MH370: Hunt Resumes For Plane's Black Box

The hunt for missing flight MH370 has resumed as authorities race to identify further signals which could point to the location of the plane's black box recorder.

The search operation is seeking to determine the black box's exact resting place in the southern Indian Ocean before the device's beacons fade.

The Australian defence vessel Ocean Shield will today carry out "focused sweeps" of the search area with a towed pinger locator in an attempt to pick up more signals.

Today's operation covers an area of 15,982 square miles, some 1,450 miles northwest of Perth.

A message for family members seen in Kuala Lumpur

Nine military aircraft, one civil plane and 14 ships will assist in the search, according to the Joint Agency Coordination Centre (JACC).

"Today, Australian defence vessel Ocean Shield continues more focused sweeps with the towed pinger locator to try and locate further signals related to the aircraft's black boxes," JACC said.

"This work continues in an effort to narrow the underwater search area for when the Autonomous Underwater Vehicle is deployed."

Ocean Shield has already picked up four signals linked to aircraft black boxes, with the first two revealed to be consistent with signals from aircraft flight recorders.

The beacons on the plane's flight data and cockpit voice recorders only have a normal battery lifespan of around 30 days.

The renewed search comes after Australia's prime minister said searchers were "very confident" that signals detected in the Indian Ocean are from the plane's black box.

A relative beside a banner dedicated to passengers at Lido Hotel in Beijing

Tony Abbott told reporters during a visit to China that authorities have "very much narrowed down the search area".

"We are very confident that the signals that we are detecting are from the black box," he said.

"Nevertheless, we're getting into the stage where the signal from what we are very confident is the black box is starting to fade.

"We are hoping to get as much information as we can before the signal finally expires."

The Malaysia Airlines plane went missing on March 8 with 239 people on board.

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Scotland 'Should Determine Its Own Future'

By Niall Paterson, Scotland Correspondent

"Put Scotland's future in Scotland's hands." That is the message Alex Salmond will deliver to delegates today at the SNP's Spring Conference.

As the nationalist party committed to fulfilling an 80-year pledge to gain Scotland its independence from the United Kingdom continues to reduce the gap in the polls ahead of September's referendum, he is expected to maintain that the vote is not about him.

"This referendum is not about this party, or this First Minister, or even the wider Yes campaign," he will say.

"It's about putting Scotland's future in Scotland's hands.

"Our party is hugely popular, and we are currently five, 10 and 15 points ahead in polls for Westminster, Europe and Holyrood respectively.

"But a Yes vote in September is not a vote for me, or for an SNP government in 2016.

"It's a vote for a government in Scotland that the people of Scotland choose, pursuing policies the people of Scotland support."

The speech, much like the campaign, will make much of the fact that Scots have voted in a way at significant variance with the overall result of recent general elections.

He will say: "I tell you what (the government of an independent Scotland) won't be. It won't be a government led by a party with just a single MP in Scotland.

"A government dismantling our welfare state. Determined to privatise public services.

"In an independent Scotland we can give this guarantee: The era of unelected Tory governments handing out punishment to the poor and the disabled will be gone and gone for good."

Mr Salmond says a Yes vote is a vote for the future of Scotland

Results vary, but the Yes campaign is still significantly behind the No vote in all major polls, although the margin has narrowed in recent months.

And despite the fact the Yes campaign has yet even to come close to a majority in said polls, the SNP leader in Westminster remains upbeat, with five months of campaigning to go.

"When people are able to contrast the Yes case with the No case and understand the momentum is going in the direction of the Yes case, I'm confident we will get a Yes result," Angus Robertson MP told Sky News.

"It might surprise some people in the bunkers of Whitehall and Westminster when it does, but when they wake up they will realise this is about Scotland governing itself like so many other places have decided to do over recent decades.

"We will have excellent relations with our friends on these islands.

"But we will always have a government that we actually elect making better decisions for people who life here - regardless of where they are from."

Given their lead in the polls it's unsurprising that the Better Together camp remains positive, despite considerable media and public opinion branding their campaign negative.

Asked whether it was easier for people to enthuse about independence rather than maintaining the status quo, Lewis Macdonald, a Labour member of the Scottish Parliament, told Sky News: "It's important to say there's a lot to be enthusiastic about.

"The union has worked very, very well for many generations and it's delivered us many benefits. But this isn't about change versus the status quo. This is about devolution, the kind of change that people in Scotland have wanted for a long time.

"It's a referendum that will be decided by the judgement people make at the end of the day. I think many people have made up their minds, some still have to choose.

"My expectation is that those people who still have to make up their mind will come to the same conclusion as those who have already made up their mind.

"At the moment, and for as long as I can remember the split has basically been two to one for remaining in the UK. I expect that the undecideds will come down in much the same kind of split.

"But only time will tell."

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Interrogation Pokes Holes In Pistorius Defence

By Emma Hurd, Sky Correspondent, in Pretoria

After a weekend of respite, Oscar Pistorius will return to the witness box on Monday to face more questions under cross-examination in his murder trial.

His account of the shooting that left his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp dead has already been challenged in three days of tough interrogation.

This has exposed some of the weaknesses in his defence and posed questions that could prove crucial to judge Thokozile Masipa's eventual verdict.

:: Where was Reeva?

The crucial issue of why the athlete failed to realise his girlfriend was not in the bed when he went with his gun to investigate a noise coming from the bathroom was the focus of many of prosecutor Gerrie Nel's questions.

Oscar Pistorius said he had spoken to Reeva Steenkamp in the bedroom and asked her to call the police when he heard what he thought was an intruder.

Gerrie Nel has appeared incredulous at some of Pistorius' evidence

He said he was "fixated on the noise" and did not think it was strange that she had not replied.

Mr Nel insisted that it was "unreasonable" to believe that, given that Ms Steenkamp was in the toilet, she would not have shouted out to the runner who had been screaming "at intruders" just metres away.

The prosecution also pressed the athlete on whether he had heard Ms Steenkamp screaming when he fired shots into the toilet door.

The runner said he was sure she had not screamed but was forced to admit that he might not have heard her because of the sound of the shots.

:: Did he intend to shoot?

The issue of intent is vital in a murder trial and the prosecution has attempted to show Oscar Pistorius shot to kill that night - whoever he thought he was firing at.

The athlete insisted he "fired out of fear" after hearing a noise from the toilet. His said he did not have time to think and that it was "a mistake".

The prosecution repeatedly stressed that Pistorius approached the toilet with his gun held out and the safety catch off ready to shoot, even "wanting to shoot".

He knew someone might be in the small, enclosed space of the toilet, Mr Nel claimed, and the shooting was a deliberate act.

:: Why did he go towards the threat?

Another difficult moment for Oscar Pistorius came when Gerrie Nel asked him why he went towards the danger of the noise in the bathroom.

The athlete could not explain why - if he thought there was an intruder - he had not taken Reeva Steenkamp and escaped out into the safety of the rest of the house through the bedroom door.

Pistorius admitted he had to walk right past the exit from the bedroom to get to the bathroom.

"It is my personality not to run away," he insisted, while re-iterating that he wanted to protect Ms Steenkamp.

The prosecution has declared his whole defence "a lie".

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Co-op Bank In Record £1.3bn Annual Loss

The struggling Co-operative Bank has reported a pre-tax annual loss of £1.3bn and said it would not return to profit for at least two years.

The bank also confirmed it would not make £4.97m deferred annual bonuses to its former bosses.

Chief executive Niall Booker said an overhaul plan known as the liability management exercise (LME) had "kept the bank alive".

Taking into account a profit made by the LME, it said the loss was reduced to £586m for the year ending December 31.

Mr Booker said: "The results today reflect the magnitude of the issues that have come to light since I jointed the Co-operative Bank ten months ago.

"It is early days but initial progress on our business plan is encouraging and we remain enthusiastic about the long-term potential for the bank."

The embattled parent mutual, the Co-operative Group, lost overall control of its banking arm to US hedge funds in December as part of its rescue plan. It now holds a 30% stake.

The £1.5bn funding 'black hole' was added to in March when it revealed a further £400m gap, forcing it to seek further investor funds.

The institution, which continues to market itself as having "ethical principles", said it cut assets last year by £2.1bn and reduced staff levels by 14% - around 1,000 employees.

It said it would try to restore its capital position, and refocus attention on being a bank for householders and small to medium-sized businesses.

Part of the plan includes reducing its product range, along with improving digital and branch-based banking services.

Although former executives would miss out on deferred bonuses, Mr Booker is to receive a £1.2m salary and benefits package and £1.7m bonus - dependant on the bank's future performance.

A further £1.2m is part of a long-term incentive plan that is payable over three years.

The bank's annual results were published on Friday after two earlier delays to the release.

The parent Co-op Group also continues to struggle to find its way in an increasingly competitive environment.

 Earlier this week the former City minister, Lord Myners, quit the board amid opposition to his planned reforms of the business.

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Pistorius Faces Fifth Day On Witness Stand

Oscar Pistorius has been accused of "tailoring his evidence" at his murder trial, where he denies murdering his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp.

Prosecutor Gerrie Nel repeatedly challenged the Paralympian's account of events while questioning him about whether the alarm in his home was activated on the night he shot Ms Steenkamp.

The confrontation led Pistorius to admit he could be giving inconsistent answers because he was tired - prompting the judge to ask if he was able to continue with his evidence.

Mr Nel also claimed the athlete was lying about an incident when he claims he was shot at while driving on a highway in 2008 or 2009, because he could not remember who he had called for help that night.

Mr Nel said: "It is so improbable that you can not remember - the only reason you can not remember is that it didn't happen."

The athlete was asked about security measures at his house, as the lawyer known as the "Pit Bull" sought to undermine his claims that he was concerned about crime.

Pistorius told the court he had never been a victim of crime at his Silver Woods home, apart from an occasion when he said police stole his watches.

Pistorius has faced a gruelling week of questions in the Pretoria court

He said security measures in the area had been upgraded several times, but he had never attended meetings of a home owners association where those issues were raised.

Mr Nel again suggested the athlete was a selfish person, raising his previous statements that Ms Steenkamp had often prayed for him and his training.

Mr Nel has sought to dismantle the Paralympian's heroic life story and portray him as self-centred, short-tempered, gun-obsessed and eager to shirk responsibility for his actions.

Speaking outside court, Sky's Crime Correspondent Martin Brunt said: "He clearly wants to put him under enough pressure to admit what the prosecution say really happened that night - that Pistorius woke up, they had an argument, she ran away to the bathroom screaming and he chased her and shot her dead."

Pistorius denies premeditated murder and illegally possessing ammunition in relation to Ms Steenkamp's death.

He also denies two further counts related to shooting a gun in public in separate incidents prior to the killing.

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MH370: 'Confidence' Over Black Box Search

Searchers are "very confident" that signals detected in the hunt for missing flight MH370 are from the plane's black box, Australia's prime minister says.

Tony Abbott told reporters during a visit to China that authorities have "very much narrowed down the search area" in the southern Indian Ocean.

"We are very confident that the signals that we are detecting are from the black box," Mr Abbott said.

"Nevertheless, we're getting into the stage where the signal from what we are very confident is the black box is starting to fade.

"We are hoping to get as much information as we can before the signal finally expires."

The search is currently focused on an 18,000 square mile search area after a fifth ping was detected around 1,400 miles off Perth, in western Australia.

The signal was captured on Thursday by an Australian Air Force P-3C Orion surveillance plane, which has been dropping sonar buoys into the ocean.

Zhang Zhiliang looks at photos of his fiancee, who was on board the flight

However, Joint Agency Coordination Centre (JACC) chief Angus Houston says an initial assessment of the latest signal indicates it is not related to an aircraft's black box.

Speaking from Perth, Sky's Nick Martin said there were "mixed messages" from Australia this morning as the hunt for the plane continued.

Mr Abbott was first quoted as saying he was confident the black box had been found, and then later said he was confident signals picked up by search teams were from a black box.

"Either he's been misquoted or he has slightly jumped the gun," said Martin.

Twelve military aircraft, three civil planes and 13 ships have joined the search today. The Royal Navy vessel HMS Echo is also part of the operation.

Joint Agency Coordination Centre chief Angus Houston

Authorities have been racing to locate the plane's data and cockpit recorders, as the ping-emitting beacons are expected to fade.

No floating debris from the Malaysia Airlines aircraft has yet been found, despite the major multinational air and sea operation.

The renewed search operation comes as Malaysia's acting transport minister admitted that mistakes were made in how authorities treated the victims' families.

Hishammuddin Hussein said the missing plane had posed an "unprecedented situation without benchmark".

The Malaysia Airlines plane went missing on March 8 with 239 people on board.

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Missing Plane: Search Narrowed In MH370 Hunt

Why Is MH370 Search Chief So Optimistic?

Updated: 8:05am UK, Thursday 10 April 2014

Retired Air Chief Marshal Angus Houston is a military man, and military men deal in certainties.

He won't commit himself to say they have found the plane. Not yet. Not until he sees some wreckage for his own eyes.

"How confident are you?" he was asked by an Australian reporter. "50%, 70%, 90%?"

He laughed it off. He wouldn't be drawn. Of course he wouldn't. He's a military man. Certainties, certainties, certainties, remember?

There's no "we think we've found it". In his way of thinking, you've either found it or you haven't.

But they have found it, and he knows it.

You only need to read his demeanour and body posture in the press conferences, and how he has relaxed in recent days.

And he's absolutely right not to commit himself. Because he wouldn't just be making a judgement without the full facts, he would be sealing the fate of the 239 people who were on that plane, and he would be telling the families that any remaining hope was now lost.

He will have to do that at some point, in the coming days I suspect, but only when he is ready, only when he is sure.

And that's right.

I think his media management has been top notch.

He has answered all the many detailed questions the media have asked, and built trust.

But there is one thing that has me wondering...

"We're being transparent, we're hiding nothing," he said as he left the podium at the end of a recent press conference.

Well, I don't quite believe him. There was something that led them to that spot in the Indian Ocean, some clue, some intelligence, something that meant Ocean Shield heard the first pings on the very day the black box batteries were due to start weakening.

Sure, Inmarsat has been recalculating its data and narrowing down the search area, but that alone can't be enough.

They have found the plane's black box, potentially 14,700 ft (4,500m) below the Ocean in the middle of nowhere, and not a single piece of wreckage has been picked up to guide them.

Something told them to look there...

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Half A Billion Pounds 'Wasted' On Anti-Flu Drugs

By Thomas Moore, Science and Health Correspondent

Flu drugs stockpiled by the government for use in a pandemic have little benefit, according to researchers who have carried out a comprehensive new analysis.

The Department of Health has spent £473m on the antiviral medicine Tamiflu - and another £136m on the similar drug Relenza - since 2006.

There are enough doses in storage to treat more than half the population.

But researchers from the independent Cochrane Collaboration and the British Medical Journal (BMJ), who have been given access to the full clinical trial data for the first time, conclude there is "no good evidence" that either drug reduces flu-related hospital admissions or the complications of the disease, such as pneumonia.

And they add that claims that they prevent people spreading the flu virus to others are "unproven".

Craig Heneghan, a doctor at the Cochrane Collaboration, said there was particular concern about Tamiflu because it increased nausea, vomiting, psychiatric events and kidney problems.

He told Sky News: "I am now clear this drug is not to be used in a pandemic situation."

The manufacturers have robustly defended their drugs, insisting that they are safe and effective.

The Department of Health has also underlined the importance of the antiviral stockpile.

The Cochrane Collaboration reviewed data from 20 clinical studies of Tamiflu and another 26 of Relenza.

They found they reduced the duration of flu symptoms by 16 hours, compared to dummy placebo pills.

Dr Fiona Godlee, Editor of the BMJ, urged the Department of Health to carefully consider the new evidence before refreshing the Tamiflu stock nearing its expiry date.

"If the government spends any more money on this drug they are not listening to the evidence," she said.

"I think it would be a strange decision to purchase more of this drug on the basis of the information we have available to us."

However, the Department of Health said the drug stockpile is a vital part of Britain's emergency response to a pandemic, as recommended by the World Health Organisation.

A spokesperson said: "Tamiflu is licensed around the world for the treatment of seasonal flu and is a licensed product with a proven record of safety, quality and efficacy.

"We regularly review all published data and will consider the Cochrane review closely."

UK medical director of Roche, Dr Daniel Thurley, said the company "stands behind the wealth of data for Tamiflu".

He added the researchers' methods were "unclear and inappropriate, and their conclusions could potentially have serious public health implications....(antiviral drugs) are a vital treatment option for patients with influenza".

A spokesperson for GSK said: "We were committed to giving the Cochrane team access to the data they required from the outset and we are pleased to have been able to support their research.

"We continue to believe the data from Relenza's clinical trial programme support its effectiveness against flu and that when used appropriately, in the right patient, it can reduce duration of flu symptoms. Relenza remains an important option for health professionals who are responsible for deciding when these medicines should be used."

Other doctors have also come to the drugs' defence.

Professor Wendy Barclay, of Imperial College London, said reducing symptoms by a day was significant.

"In the community this gets people back to work and school, and having the drugs available also serves as a safety net to treat people who get sick enough to go to hospital."

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Pistorius: Court Hears Reeva Was 'Scared'

Oscar Pistorius has been questioned over "scared" text messages sent to his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp during their four-month relationship.

The court in Pretoria heard a series of text messages between the couple which involved arguments over Miss Steenkamp talking to other men or the couple leaving events early.

Prosecutor Gerrie Nel read from one message which said: "I've been upset with you for two days now... I'm scared of you sometimes."

He added: "Why would she be scared of you?"

Pistorius replied: "I think she's scared of the feelings that she had for me, she says 'I'm scared of you sometimes and how you snap at me and how you will react to me'.

"I never shouted or screamed at her. It hurt her feelings about the way I would react."

Mr Nel accused the athlete of "picking on" Miss Steenkamp, including an argument after he moved away from her when she began touching his neck in public and where he told her not to chew gum because "it doesn't look good on camera".

He said the phrase "I love you" never appeared in either of their phone messages to each other.

But the 27-year-old insisted his relationship was open and trusting with Miss Steenkamp and said he did not write text messages showing his feelings because he preferred to talk to her.

He said: "I think I was a bit more sensitive and perhaps she was more open to discuss her feelings, my lady."

Mr Nel claimed Pistorius "did not care enough" to tell Miss Steenkamp he loved her after she sent a text message expressing her feelings and insisted his relationship was focused on "me, Oscar".

Pistorius replied: "I would never want to say those words on a message, I prefer to talk to her."

The athlete also told the court in Pretoria he was "terribly sorry" he had taken his girlfriend's life after he was asked why he had not apologised in person to her family.

He said: "I am terribly sorry that I took the life of their daughter."

Pistorius denies premeditated murder and illegally possessing ammunition and two further counts related to shooting a gun in public in separate incidents prior to the killing.

More follows...

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Oscar Pistorius Gives Evidence: Live Updates

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9:24am UK, Wednesday 09 April 2014

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Oscar Pistorius: Reeva Died In My Arms

Oscar Pistorius has described the moment Reeva Steenkamp died in his arms after he frantically tried to stop her bleeding.

Pistorius described desperately carrying the model down the stairs of his home and to an ambulance, with his fingers in her mouth and hand on a wound on her hip. 

Asked by his barrister whether he intended to kill his girlfriend, Pistorius responded: "I did not intend to kill Reeva or anyone else for that matter." 

The denial came minutes before prosecuting barrister Gerrie Nel began cross examination - immediately going for the jugular.

June Steenkamp, Reeva's mother, watches today's proceedings

Mr Nel, known as the "pit bull", asked Pistorius about shooting his girlfriend dead.

"Won't you take responsibility, take responsibility, say 'I shot and killed Reeva Steenkamp'," he said.

Pistorius replied: "I did. I made a terrible mistake."

A legal battle then blew up about whether the prosecution would be allowed to show a Sky News video featuring Oscar Pistorius at a gun range - something the defence called "an ambush".

Earlier, speaking of the seconds after discovering her body in the toilet, Pistorius said he initially thought she did not have a pulse - but then felt her breathing.  

He told the court today: "She was sitting with her weight on top of the toilet bowl. I checked to see if she was breathing and she wasn't.

"I pulled her weight on to me and I sat there crying for some time. I felt her head on my shoulder and I could feel the blood running down me. 

"I thought I felt her breathing. I could see her arm was broken.

"I was trying to pick Reeva up. I could see she was still breathing. She was struggling to breathe." 

Pistorius said that he rang 911 and also security - but did not remember either call clearly.

"After I got off the phone with 911, I ran downstairs to open the front door. I could barely pick Reeva up. I opened the front door.

"I ran back up to my room. I went back to the bathroom and tried to pick up Reeva.

Oscar Pistorius said Reeva died in his arms

"I got to the second flight of stairs. I was shouting and screaming for help in getting her to the hospital."

Pistorius said he was told to put Reeva down as neighbours told him that an ambulance was on its way.

"I just sat there and waited for the ambulance to arrive. I had my fingers in her mouth to help her breathe. I had my hand on her hip to try and stop the bleeding.

"Reeva had already died when I was holding her so I knew there was nothing the ambulance could do.

"Then the paramedic came to me and said she would like to inform me that Reeva had passed.

"The paramedic asked me if there was some form of id. I went to get Reeva's handbag."

Pistorius said that police officers then arrived and checked the house to see if anyone else was there.

Pistorius has broken down several times since the start of the trial

"I asked the policeman if I could wash my hands because the smell of the blood was making me throw up. I washed my hands and face."

The athlete was later taken to the police station and arrested over the death. Afterwards he was taken to hospital where doctors conducted tests on him.

In dramatic scenes, Pistorius then demonstrated in court how he tried to break down the toilet door with a cricket bat "using his entire body".

Swinging the bat, he said: "I hit the door with all my might."

Yesterday, Pistorius wept uncontrollably in the dock as he described shooting dead his girlfriend, claiming he though she was an intruder.

The court case was halted for the day because the 27-year-old Paralympian was unable to continue giving evidence, wailing in court: "She was everything."

Today, if time allows, he faces cross-examination from prosecuting barrister Gerrie Nel - who is known as the "pit bull" in South Africa.

Mr Nel is famed for securing the conviction, for corruption, of the country's former police commissioner, Jackie Selebi.

Selebi's defence crumbled during a marathon eight days of cross examination.

This morning, Pistorius continued being questioned by his defence barrister, Barry Roux .

In emotional scenes yesterday afternoon, Pistorius collapsed into tears and was consoled by his sister Aimee and one of his lawyers who rushed through the courtroom to his side.

The athlete's emotional breakdown failed to move June Steenkamp, Reeva's mother, who stared, stony-faced at the defendant, as he was consoled by family and friends.

Pistorius recounted the events of the evening in fine detail as he sought to persuade the judge that Reeva's death was a terrible mistake.

He denies premeditated murder and illegally possessing ammunition and two further counts related to shooting a gun in public in separate incidents prior to the killing.

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Maria Miller Resigns As Culture Secretary

The Culture Secretary, Maria Miller, has resigned after a week of mounting pressure over her expenses investigation.

In a letter to David Cameron Mrs Miller told him she was "very grateful" for his personal support during the growing row over her expenses but feared it "has become a distraction from the vital work this Government is doing."

Mr Cameron said he was saddened by her departure but hoped the Basingstoke MP could make a return "in due course".

Mrs Miller finally stepped down six days after she was forced to apologise in the House of Commons for her attitude to an inquiry into the allowance claimed on her second home.

The Prime Minister, who had consistently backed his minister, had been under increasing pressure in recent days to sack her from Tory activists and MPs, and Mrs Miller's position had become untenable.

Maria Miller's 32-second apology in the Commons was incendiary

Mr Cameron was facing a difficult time at Prime Minister's Questions at lunchtime and had to tackle Tory back benchers at a meeting of the powerful Conservatives 1922 committee later.

Sky Political Correspondent Sophy Ridge said the decision to go had rested with Mrs Miller and she had telephoned the Prime Minister to inform him last night.

The announcement of her resignation sparked criticism that it had taken so long for her to step down and raised questions over Mr Cameron's leadership.

Labour MP John Mann, who made the original expenses complaint against Mrs Miller, said: "Why has it taken five days in what was a clear cut case she had to leave Government that she could be responsible for media freedom in this country after her behaviour?

"I mean where was the Prime Minister's leadership on this? He should have sacked her straight away when she refused to go."

Lord Tebbit told Sky News: "If the Prime Minister had taken my advice a week ago, if he had asked for it before I had to give it in public, the issue would have been done and dusted by now."

Mr Cameron repeatedly backed his Culture Secretary

But Education Secretary Michael Gove defended the Prime Minister, telling the Radio 4 Today programme: "I don't think his judgement has been flawed; hindsight is a wonderful thing.

"The Prime Minister's attitude throughout has been governed by the basic human decency that is his hallmark."

Mrs Miller's camp had on Tuesday night attempted a fight-back after days of newspaper headlines and the faltering support for her within Government.

Her aide Mary Macleod appeared on Sky News to claim she was a victim of a witch-hunt because she was dealing with press reforms recommended in the Leveson report. She had sent a text to MPs attempting to garner support for Mrs Miller.

She also claimed that Mrs Miller was unpopular because she was responsible for steering through the legislation on gay marriage.

The second home at the centre of the row

In her resignation letter Mrs Miller said: "Of course, implementing the recommendations made by Lord Justice Leveson on the future of media regulation, following the phone hacking scandals, would always be controversial for the press.

"Working together with you, I believe we struck the right balance between protecting the freedom of the press and ensuring fairness, particularly for victims of press intrusion, to have a clear right of redress."

Her departure leaves four women in the Cabinet: Home Secretary Theresa May, Northern Ireland Secretary Theresa Villiers, and International Development Secretary Justine Greening. Baroness Warsi sits in the Cabinet as Minister Without Portfolio.

Esther McVey, the Employment minister who, on Monday, criticised they brevity of Mrs Miller's apology, is being widely tipped to replace her at the Department for Culture, Media and Sport. 

Conservatives in Mrs Miller's constituency voice disappointment at her departure. Stephen Marks, a Conservative councillor on Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council, said: "She did Leveson on press complaints and I feel the press were going to get their own back on her. I am saddened that she had to resign, but that is the way it is."

Mrs Miller issued a much-derided 32-second apology on Thursday after Parliament's sleaze watchdog upbraided her for her attitude to an expenses inquiry into her claims for a second home.

She was also ordered to pay back £5,800 of wrongly claimed allowances on the house in Wimbledon, southwest London, which she sold for a £1.2m profit in February.

However, it emerged that the Commissioner for Parliamentary Standards had found that Mrs Miller should have paid back £45,000 in expenses claimed on the home but this was over-ruled by the Standards Committee of 10 MPs and three independent members, who do not have a vote.

It led to calls for an end to a system where MPs are allowed to police their own expenses, with the head of the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, Sir Ian Kennedy, saying they should not "mark their own homework".

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Peaches Geldof: 'Rest In Peace Gorgeous Girl'

The family of Peaches Geldof may have to wait for days to find out how she died.

The death of the mother-of-two, who had worked as a DJ, model and television personality, is being treated as unexplained, but not suspicious.

Police were called to her house in the village of Wrotham, Kent, at 1.35pm on Monday after receiving a report of concern for the welfare of a woman.

The singer Lily Allen was among the stars to pay tribute

She had previously admitted drug use as a teenager but said in 2009 that she was "sober now".

A post-mortem is expected to take place in the next few days.

In her last message on Twitter, Ms Geldof posted a picture of her as a child with her mother, Paula Yates, who died of a heroin overdose in 2000 when Peaches was 11.

Lily Allen is among a host of celebrities to pay tribute following the sudden and tragic death of the 25-year-old.

The singer said: "My thoughts are with Peaches' family at this awful time. I hope they get to grieve in peace. Peaches, rest in peace gorgeous girl."

As news of her death emerged, Kelly Osborne, a childhood friend of Peaches, tweeted: "Words seem inadequate 2 express the sadness I feel about @peaches_g death We are here 2 support U @pixiegeldof1 stay strong my little Pepsi!"

TV and radio presenter Dermot O'Leary said: "Met Peaches several times. Really sweet girl. So so sad for the Geldof family. Thoughts and prayers..."

The Hollywood actress Susan Sarandon said: "No words can express any comfort at the loss of a child and mother as beautiful as Peaches Geldof. God bless."

Coleen Rooney, wife of England footballer Wayne, tweeted: "Can't believe what I have just heard. RIP Peaches Geldof, such sad news."

X-Factor creator Simon Cowell tweeted: "So sad to hear about Peaches. Rest in peace."

A private ambulance drives away the body of Peaches Geldof

He said later: "The few times I met Peaches she was a sweet, funny warm person. Much love to her family she has left behind."

Sharon Osborne wrote: "Devastated about @peaches--g. Sending condolences & respect to the Geldof family. It's unimaginable what they must be going through right now."

Presenter Myleene Klass tweeted: "The news of beautiful Peaches is utterly devastating, God bless her babies. RIP mama xxx"

This Morning host Phillip Schofield, who appeared with Ms Geldof on the ITV show, wrote: "Utterly stunned at the terrible news of the death of Peaches Geldof! The dreadful loss of a really lovely woman."

His co-host Holly Willoughby said: "Just heard about Peaches, so unbelievably tragic. So shocked and sad. Sending my thoughts and love to her family".

Police at the address where the 25-year-old was found dead

Coronation Street star Antony Cotton said: "May flights of angels sing thee to thy rest".

In a post on Twitter, rapper Professor Green said: "never knew Peaches but the loss of a life so young is a horrible thing, especially leaving behind two children".

Singer Ellie Goulding said: "Even if you think you've got it all figured out, some things still can't be explained or understood. Two beautiful children. RIP Peaches".

Her friend the model Daisy Lowe posted a picture of a broken heart on Twitter.

Author Irvine Welsh said: "Very sad to hear of the tragic, untimely death of Peaches Geldof. Thoughts with Bob G and the family."

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Hunt For MH370 'Pings' Delays Sub Launch

China Trying To Scoop Malaysia In MH370 Search

Updated: 3:31pm UK, Monday 07 April 2014

By Alistair Bunkall, Sky News Defence Correspondent

The authorities are, quite rightly, not publicly concluding that they've found the plane; but reading between the lines, there are clear signs that they believe this is it.

Tony Abbott, the Australian PM, phoned his Malaysian counterpart Najib Razak this morning to tell him what ADV Ocean Shield had heard overnight.

That is a sign of how significant this development is. The two leaders wouldn't speak in person were it being treated as a routine update.

And the wheels are now fully in motion to fly the relatives to Perth, maybe in the coming days. The Malaysians are compiling a list of the next of kin. Again, a demonstration of how seriously this news is being treated.

No-one has mentioned the Chinese. At least not voluntarily. It was a tweet from Chinese state-run media that got everyone's hopes up on Saturday evening. Much was made of their find. Pictures from Chinese journalists on board showed Chinese sailors listening to a signal with the correct frequency.

The news took all of us by surprise.

The head of the search operation Angus Houston kept his nerve. By rights China's news should have been relayed to the world by him or the Malaysians. That would have been the protocol.

A mea culpa: I accused the Australians of losing control of the media strategy.

In some respects I was right, this was not how they wanted the news to break.  The Chinese had gone rogue.

But I should have given Angus Houston the benefit of the doubt. He has been extremely impressive since taking control of the situation and I think he knew exactly what he was going on over the weekend.

Behind the scenes he was learning about Ocean Shield's discovery.

On Sunday morning, in between a flurry of questions about the Chinese discovery, he mentioned that Ocean Shield had had an "acoustic event" but details were sketchy. Few of us gave it much thought: all eyes were on the Chinese discovery and HMS Echo steaming towards the area. That was the real discovery. Or so we thought.

Clearly, even to me, the two didn't match up. Either one of them had heard the black box, or neither of them. Given their distance from each other, it couldn't be both of them.

Patiently, Houston waited until Ocean Shield was sure about what it had heard, and only then was it announced as a major development.

In their respective press conferences today, Australia and Malaysia have declined to criticise the Chinese but the way they've answered questions about them, short and to the point, says much.

China has shown frustration with the Malaysians in particular throughout this past month. They first questioned and then demanded the Inmarsat data be handed over. They allowed their nationals to protest outside the Malaysian Embassy in Beijing. Things like don't happen without the state turning a blind eye at the very least.

And the breakthroughs were being made by companies in other countries: the British firm Inmarsat, the French company Airbus, Boeing from the US.

But I think they've also been frustrated with their own inability to find the plane. This was a chance to demonstrate the ability of their technology to the world. A chance to reassure their own people that China is superior.

A chance to say, "don't worry, we've got it; if anyone is going to solve this global mystery, we will".

They haven't managed to.

There were 154 Chinese nationals on board MH370 and clearly Beijing has a right to play a major role in the search, but more than once by various senior people I have been told how they are not operating as team players. There are clearly two separate search operations going on and that isn't helpful.

It might be a race to find the black box but it isn't a competition.

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Pistorius: 'I Was Making Plans With Reeva'

Oscar Pistorius has told how he was "besotted" with Reeva Steenkamp and that the pair were making serious plans for the future.

The 27-year-old sounded close to tears again as he gave evidence for the second day at his murder trial in Pretoria, South Africa.

During the morning Pistorius described the start of their relationship and read out a series of instant messaging texts.

Oscar Pistorius wept in court yesterday before giving evidence

In one of the texts Reeva denies being a "flirt" and in another she denies being a "stripper and a hoe".

In a reply to Reeva, Pistorius admitted to feeling "jealous and insecure".

The athlete's voice faltered as he read other loving messages where they traded affectionate pet names for each other, such as "amazballs", "baba", "boo", "angel" and "babycakes".

One text from Reeva to Pistorius read: "I only have eyes for you." In another she wrote: "I want to kiss you and feel your arms around my neck."

Describing the start of their relationship Pistorius told the court how they began dating at a sports award ceremony.

He said: "I really didn't think that she would go with me (...) I phoned her and she said she would go with me. 

"After the evening we sat speaking until 2 or 3 in the morning. She was a fantastic date."

Pistorius said he believed that he was "more into" Reeva than she was into him.

 "I was very keen on Reeva. I was besotted with her," he said.

June Steenkamp sat stony-faced through the evidence yesterday

Pistorius also explained how Reeva was subjected to a "hate campaign" after she began dating him, including people who set up fake social media accounts.

"She had her own stress, on top of what I had to deal with," Pistorius told the court.

Pistorius is expected to field questions all day and describe events relating to the death of his girlfriend.

Pistorius said meeting Reeva Steenkamp was a 'blessing'

Pistorius shot Ms Steenkamp, 29, dead in the bathroom of his home but denies murder, claiming that he thought the model was an intruder.  

He also denies illegally possessing ammunition and two further counts related to shooting a gun in public in separate incidents prior to the killing.

Yesterday, Pistorius slumped on the floor of the dock after testifying for most of the day, unable to continue because he was too exhausted.

He wept and trembled his way through his first day of defence evidence, describing how panic attacks had left him hiding in cupboards since the shooting.

He  told the court he woke "smelling blood", was unable to sleep and was on anti-depressants and sedatives.  

And in dramatic scenes in Pretoria, the day ended early with Pistorius sitting on the floor of the dock with his psychologist wiping away tears and stroking his face.

The athlete's family formed a protective shield around him as he composed himself before eventually leaving the building.

Moments earlier, the court hearing had been adjourned for the day after Judge Thokozile Masipa agreed that Pistorius was "exhausted", having not slept.

Yesterday morning, Pistorius cried as he turned towards Reeva's mother June and apologised for all the hurt he had caused her.

His voice cracking, he said: "I would like to take this opportunity to apologise to Reeva's family, to those of you who knew her who are here today, to her friends.

"There hasn't been a moment since this tragedy happened that I haven't thought about your family."

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'Russian Soldier Kills Ukrainian Officer'

A Ukrainian naval officer in Crimea has been killed by a Russian soldier, according to the Ukrainian Defence Ministry.

The victim is reported to have been unarmed and the Russian is said to be under arrest and being detained in Sevastopol.

It comes as tension continue to rise between the two countries following a weekend of unrest involving pro-Russian protesters in several eastern cities.

Russia annexed Crimea three weeks ago after a referendum in the peninsula in which the vast majority of residents voted to leave Ukraine.

Since then, Ukrainian soldiers have been ejected from their bases in the area by soldiers who are thought to be backed by Russia.

On Sunday, demonstrators in Donetsk and Luhansk demanded a referendum similar to that held in Crimea.

More follows...

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Pistorius Plugs Ears And Cries Over Evidence

The defence case in the Oscar Pistorius murder trial has started in South Africa - as the athlete prepares to take the stand himself.

Pistorius wept in court before his defence team opened their case with the first witness, pathologist Professor Jan Botha.

Professor Botha was allowed to testify first, and ahead of Pistorius, in an agreement with prosecutors because of a family illness.

Pistorius wept in court before the evidence opened today

Pistorius is expected to testify after Professor Botha and explain his version of events.

The paralympian bent down in the dock, plugging his ears with his fingers, as Professor Botha gave testimony about Ms Steenkamp's cause of death. 

Contradicting the state's account, Professor Botha said Ms Steenkamp was first shot in the hip, then in the arm.

Oscar Pistorius arrives at court today

The third bullet hit her hand and the fourth hit her head, he said.

The state said Ms Steenkamp was first shot in the hip, that the second bullet missed, the third bullet hit her arm, and the fourth went through her hand and head.

Later, Pistorius is expected to tell the court he shot and killed his girlfriend by mistake on Valentine's Day last year, thinking she was an intruder in his home. 

When Pistorius takes the stand, it will be the first time he speaks publicly about what happened that night.

His testimony may take several days and he can expect a gruelling cross-examination from state prosecutor Gerrie Nel.

The prosecution has wrapped up its case and both sides have agreed to an extension of the trial until mid-May.

Just 18 of 107 possible witnesses were heard during the first three weeks of the trial, which is being held in Pretoria.

Ms Steenkamp was shot dead on Valentine's Day last year

During the prosecution's case, the court heard about text messages Ms Steenkamp sent to Pistorius, in which she wrote: "I am sometimes scared of you."

An emotional message from Ms Steenkamp sent on January 27 last year accused Pistorius of picking on her "incessantly".

The Paralympian is accused of the premeditated murder of Ms Steenkamp, but says he mistook her for an intruder and shot her by mistake.

The court has heard the couple had a difficult relationship

He is also accused of illegally possessing ammunition and two further counts related to shooting a gun in public in separate incidents prior to the killing.

The 27-year-old denies all the charges against him.

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Missing Plane: MH370 Team Detect Two Signals

Teams searching for missing flight MH370 believe they may have detected the plane's black box flight recorders after a ship picked up signals in the southern Indian Ocean.

The Australian defence vessel Ocean Shield picked up signals twice, around 370 miles north of where two signals were detected by a Chinese ship on Saturday.

Crucially, there were two distinct pinger returns - suggesting transmissions from a flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder on a Boeing 777 jet.

Angus Houston, the former Australian defence chief heading the search, said the information was "the most promising lead" in the search so far.

But he warned it could be days before authorities confirm if the signals are from the Malaysia Airlines flight, which vanished on March 8 with 239 people on board.

Search teams are involved in a race against time as the batteries on the plane's flight recorders could run out at any moment, meaning the signals would no longer be emitted.

Mr Houston said the Ocean Shield detected the sounds on two occasions over a period totalling more than two-and-a-half hours.

He said: "Clearly this is a most promising lead, and probably in the search so far, it's the probably the best information that we have had.

"This would be consistent with transmissions from both the flight data recorder and the cockpit voice recorder."

Stressing the need for further confirmation, he said: "I am much more optimistic than I was a week ago."

But he added: "We are talking about a long operation here and we have yet to find the aircraft."

Search co-ordinators stressed the signals were picked up in very deep water - 4,500 metres - which is at the limit of underwater search equipment being used.

The position of the sound needed to be further pinpointed, and then an underwater drone could be sent down to investigate, Mr Houston said.

He went on: "It could take some days before the information is available to establish whether these detections can be confirmed as being from MH370.

"In very deep oceanic water, nothing happens fast.

"I would want more confirmation before we say this is it. Without wreckage, we can't say it's definitely here. We've got to go down and have a look and hopefully we'll find it somewhere in the area that we narrowed to."

A map shows where signals were picked up in recent days by search ships

The latest development in the search effort came as the British navy ship HMS Echo joined the hunt. The vessel carries sophisticated sound-locating equipment.

No wreckage from the plane has been found during the month-long search, despite a number of debris sightings.

Malaysian officials concluded - based on satellite data from several countries - that the aircraft crashed into the southern Indian Ocean to the west of Perth.

Investigators have not established why the plane lost contact with air traffic controllers and appeared to divert so far from its intended route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing.

The backgrounds of passengers, crew and both pilots have been investigated, while terrorism and hijack have also been considered as possible explanations for the plane's disappearance.

The families of those on board have been frustrated by the huge international search operation, accusing the Malaysian authorities of mismanagement and holding back information. 

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Maria Miller 'Should Be Sacked' Say Most Voters

A new poll suggests 80% of the public believe Maria Miller should be sacked as Culture Secretary from the Cabinet, stripped of her responsibility for press regulation and thrown out of the House of Commons.

Nearly three-quarters of 1,001 voters questioned by Survation for the Mail on Sunday said that Mrs Miller's 32-second apology to the Commons on Thursday was inadequate.

And 75% said that Prime Minister David Cameron was wrong to stand by her, compared with 14% who backed his decision to offer her his support.

Mrs Miller making her apology in Parliament on Thursday

The Culture Secretary has paid back £5,800 of expenses she had wrongly claimed for a second home and made the brief apology in Parliament for her "unhelpful" attitude towards the investigation.

But she remains under pressure after it emerged the 10-member standards committee overruled the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards' findings that she should return £45,000.

The messages on the Department's Twitter feed

There was further embarrassment for Mrs Miller when a string of mocking messages was sent out on the Twitter feed of her own Department for Culture, Media and Sport on Saturday evening.

The first bogus tweet from the @DCMS account said: "Seriously though guys which one of us hasn't embezzled and cheated the taxpayer?? #FreeMariaMiller"

Mrs Miller's second home in London for which she wrongly claimed for

The next one, posted a minute later, said: "@Maria--MillerMP is like a modern day Robin Hood, she robs the poor to help the rich".

And the third tweet said: "Is Maria @Maria--MillerMP guilty? We will let the public decide".

A spokeswoman from the DCMS said the department had "absolutely no idea" who was responsible.

It came after former head of the Standards committee, Sir Alistair Graham, told Sky News that Mrs Miller "got off lightly" over her expenses claims.

Sir Graham told Sky News: "I'm genuinely shocked by the degree of pressure that Maria Miller seemed to be putting on the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards as she carried out her investigation.

"I think there are some pretty serious matters that have come up through the investigation and I have to say I think she's got off pretty lightly."

Mr Cameron has been criticised over his handling of the affair

Mr Cameron has been criticised for standing by Mrs Miller and is under pressure from Labour to show "leadership" over the affair.

Arriving at the Conservative Spring Forum on Saturday, Mr Cameron refused to respond when asked if Mrs Miller should lose her job.

Conservative chairman Grant Shapps has called for "a line to be drawn" under the controversy.

He also defended the Culture Secretary's special adviser Jo Hindley, who was caught on tape telling a reporter investigating the expenses story that she wanted to "flag up" the fact that Mrs Miller would be meeting her editor to discuss the Leveson inquiry into press ethics.

He said he did not believe Ms Hindley's reference to Leveson amounted to breach of the special advisers' code of conduct, which requires them to conduct themselves with integrity.

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MH370: Has China Cracked 'Mission Impossible'?

Experts say Chinese search crews will have overcome an "impossible situation" if they recover the black box from the missing Malaysia Airlines plane.

Chinese state media claims a signal has been discovered by the country's Haixun 01 vessel 1,000 miles northwest of Perth.

The signal is said to have a frequency of 37.5kHz per second - the same as that emitted by black-box devices.

Oceanographer Dr Simon Boxall, from Southampton University, told Sky News it would be a remarkable achievement.

"If it proves this is potentially from the pinger on the black box then we've gone from pretty much an impossible situation to locate this flight and the wreckage on the seabed to a situation where it's very feasible," he said.

"It would mean we've gone from an area of 85,000 square miles down to an area of 10 square miles.

"Because the signal is so weak on this locator, it can't be more than two or three miles away.

"Even if the seabed is fairly mountainous or there are issues on the sea floor, it's within the capability of 21st century technology to recover this black box if the signal proves to be from the aircraft.

"The search area would be doable but it could take months."

Dr Boxall says the next step is to confirm the signal is from MH370.

This would be done using a combination of side scan sonar and camera equipment attached to an ROV (remotely operated underwater vehicle).

If they confirm the presence of a black box, the operation will enter its recovery phase.

This could be hampered by weather, with relatively calm seas required for a whole day to allow the ROV to reach the seabed.

"You shouldn't underestimate the size of this task - it's not easy," said Dr Boxall.

The location of objects spotted in the southern corridor

"But you go to something that will happen, rather than something that may never happen.

"Possibly when they do that some of the mysteries of what happened to MH370 might be answered."

Another question is which country will lead any verification and recovery, as the signal has been found in international waters.

But Dr Boxall warns there is a long way to go before this becomes an issue.

"Without showing scepticism, it's interesting that this has happened four weeks after the event and it's happened at the point when people are saying, incorrectly, that the black box is going to run out in two hours," he said.

"The black box has a design transition of about 30 days. It could go on for longer, it could have been damaged in the crash itself.

"The ocean is full of noise. Both equipment we use as scientists or natural noises.

"The argument is that there's nothing else out there that will transit at 37.5kHz but we also know the signal was very intermittent, which we would sort of expect - but how intermittent?

"Because this is all second-hand information, then until this data has been looked at by the Australians, I'm afraid to say my scepticism will remain."

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Missing Plane: Three Acoustic Signals Detected

Chinese and Australian ships searching for missing flight MH370 have picked up separate acoustic signals in different parts of the southern Indian Ocean and are trying to verify if one could be from the plane's black box recorders.

Retired Australian Air Chief Marshal Angus Houston, head of the international search, earlier said Chinese patrol vessel Haixun 01 picked up two "acoustic events" some 1,000 miles (1,600km) northwest of Perth.

The first was a faint signal. The second was picked up around 1.2 miles (2km) away and lasted for 90 seconds, he said.

They had a "ping" of 37.5kHz frequency - the same emitted by black box flight recorders.

The location where the signal was detected

More planes and ships were sent to assist in that area, but in the meantime Australia's HMAS Ocean Shield had reported a separate "acoustic event" some 345 miles (555km) away.

The Ocean Shield is carrying sophisticated US Navy equipment designed to pick up signals sent from the black boxes.

HMS Echo, which is also equipped with black box locators, is also on its way to the search area.

A Chinese air force plane has also spotted a number of white floating objects in the area, said Chinese state news agency Xinhua.

But Mr Houston stressed that investigators are still a "long way" from concluding the signals are from the Boeing 777 carrying 239 people.

The Malaysia Airlines plane vanished on March 8

He said they are "an important and encouraging lead" and show "some promise and require a full investigation".

Earlier, Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott told reporters in Tokyo: "This is the most difficult search in human history.

"We are searching for an aircraft which is at the bottom of a very deep ocean and it is a very, very wide search area.

"We need to be very careful about coming to hard and fast conclusions too soon."

Hishammuddin Hussein at a news conference in Malaysia on Saturday

Anish Patel, president of Dukane Seacom, the company that made the black box locator, told Reuters: "The 37.5kHz is the specific frequency that these locator pingers operate on.

"It's a very unique frequency, typically not found in background ocean noise," such as whales or other marine mammals, he added.

A dozen planes and 13 ships are scouring three areas about 1,240 miles (2,000 km) northwest of Perth.

Malaysia said on Saturday it had launched a formal investigation into the plane's disappearance that would include experts from Britain, Australia, the US, China and France.

The country's acting transport minister Hishammuddin Hussein said it would be made up of three groups.

The first would examine maintenance records, structures and systems.

The second would study flight recorders, operations and meteorology.

The third, a "medical and human factors" group, would look into psychology, pathology and survival.

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