extremism in schools.

Shadow education secretary Tristram Hunt said: "Michael Gove should be apologising to pupils and parents, not David Cameron. He was warned of the problems in Birmingham four years ago.

"Michael Gove can no longer seek to distance himself from the mess that he has created. He must explain in full what he knew about the warnings he was given in 2010."

Ahead of his apology, Mr Gove had earlier denied the row with Mrs May had damaged the Government, or that he was considering his position over his department's handling of the Birmingham allegations.

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Fifa Feels Heat Amid Fresh World Cup Claims

By Paul Kelso, Sports Correspondent, in Sao Paulo

Qatar deployed its political connections and natural gas wealth to help win the 2022 World Cup, according to allegations published by the Sunday Times.

For the second week running the newspaper has published details of meetings and deals that it claims demonstrate former Fifa executive committee member Mohamed Bin Hammam broke bid rules as he lobbied on behalf of his country's bid.

The Qatar bid deny that Mr Bin Hammam, since banned for life from football, was directly linked to the bid or worked on their behalf.

Fifa sponsor Sony has called on world football's governing body to investigate the allegations thoroughly.

Qatar deny Bin Hammam was linked to the bid or worked on their behalf

"As a Fifa partner, we expect these allegations to be investigated appropriately," the company said in a statement to The Sunday Times.

"We continue to expect Fifa to adhere to its principles of integrity, ethics and fair play across all aspects of its operations."

The latest allegations, gleaned from millions of documents in the possession of the newspaper, suggest Mr Bin Hammam was in contact with bid officials as he brokered meetings between senior Fifa officials and the Emir of Qatar.

The newspaper alleges Mr Bin Hammam met Vladimir Putin, then the Russian prime minister, weeks before the vote in December 2010, to discuss "bilateral sporting relations".

Putin was backing Russia's 2018 World Cup bid, which beat England on the way to winning the right to host the tournament.

Fifa's Sepp Blatter declined to comment on the matter on Saturday

It also alleges Mr Bin Hammam helped broker a natural gas deal between his country and Thailand.

It reports that an advisor to Fifa executive committee member Worawi Makudi met senior Qatari energy officials to discuss a deal.

Asked by Sky News if he was concerned about the allegation Mr Makudi said: "No, not at all."

The Sunday Times also claims Mr Bin Hammam brokered meetings between the Emir and nine senior Fifa executive committee members, and distributed £1.7m from a slush-fund to Asian football officials.

It says its latest disclosures prove that Mr Bin Hammam was actively working for the Qatar bid.

Qatar re-stated the denial issued last week after the newspaper alleged that Mr Bin Hammam paid around £3m in bribes to African football officials.

Qatar won the right to host the World Cup in 2010

"The Qatar 2022 Bid Committee always upheld the highest standard of ethics and integrity in its successful bid to host the 2022 Fifa World Cup.

"In regard to the latest allegations from The Sunday Times, we say again that Mohamed Bin Hammam played no official or unofficial role in Qatar's 2022 Bid Committee."

Fifa President Sepp Blatter declined to comment on the matter as a meeting of the executive committee concluded in Sao Paulo on Saturday evening.

The governing body has charged US attorney Michael Garcia with investigating the allegations, and he will not report until after the World Cup.

Mr Garcia will be in Sao Paulo this week to discuss his investigation with Fifa officials.

He is also expected to attend the Fifa Congress starting on Tuesday.

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Newborn Dies As NHS Drips 'Poison 15 Babies'

An investigation is under way after a baby being treated in intensive care died from blood poisoning through an infection caught from a suspected contaminated drip.

Public Health England (PHE) said it is examining 14 other cases of septicaemia in babies at a total of six hospitals in England.

The infant who died was being treated at St Thomas' Hospital in central London.

The baby died on June 1, and the other two children who fell ill at the same neonatal unit are "responding well" to antibiotics, a spokeswoman for the hospital said.

"All babies on the unit are being screened for the bacterium as a precaution and enhanced infection control measures have been put in place to prevent any further cases," she said.

Chelsea and Westminster NHS Trust, where four children suffered infections

PHE said the 15 cases have been "strongly linked" with a number of batches of a liquid called parenteral nutrition, which was fed to the babies through intravenous drips.

The bacteria that caused the infection is called bacillus cereus, which is found widely in the environment in dust, soil and vegetation.

As well as St Thomas' Hospital, babies have fallen ill in neonatal intensive care units at Chelsea and Westminster NHS Trust (four cases), Whittington Hospital (one case), Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust (three cases), CUH Addenbrookes (two cases) and Luton and Dunstable University Hospital (two cases).

Professor Mike Catchpole, PHE's incident director, said: "We have acted quickly to investigate this issue ... and we have taken action to ensure that the affected batches and any remaining stock of this medicine is not being used in hospitals."

Parenteral nutrition is usually produced under sterilised conditions to cut the risk that the product could result in infections.

Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) issued a Class 1 Drug Alert over the suspected batch of contaminated liquid.

Class 1 is the most critical alert and requires immediate recall. PHE said London-based ITH Pharma Limited, which makes the batch in question, had already issued a recall notice.

The company's managing director Karen Hamling it was "very saddened" by a baby's death and the firm is co-operating fully with the investigation.

Two babies fell ill at Luton and Dunstable University Hospital

Sky's Health Correspondent Thomas Moore said premature and seriously sick children were particularly vulnerable to infections.

He said: "(Officials) believe that there's probably nothing left of these batches in the supply chain.

"There's been a precautionary note to doctors and nurses asking them to check batch numbers.

"They believe that this has been contained, that it's been identified swiftly, although sadly not swiftly enough for this one baby."

PHE said investigations with the company had identified an incident that might have caused the contamination. 

It said most surfaces would test positive for the presence of the bacteria, which produces hardy spores that, in the right conditions, produce a toxin which causes illness.

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Police Hunt Gunman After Three Officers Killed

Police are hunting a gunman after three officers were shot dead and two others were injured in Canada.

The shootings began after police responded to a call about an armed man in north Moncton, New Brunswick province, at 7.30pm (11.30pm UK time).

The attacker, reportedly wearing a camouflage outfit, began firing at officers and a massive manhunt is now taking place to catch him.

Police say he is still believed to be in the Pinehurst area of the northeastern city and have have urged people there to stay inside and lock their doors.

Officers are looking for 24-year-old Justin Bourque of Moncton and say he is considered "armed and dangerous".

The window of the police car is shattered

Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) in New Brunswick confirmed the three officers' deaths on its Twitter feed.

The two other officers had non-life threatening injuries and were in a stable condition in hospital.

The force tweeted an image of a suspect wearing military camouflage and wielding two guns.

Witness Danny Leblanc, 42, said he saw the gunman in the distance on Wednesday evening standing in the middle of the street with his gun pointed at police cars.

The police officers were shot dead in Moncton on the east coast of Canada

The construction worker said he believed it was an RCMP officer he was looking at until he heard a burst of automatic gunfire coming from the man's gun.

He said he quickly went back into his home and remained there with his family.

Mr Leblanc said: "It's devastating. I don't know if he was on a hunt for them, or what."

At one point a neighbour posted on social media that their kitchen window was shattered by gunfire.

Another witness said she saw an injured officer being taken away.

The unnamed woman said: "We just came outside. My daughter said there were police in the area, and we noticed that there was a lockdown on the street, they wouldn't let anybody in or out, they were turning vehicles around.

"And we noticed there was a staff supervisor vehicle that had taken an injured officer away, the lady liked like she was, like, really hurt."

RCMP Constable Damien Theriault, who appeared emotional during a news conference, said he personally knew the officers who were killed.

Constable Theriault asked the public not to disclose any information about the police operation or locations of officers on social media.

A number of roads in the city were blocked and drivers were also asked to stay out of the area.

Moncton mayor George LeBlanc urged all residents to pay strict attention to the RCMP warnings.

Such violence is rare in Canada, particularly on Canada's east coast.

Constable Theriault said Moncton did not have a homicide in 2013 or this year until Wednesday evening.

More follows...

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EU Must Reform For Jobs And Growth - Cameron

By Robert Nisbet, Europe Correspondent

David Cameron has called fellow European leaders and urged them to "seize the opportunity" for reform on jobs and growth following the European elections.

In a series of phone calls the Prime Minister urged them to "heed the views expressed at the ballot box" over recent days.

His intervention came ahead of today's Informal European Council dinner in Brussels, where leaders are expected to discuss the results of the European poll.

Many European leaders, including Mr Cameron and Denmark's Helle Thorning-Schmidt, saw their support fall away to anti-immigration parties such as UKIP.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel also lost votes to Alternative For Germany, a party opposed to the euro.

Mr Cameron told leaders, including Ms Merkel and Sweden's Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt, that the results of the poll underlined the need for reform, in particular on job creation and economic growth.

Germany's Angela Merkel lost votes to a party opposed to the euro

"The PM has been making the point in these conversations that leaders should seize the opportunity of Tuesday's dinner to heed the views expressed at the ballot box," said Downing Street.

"The turnout and results in the EP elections have underlined the need for reform to ensure that the EU is doing more to deliver what voters care about: jobs, growth and a better future."

A senior diplomat said the informal dinner will look at the EU Council's priorities over the next five years, and discuss the likely impact of the confusing mosaic of political interests elected to the chamber.

The diplomat said no names for a potential president of the Commission would be discussed, and that the process of picking a successor to Jose Manuel Barroso could take weeks, not days.

The leaders might use the dinner to slim down the Council's "to do" list, in order to concentrate on encouraging growth and employment, so restoring faith in the institutions of the European Union.

Mr Hollande has called for a "re-focus" of Europe

Parties which campaign against the European Union, or its current structure and priorities, doubled their representation in the parliament with a humiliation for the French President Francois Hollande.

Mr Hollande's Socialist Party secured nearly half as much support as the right-wing Front National.

He has signalled his intention to press ahead with reforms in France, while also pushing for the EU to prioritise growth and jobs.

"I am a European, it is my duty to reform France and re-focus Europe," he said in a message broadcast on French television.

The EU Council is also expected to discuss developments in Ukraine, where presidential elections were held at the weekend.

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