Iraq: Mosul Governor Says US Support 'Welcome'

The governor of Mosul has told Sky News he would welcome US support in ousting Islamist militants from Iraq, but does not want troops on the ground.

Speaking from Irbil in the Kurdish north after the city was taken by the militants, Atheel al Nujaifi said the insurgents' attack on several Iraqi cities came as a complete surprise to Iraqi authorities.

He said Sunni Arabs fed up with the government of Prime Minister Nouri al Maliki had joined fighters from the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS).

A comparison of the Iraqi army and ISIS

With ISIS fighters thought to be fewer than 50 miles (80km) from the capital Baghdad, Mr Nujaifi conceded that Iraqi authorities need support.

"We need to have weapons. We need to have political support," he told Sky News.

"(But) we don't like the American army to come into Iraq and to occupy Iraq another time and turn back to the same problem that happened before."

President Barack Obama has ruled out putting American troops on the ground in Iraq, but says the White House is considering all other options for support.

He said he would make a decision "in the days ahead" on the options, amid reports the Pentagon is drafting plans for possible air strikes against the Islamist rebels.

People shout slogans supporting a call to arms in Iraq

"The United States will do our part, but ultimately it's up to the Iraqis as a sovereign nation to solve their problems," Mr Obama said.

"We can't do it for them," he added.

On Saturday morning Iran's President Hassan Rouhani offered to assist Iraq, telling a televised interview the country would "strongly defend" its territory if terrorist groups presented a danger.

Iran has already sent a Revolutionary Guard Major General to Baghdad to meet leaders. The country, which is predominately Shia, does not want to see a Sunni caliphate established on its borders.

A Kurdish Peshmerga fighter in Nineveh province

Foreign Secretary William Hague has also ruled out sending UK troops, but said Britain may offer other support, such as counter-terrorism expertise, which could see the involvement of the SAS as it did in Libya.

"Work is under way on that now and we will continue to liaise closely with our United States allies in particular on that," he said.

Mr Maliki claims that Iraqi forces have begun to clear cities of the "terrorists", after he travelled to the embattled city of Samarra on Friday for a security meeting.

Some of the areas affected by the fighting

It comes as a representative of Iraq's most senior Shi'ite cleric urged people to take up arms and defend the nation from militants.

Sheikh Abdulmehdi al Karbalai, a representative for Grand Ayatollah Ali al Sistani, said: "People who are capable of carrying arms and fighting the terrorists in defence of their country ... should volunteer to join the security forces to achieve this sacred goal."

The ISIS militants took control of a huge swathe of predominantly Sunni Arab territory in northern and central Iraq after launching their offensive on Monday.

They have pressed as far south as the ethnically divided Diyala province.

Forces from the autonomous Kurdish region have also seized territory they have sought to rule for decades against the objections of successive governments in Baghdad.

:: Watch a special report on the conflict in Iraq on our catch up service. Sky's Foreign Affairs Correspondent Lisa Holland asks whether the current crisis means the end of Iraq.  It's free for TV customers with Sky HD+ boxes connected to broadband.

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Ukrainian Aircraft Shot Down By Separatists

Pro-Russian separatists have shot down a Ukrainian military plane in the city of Luhansk, killing 49 people, according to a Ukrainian Defence Ministry spokesman.

It is the biggest loss of life suffered by government forces in a single incident since Kiev started a military operation to try to defeat the insurgency in east Ukraine.

A statement released by the ministry accused pro-Russian "terrorists" of shooting down the Ilyushin-76 aircraft, which was about to land at Luhansk airport.

It said the rebels "cynically and treacherously" downed the plane using anti-aircraft guns and heavy calibre guns at 11pm on Friday UK time (1am local time).

Authorities have expressed their condolences to the parents and relatives of those killed, the statement added.

Luhansk is close to the Russian border

Spokesman Vladyslav Seleznyov was quoted by the AFP news agency as saying: "This is our preliminary information. Details about how many people were on board are still being checked."

He added the plane was carrying nine crew and 40 paratroopers.

The prosecutor's office said a criminal investigation had been opened under anti-terrorism laws.

The Luhansk Oblast is at the heart of the separatist rebellion launched in April, and local media is reporting that there is fighting in the region's administrative centre, also called Luhansk.

The rebels said the Ukrainian air force have fired on the industrial town of Horlivka, north of Donetsk.

A Russian tank seen at a military base near Simferopol in March

It comes after Russia was accused by the US State Department of sending tanks and heavy weaponry to Ukraine in support of separatists in the country's east.

Several tanks and rocket launchers were moved into Ukraine from an arms depot inside Russia, the department said.

"We assess that separatists in eastern Ukraine have acquired heavy weapons and military equipment from Russia, including Russian tanks and multiple rocket launchers," spokeswoman Marie Harf said in a statement.

The statement comes after Kiev alleged three tanks had crossed from Russia into Ukrainian territory this week.

Ukraine's President Petro Poroshenko told his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on Thursday that the action was "unacceptable".

Ms Harf said three T-64 tanks, several BM-21 or Grad rocket launchers and other vehicles had crossed into Ukraine's east as part of a convoy.

Amateur videos posted on the internet in recent days show the same kind of tanks moving through cities in eastern Ukraine, including Snizhnye, Torez, and Makiyivka.

"Russia will claim these tanks were taken from Ukrainian forces, but no Ukrainian tank units have been operating in that area," she said. 

"We are confident that these tanks came from Russia. This is unacceptable. A failure by Russia to deescalate the situation will lead to additional costs."

Moscow has denied the allegation.

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Boy, 6, Shot In Neck By Gunman In Dublin

By David Blevins, Ireland Correspondent

A six-year-old boy has been seriously injured after being shot in the neck by a gunman in west Dublin.

It is understood the shooting took place outside the boy's home in the Ballyfermot area of the city late on Friday.

Sky sources say the child was not the gunman's intended target, but was caught in crossfire.

The boy was taken to the nearby Crumlin hospital where his condition is said to be "stable and non life-threatening".

A police officer is also thought to have been injured in a subsequent car chase following the attack.

Police have sealed off the area in Croftwood Gardens while they investigate.

A spokesman said: "The shooting occurred shortly after 10pm, a six-year-old boy received what is believed to be a gunshot wound to his neck. When gardai arrived on scene they administered first aid until the arrival of the ambulance.

The shooting adds to the deteriorating criminal picture in Dublin where there has been a significant rise in violent crime in recent months.

Most of it is related to drugs and other gangland crime - but this, to the best of my knowledge, is the first time that a child has been caught up in the violence.

It will certainly increase pressure on the Irish police force to deploy more officers to the area.

16.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

England Unfazed By World Cup Pitch Woes

World Cup: 11 Players You Need To Watch

Updated: 3:39pm UK, Thursday 12 June 2014

By Nick Powell, Sports Editor

Like the Grand National, the World Cup has become a great participation event in offices, clubs and schools.

Join the sweep, pick the top scorer, guess how far England will go, perhaps even have a bet.

So to help, here's a team of men who are probably not big names in your household or workplace - but might be in a month's time.

:: Thibos Courtois, goalkeeper (Belgium/Atletico Madrid)

Actually a Chelsea employee, but doing so well on loan at Atletico that his future has become a big debating point in the last few months.

If Belgium are to do as well as the bookies predict, then he is certain to have enhanced his reputation even further.

Italy's veteran keeper Gianluigi Buffon has picked him out as a man to watch - and he should know.

:: Mauricio Isla, attacking right-back (Chile/Juventus)

Older than some of his colleagues in this fabled team at the age 25 and with almost half a century of appearances for Chile behind him, he has a great chance to win more admirers of his charging runs down the right.

Chile are in the same group as Spain and Holland but do not rule out Isla helping dump one of those giants out at the first hurdle.

:: Raphael Varane, central defender (France/Real Madrid)

He has only played five times for France, but at 21 years old he is part of a badly needed new generation for the 1998 world champions.

Big and strong - not to mention fiery - he got involved in an altercation on the pitch with opposition boss Diego Simeone at the end of the Champions League final, in which his Real team beat city rivals Atletico Madrid.

Jose Mourinho says he's the world's best young defender.

:: Mats Hummels, central defender (Germany/Borussia Dortmund)

If Germany go a long way in the World Cup, Hummels has the potential to be one of the stars of the tournament.

A dominant figure who can play as well as block, he also has a memorable name and a girlfriend, Cathy Fischer, who has been described as Germany's top WAG.

:: Yuto Nagatomo, left-back (Japan/Inter Milan)

Nagatomo has talked ambitiously about Japan winning the World Cup. One day, perhaps. Although they did reach the last 16 in 2010.

If they are to do it again, he will need to be at his best, both in defence and marauding down the left.

:: Juan Cuadrado, midfield (Colombia/Fiorentina)

Top scorer from midfield for Fiorentina in the Italian League with 11 goals last season, Cuadrado was converted from a right-back and is already interesting many of Europe's top clubs.

There is every chance there will be a long queue at his agent's door after the World Cup.

:: William Carvalho, midfield (Portugal/Sporting Lisbon)

You thought Angola was not the place to look for football talent?

This young man from Luanda has to force his way into Portugal's team but he is big and powerful (think Manchester City's Yaya Toure) with a future to match.

:: Paul Pogba, midfield (France/Juventus)

Still only 21, he has been in the headlines since Sir Alex Ferguson decided he was not good enough for Manchester United.

His poise belies his years. Zinedine Zidane, a World Cup winner in 1998, says his young countryman will become one of Europe's best central midfielders.

:: Ciro Immobile, striker (Italy/Borussia Dortmund)

This guy could be huge and may even be the World Cup's top goalscorer - worth a punt at around 50-1 if you like a bet.

No one got more than him in Italy last season and he has just signed for Dortmund.

Mario Balotelli is the big name in the Italians' attack ... so far.

:: Carlos Bacca, striker (Colombia/Sevilla)

Now carrying a nation's goalscoring hopes on his shoulders after injury ruled out his more illustrious colleague, Radamel Falcao, but he is up to the task.

He scored four goals towards the end of the season for his Spanish club, the Europa League winners.

And Bacca has every chance of helping Colombia progress from a group that also includes Greece, Ivory Coast and Japan - therefore boosting his own reputation.

:: Joel Campbell, striker (Costa Rica/Arsenal)

You're going to hear plenty about Joel Campbell because he is a big threat to England's hopes of progress from Group D.

Arsenal have loaned him out for the last three seasons, most recently to Greek club Olympiakos, for whom he scored against Manchester United in the Champions League.

His mum told him to read Psalm 27 - "The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?" - before matches and apparently he does so.

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Burglar Jailed For 'Evil' Murder Of Baby In Cot

A burglar who murdered a 10-month-old boy by hitting him more than 30 times in the face and head has been jailed for life in Australia.

Harley Hicks will serve a minimum of 32 years behind bars after the judge said his crime was "utterly evil".

The 21-year-old, who denied the killing, had shown no remorse for the ferocious attack on Zayden Veal-Whitting as he lay in his cot, said Supreme Court Justice Stephen Kaye.

Hicks bludgeoned the baby to death with a homemade baton made of copper wire wrapped in tape in a burglary spree in Bendigo, Victoria state in June 2012.

Zayden's mother found her severely beaten son as she went into his room to wake him and pulled back a blanket covering his face.

He was then taken to hospital where he was pronounced dead.

The Bendigo court heard Hicks told police he was high on drugs at the time, but gave no reason why he attacked the baby.

However, his defence team had suggested it was because he disturbed the infant.

Sentencing Hicks, Mr Kaye said: "He (Zayden) was utterly harmless, defenceless and helpless.

"Any human being with even a shred of decency and humanity could only feel compassion, tenderness and protectiveness towards an infant in those circumstances.

"By contrast, you inflicted a brutal bashing, with a lethal instrument, on that baby. You crushed his skull, you savagely beat him with at least 30 blows."

The judge, who said Hicks had used marijuana and crystal meth before the murder, added: "It is almost unthinkable that any human being could have carried out such a sickening crime that you have committed.

"What you did was totally and utterly evil."

Hicks showed no emotion as the sentence was handed down.

Eleven cars and homes in the Bendigo neighbourhood were broken into the night of the murder and Hicks admitted carrying out some of them.

Items taken from Zayden's home and the baton used in the murder were found in a raid on his house, the court heard.

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Iraq Militants Poised For March On Baghdad

Iraq has implemented a new plan to defend Baghdad as Islamist insurgents edge closer to the country's capital, according to an interior ministry spokesman.

Security forces are gathering at a base just 20 miles outside Baghdad, ready to protect the city from Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIS) fighters who have vowed to march on the city.

Iraq's Shiite-led government says a fight-back is under way after the Sunni insurgents took control of the northern cities Mosul and Tikrit. Fighters have previously taken control of Fallujah and parts of Ramadi.

Thousands of refugees have fled the violence. Pic: UNHCR

But the militants moved into the towns of Saadiyah and Jalawla in the eastern province of Diyala after security forces abandoned their positions.

Diyala Deputy Governor Furat al Tamimi said Kurdish security forces have now moved into the areas, following on from taking control of the northern oil city of Kirkuk.

The Iraqi army fired artillery at the two towns from Muqdadiya, 50 miles from the Baghdad city limits, sending dozens of families fleeing towards the Iranian border, security sources said.

A comparison of the Iraqi army and ISIS

The Iraqi air force also launched airstrikes on militant fighters' positions around Mosul and Tikrit.

According to witnesses, the fighters are preparing a third assault on Samarra, 70 miles north of Baghdad, following two failed attempts to take the city.

Sky's Middle East Correspondent Sherine Tadros, in Irbil, northern Iraq, said: "The Iraqis are attacking by air because they cannot attack by land.

Some of the areas affected by the fighting in Iraq

"The army right now is extremely demoralised, it feels like it's lacking in leadership and it's splintering under this pressure. Meanwhile, the militants certainly seem like they have the upper hand and all the momentum."

The US has confirmed ground troops will not be sent into Iraq, but President Barack Obama says his administration is looking into "all options" to help Iraqi leaders.

"I don't rule out anything because we do have a stake in making sure that these jihadists are not getting a permanent foothold in either Iraq or Syria," he said.

An Iraqi security officer stands guard as Iraqi civilians wait to volunteer

A US defence official says American surveillance drones have been in the air over Iraq to help the fight against the Sunni insurgents.

Hundreds of Americans have also been evacuated from a military base in Balad, 50 miles north of Baghdad.

The UN Security Council has demanded urgent dialogue and condemned the "terrorist" activities of the insurgents, but stopped short of considering action against them.

A girl, who fled from the violence in Mosul, carries a case of water

More than 500,000 people have fled the conflict in the Mosul region alone, with many heading into Kurdish areas in the north.

The World Food Programme has begun providing assistance to 42,000 of the most vulnerable.

Sectarian political dysfunction has been blamed for the government's failure to secure authorisation to declare a state of emergency, which was called for by Prime Minister Nouri al Maliki earlier this week.

ISIS, led by Abu Bakr al Baghdadi, wants to create a Sunni state, or caliphate, straddling the border between Iraq and Syria.

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World Cup Airport Strike Threatens Chaos In Rio

Thousands of football fans flying to Brazil for the start of the World Cup are facing a chaotic welcome, after ground staff voted to stage a 24-hour strike.

Hours before the tournament gets under way, workers at Rio de Janeiro's Galeao airport, which is expected to be one of the busiest in Brazil over the next four weeks, have declared a partial walkout in a row over pay.

Baggage handlers and check-in staff will join colleagues at the city's Santos Dumont airport - an important hub for flights to Sao Paulo, where England play Uruguay next week - in downing tools.

Rio de Janeiro's airports are busy even in a non-World Cup month

They have promised to maintain an 80% service and although fans heading to Sao Paulo will be at least be able to catch the subway after metro staff voted against taking industrial action themselves, there is potential for disruption at already-stretched terminals.

Some 2.1 million people passed through the two airports last month - an average of 68,000 people a day - with World Cup arrivals set to bolster those numbers further still.

Excitement is building in Brazil as the four-week tournament gets under way

Sky's Sports Correspondent Paul Kelso, in Rio de Janeiro, said: "This city is a hub for many supporters, including England fans heading for their team's opening game in Manaus on Saturday, and if the strike goes ahead they face disruption.

"The vote by Sao Paulo's metro workers is a significant relief for organisers, but it may not lift the considerable anxiety around the start of the tournament."

All the latest World Cup news and analysis on the Sky News catch up service

After a build-up dominated by delays to infrastructure projects, deaths at stadium construction sites and protests over spiralling costs, the World Cup kicks off in Sao Paulo later today.

The host nation face Croatia in the tournament's curtain-raiser after an opening ceremony featuring performances by the likes of Jennifer Lopez and Pitbull.

The pitch in Manaus appears dry and yellow

England's first match is on Saturday and as Roy Hodgson's players continue to acclimatise, the pitch at Manaus' Amazonia Arena where they will face Italy appears to be in poor condition.

A journalist for the AFP news agency said the playing surface was noticeably dry and particularly bare around one of the goals, "revealing large yellowing areas of turf".

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World Cup: Top 11 Players To Watch In Brazil

By Nick Powell, Sports Editor

Like the Grand National, the World Cup has become a great participation event in offices, clubs and schools.

Join the sweep, pick the top scorer, guess how far England will go, perhaps even have a bet.

So to help, here's a team of men who are probably not big names in your household or workplace - but might be in a month's time.

:: Thibos Courtois, goalkeeper (Belgium/Atletico Madrid)

Actually a Chelsea employee, but doing so well on loan at Atletico that his future has become a big debating point in the last few months.

If Belgium are to do as well as the bookies predict, then he is certain to have enhanced his reputation even further.

Italy's veteran keeper Gianluigi Buffon has picked him out as a man to watch - and he should know.

:: Mauricio Isla, attacking right-back (Chile/Juventus)

Older than some of his colleagues in this fabled team at the age 25 and with almost half a century of appearances for Chile behind him, he has a great chance to win more admirers of his charging runs down the right.

Chile are in the same group as Spain and Holland but do not rule out Isla helping dump one of those giants out at the first hurdle.

:: Raphael Varane, central defender (France/Real Madrid)

He has only played five times for France, but at 21 years old he is part of a badly needed new generation for the 1998 world champions.

Big and strong - not to mention fiery - he got involved in an altercation on the pitch with opposition boss Diego Costa at the end of the Champions League final, in which his Real team beat city rivals Atletico Madrid.

Jose Mourinho says he's the world's best young defender.

:: Mats Hummels, central defender (Germany/Borussia Dortmund)

If Germany go a long way in the World Cup, Hummels has the potential to be one of the stars of the tournament.

A dominant figure who can play as well as block, he also has a memorable name and a girlfriend, Cathy Fischer, who has been described as Germany's top WAG.

:: Yuto Nagatomo, left-back (Japan/Inter Milan)

Nagatomo has talked ambitiously about Japan winning the World Cup. One day, perhaps. Although they did reach the last 16 in 2010.

If they are to do it again, he will need to be at his best, both in defence and marauding down the left.

:: Juan Cuadrado, midfield (Colombia/Fiorentina)

Top scorer from midfield for Fiorentina in the Italian League with 11 goals last season, Cuadrado was converted from a right-back and is already interesting many of Europe's top clubs.

There is every chance there will be a long queue at his agent's door after the World Cup.

:: William Carvalho, midfield (Portugal/Sporting Lisbon)

You thought Angola was not the place to look for football talent?

This young man from Luanda has to force his way into Portugal's team but he is big and powerful (think Manchester City's Yaya Toure) with a future to match.

:: Paul Pogba, midfield (France/Juventus)

Still only 21, he has been in the headlines since Sir Alex Ferguson decided he was not good enough for Manchester United.

His poise belies his years. Zinedine Zidane, a World Cup winner in 1998, says his young countryman will become one of Europe's best central midfielders.

:: Ciro Immobile, striker (Italy/Borussia Dortmund)

This guy could be huge and may even be the World Cup's top goalscorer - worth a punt at around 50-1 if you like a bet.

No one got more than him in Italy last season and he has just signed for Dortmund.

Mario Balotelli is the big name in the Italians' attack ... so far.

:: Carlos Bacca, striker (Colombia/Sevilla)

Now carrying a nation's goalscoring hopes on his shoulders after injury ruled out his more illustrious colleague, Radamel Falcao, but he is up to the task.

He scored four goals towards the end of the season for his Spanish club, the Europa League winners.

And Bacca has every chance of helping Colombia progress from a group that also includes Greece, Ivory Coast and Japan - therefore boosting his own reputation.

:: Joel Campbell, striker (Costa Rica/Arsenal)

You're going to hear plenty about Joel Campbell because he is a big threat to England's hopes of progress from Group D.

Arsenal have loaned him out for the last three seasons, most recently to Greek club Olympiakos, for whom he scored against Manchester United in the Champions League.

His mum told him to read Psalm 27 - "The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?" - before matches and apparently he does so.

16.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

Iraqi Militants: 'Battle Will Rage In Baghdad'

Militants who stormed cities in northern and central Iraq now plan to launch a wave of attacks on the capital Baghdad, their leader has reportedly warned.

In a statement translated by intelligence officials, Abu Mohammed al Adnani, who heads the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIS), promised battle would "rage" in the city and Karbala further south.

It came as officials in Iraq allegedly asked the US to consider air strikes, including drone attacks, to halt the militants' progress.

"The battle is not yet raging, but it will in Baghdad and Karbala," al Adnani said, according to the US-based monitoring group SITE.

Militants left a trail of destruction in the northern city of Mosul

"Do not relent against your enemy," he added. "Put on your belts and get ready."

Karbala, a city southwest of the capital, is considered one of the holiest sites for Shiite Muslims according to SITE.

ISIS, an al Qaeda splinter group, seized control of Tikrit on Wednesday after a devastating show of strength in Mosul, where more than 500,000 people have fled.

Iraqi police said hundreds of prisoners were freed in Tikrit, the home town of former dictator Saddam Hussein, after militants arrived in a convoy of more than 60 vehicles.

Abu Mohammed al Adnani has vowed to attack Baghdad and Karbala

The insurgents took over local government buildings and set fire to the court house before heading back out on the road.

They battled security forces on the northern outskirts of Samarra as they closed within 70 miles (110km) of the capital.

In the north, the Iraq army on Thursday abandoned its bases in Kirkuk to the Kurdish peshmerga, according to a spokesman.

Peshmerga spokesman Jabbar Yawar told the Reuters news agency: "The whole of Kirkuk has fallen into the hands of peshmerga. No Iraq army remains in Kirkuk now."

An American defence official said the Iraqi government had privately asked for help in stopping them.

A formal request has not yet been made, although the US is considering sending "more weaponry", the official said.

American troops pulled out of Iraq in 2011 after a bitter conflict that left 4,800 coalition soldiers dead.

State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said the US would support a "unified approach against ISIS' continued aggression", adding it had long warned of the dangers posed by the group.

Nick Clegg, Deputy Prime Minister, speaking on LBC show Call Clegg, said he did not think the UK should go back into Iraq.

Security has been stepped up at checkpoints in the Iraqi capital

He said: "No I don't think having made one mistake we should go and make another. There are lots of ways to try to resolve the crisis."

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon has condemned the abductions and the seizure of territory and urged the international community to "show solidarity with Iraq".

Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al Maliki asked parliament to declare a state of emergency that would grant him additional powers to tackle the crisis. MPs will hold an emergency session on Thursday to vote on the measure.

Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari said Baghdad will co-operate with Kurdish forces to "flush out these foreign fighters" and said Iraq's leaders have to unite to face a "mortal" threat.

ISIS, which wants to create a Sunni state, or caliphate, straddling the border between Iraq and Syria, has made serious gains in Iraq in the last year, seizing control of Fallujah and parts of Ramadi.

It was formed after a split with al Qaeda's international leader, Ayman al Zawahiri.

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Egypt To Act After 'Worst Ever' Sex Assault

By Sherine Tadros, Middle East Correspondent

Egypt's new president has ordered a crackdown on sex crimes after a video emerged of a woman being assaulted in Cairo's Tahrir Square.

The blurry, two-minute clip, which was allegedly filmed during celebrations to mark Abdul Fattah al Sisi's inauguration, shows a woman completely naked and bruised with hordes of men around as she is carried into a vehicle.

Dozens of women say they have been attacked in Tahrir Square in the past two years but this is the worst many people have seen.

It has been covered widely by Egyptian media, with one newspaper demanding the perpetrators be executed.

The video, which has been circulated on social media, prompted Mr Sisi to call for sexual harassment to be confronted immediately.

Mr al Sisi has described sexual harassment as "unacceptable"

In one of his first public statements, he called it an "unacceptable form of conduct, alien to the best principles of Egyptian culture".

It comes as a global summit to stop sexual violence in war zones, co-hosted by Angelina Jolie, continues in London.

On Tuesday, the actress told the summit: "We must send a message across the world that there's no disgrace in being a survivor of sexual violence. The shame is on the aggressor."

Part of the problem in Egypt has been an absence of laws protecting women against sexual harassment, allowing attackers to act with complete impunity.

A decree issued last week made it a criminal act for the first time, with offenders warned they could face up to five years in prison.

Jolie co-hosted the London summit with Foreign Secretary William Hague

Importantly, it defines harassment as including the making of obscene gestures "in any manner", recognising it does not have to be of a physical nature.

A study conducted last year by the UN showed 99.3% of Egyptian women have experienced some form of harassment, with around half (47%) claiming they are harassed daily.

It has become so prevalent and widespread in Egypt that many women have simply grown to accept it.

Men often stare and shout obscene comments at women as they walk along the street.

At times, it is seen as acceptable for women to feel shame and humiliation, as if something about how they dress or walk is to blame. 

The video that has shocked many in Egpyt was filmed in Tahrir Square

It is an endemic problem and has become part of Egyptian culture - a dysfunctional yet accepted norm.

Farah Shash, of the Nadeem Centre for the Rehabilitation of Victims of Violence, said: "The culture here when it comes to sexual harassment is to blame the victim."

She said authorities in Egypt have never seen women's rights as a priority and women are reluctant to report incidents because the police are so unsympathetic.

Journalist Hania Moheeb, who was gang raped in Tahrir Square last January and is attending this week's summit, said: "I have much hope, not only in the current regime but in Egyptian women because they have changed a lot.

"They're more outspoken now and we'll fight for our rights.

"The denial this society has been living in for over two decades is something that has to end."

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England Should Sacrifice World Cup, Says Lineker

One of England's most famous footballers has said officials should stand up to Sepp Blatter, even if it costs the country any chance of staging the World Cup again.

Gary Lineker said sacrificing any future bid for the tournament by holding the Fifa president to account over corruption claims is a "price worth paying".

The former striker, who holds the record for the most number of goals scored by an English player at a World Cup finals, made his comments in a tweet after FA boss Greg Dyke urged Mr Blatter not to stand for re-election.

"Good that Dyke stood up to Blatter," the ex-Leicester City and Tottenham Hotspur player wrote.

"If making a stand damages our chances of ever getting the World Cup, so be it. A price worth paying."

Gary Lineker played in two World Cups, including Mexico 1986

Allegations of corruption surrounding the 2022 World Cup in Qatar have overshadowed the build-up to this year's tournament, which gets under way in Brazil on Thursday.

It is claimed Qatar used its political connections and natural gas wealth to help win the right to host the event four years ago.

Mr Blatter, who is expected to confirm he will stand for a fifth term as president of football's world governing body later, claimed the comments were motivated by racism.

However, in an interview with Sky Sports News, Mr Dyke said: "The allegations being made are nothing to do with racism. They are allegations about corruption.

All the latest World Cup news and analysis on the Sky News catch up service

"Fifa is a suspect organisation where there has been an awful lot of corruption."

Asked about the presidential election next year, he added: "It's probably time for change."

Uefa executive committee member David Gill also said the Fifa president should stand down next year.

"I think we need a full, frank and open debate about what Fifa needs going forward," he added.

Their comments were backed by Michael van Praag, the head of the Dutch football association, as the first signs of a revolt against Mr Blatter emerged.

"When people talk about Fifa, they talk about corruption (and) bribery," he said.

Qatar allegedly used its political and energy influence to win its bid

"Yes, Blatter is leading reforms but he was also in charge when it went wrong and he has to bear responsibility for that."

Sky Sports pundit and ex-Southampton midfielder Matt Le Tissier said Mr Blatter should "let someone with the best interests of football at heart take over", while several newspaper columnists came out in support of his critics.

Matt Lawton, chief sports writer at the Daily Mail, said: "Credit should go to Greg Dyke today for the way he stood up to Blatter here in Sao Paulo. One of only two who had the balls to do it."

The Daily Telegraph's Paul Hayward added: "Shame it took the media to force Uefa's hand."

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Madeleine McCann Police Bring In Sniffer Dogs

Madeleine: Key Events Timeline

Updated: 7:29am UK, Wednesday 11 June 2014

Here is a timeline of the key events since Madeleine McCann's disappearance.

2007

:: May 3 - Kate and Gerry McCann leave their three children asleep in their holiday apartment in Praia da Luz while they dine with friends at a nearby tapas restaurant.

Jane Tanner, one of the friends eating with the McCanns, later reports seeing a man carrying a child away earlier that night.

:: May 5 - Portuguese police reveal they believe Madeleine was abducted but is still alive and in Portugal, and say they have a sketch of a suspect.

:: May 14 - Detectives take Anglo-Portuguese man Robert Murat in for questioning and make him an "arguido", or official suspect.

:: May 25 - Detectives release a description of the man reported by Jane Tanner three weeks earlier after pressure from the McCanns, their legal team and the British Government.

:: May 30 - Mr and Mrs McCann meet the Pope in Rome in the first of a series of trips around Europe and beyond to highlight the search for their daughter.

:: August 6 - A Portuguese newspaper reports that British sniffer dogs have found traces of blood on a wall in the McCanns' holiday apartment.

:: August 11 - Exactly 100 days after Madeleine disappeared, investigating officers publicly acknowledge for the first time that she could be dead.

:: September 7 - During further questioning of Mr and Mrs McCann, detectives make them both "arguidos" in their daughter's disappearance.

:: September 9 - The McCanns fly back to England with their two-year-old twins Sean and Amelie.

:: October 2 - Goncalo Amaral, the detective in charge of the inquiry, is removed from the case after criticising the British police in a Portuguese newspaper interview.

:: October 25 - The McCanns release a new artist's impression drawn by an FBI-trained expert showing the man described by Jane Tanner.

2008

:: March 19 - Mr and Mrs McCann accept £550,000 libel damages and front-page apologies from Express Newspapers over allegations they were responsible for Madeleine's death.

:: April 7 - Three Portuguese detectives, led by Paulo Rebelo, fly to Britain to re-interview the seven friends on holiday with the McCanns when Madeleine vanished.

:: July 17 - Mr Murat receives £600,000 in libel damages from four newspaper groups over "seriously defamatory" articles connecting him with the child's disappearance.

:: July 21 - The Portuguese authorities shelve their investigation and lift the "arguido" status of the McCanns and Mr Murat.

:: August 4 - Thousands of pages of evidence from the Portuguese police files in the exhaustive investigation into Madeleine's disappearance are made public.

2009

:: January 13 - Mr McCann returns to Portugal for the first time since coming back to the UK without his daughter.

:: March 24 - The McCanns launch a localised new appeal for information focused on the area in the Algarve where Madeleine disappeared.

:: April 4 - Mr McCann goes back to Portugal to help film a reconstruction of the events on the night his daughter vanished.

:: April 22 - The McCanns fly to the US to record an interview with chat show host Oprah Winfrey to mark two years since Madeleine's disappearance.

:: June 14 - Dying paedophile Raymond Hewlett says he was in the Algarve when Madeleine disappeared and has an alibi - but has no plans to reveal it.

:: August 6 - Detectives say they are hunting a "Victoria Beckham lookalike" with an Australian or New Zealand accent, reportedly seen in Barcelona three days after the little girl went missing.

2010

:: Feb 18 -  Kate and Gerry McCann say they are "pleased and relieved" at a judge's decision to uphold a ban on a book by former detective Goncalo Amaral.

:: Mar 3 -  A newly-released file from Portugese police on possible sightings is called "gold dust" and could lead to a breakthrough, says a spokesman for the McCanns.

:: May 1 - Kate McCann reveals she had thoughts about being "wiped out" in a motorway crash to end the pain of losing Madeleine - but vows never to give up.

:: November 10 - Madeleine's parents launch an online petition to help force a UK and Portuguese joint review of all evidence in the case.

:: November 15 -  The McCanns sign a deal to write a book about their daughter's disappearance.

2011

:: May 13 - The Prime Minister David Cameron asks London's Metropolitan Police to help investigate the case.

:: November 23 - Kate and Gerry McCann appear at the Leveson Inquiry into media ethics.

They tell how media pressure affected their family life and accuse newspaper editors of hampering the search for their missing daughter.

Kate McCann says she felt "violated" when her diary was published without her permission.

:: December 5 - Scotland Yard detectives spend time in Barcelona as part of their re-examination of the case.

2012

:: March 9 - Portuguese police in Oporto launch a review of the original investigation.

:: April 26 - Scotland Yard says Madeleine McCann may still be alive and release an artist's impression of what she may look like as a nine-year-old.

:: July 6 - British detectives examine a claim that the little girl's body is buried near the apartment from where she vanished. It comes after a self-styled investigator sends police radar scans he claims show a burial site.

2013

:: February 11 - Gerry McCann calls for politicians to implement the conclusions of the Leveson Inquiry in full, backed by legislation.

:: February 13 - Police say the results of DNA tests on a girl in New Zealand who was mistaken for Madeleine reveal that she is not the missing British girl.

:: February 21 - Retired solicitor Tony Bennett who published claims that Madeleine McCann's parents caused her death is given a suspended jail sentence.

:: May 2 - Madeleine McCann's parents tell Sky News a police review into their daughter's disappearance is making "excellent progress" as they mark the sixth anniversary since she went missing.

:: May 17 - Scotland Yard say they have identified a number of "people of interest" they want to speak to. It believes it has found enough evidence to reopen the case but the Portuguese authorities are still resistant. 

:: June 15 - The Home Office agrees to fund a full-scale investigation by the Metropolitan Police.

:: October 13 - UK detectives reviewing the case say key details in the timeline of her disappearance have "significantly changed".

:: October 14 - A fresh appeal is launched in a bid to find a suspect detectives say is of "vital importance", with two new separate e-fits - thought to be of the same man seen on the night Madeleine went missing - released by police.

:: October 17 - Detective Chief Inspector Andy Redwood, who is leading the Scotland Yard team, Assistant Commissioner Mark Rowley, and Mr and Mrs McCann meet officers in Lisbon to be briefed on the Portuguese case.

:: October 23 - Britain's most senior police officer Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe defends the way the Portuguese dealt with the initial investigation into Madeleine's disappearance, saying it would have been "very difficult" to immediately know if they were dealing with a serious crime.

:: October 24 - Detectives in Portugal reopen the investigation into Madeleine McCann's disappearance after an internal review uncovers new lines of inquiry and witnesses who were never questioned during the original Portuguese investigation.

2014

:: January 3 - A family source says Kate and Gerry McCann have been denied permission to give evidence at a Portuguese libel trial over a book about the case by former local police chief Goncalo Amaral.

:: January 13 - British police investigate three burglars who were in the area when Madeleine disappeared, and whose phones were apparently "red hot" after she went missing. A letter is sent to Portuguese police asking for help to track them down.

:: January 29 - Scotland Yard officers, including the detective leading the case, fly to Portugal to meet police there and discuss the latest developments.

:: March 19 - Officers from Operation Grange launch a search for a man who sexually assaulted five British girls in the Algarve between 2004 and 2006.

:: April 23 - Detectives identify five new cases where a lone intruder abused young British girls in holiday apartments in the Algarve.

:: May 1 - Kate and Gerry McCann give an interview to Sky News where they are desperate to find out what happened to Madeleine, even if it is the "worst case scenario" as they back calls for a Child Rescue Alert service similar to the Amber Alert system in the US.

:: May 6 - Scotland Yard plans to dig for evidence in three locations in Praia da Luz are approved, with officers set to use ground penetrating radar.

:: May 8 - British Officers reportedly use a military helicopter to photograph potential excavation sites and hold a four-hour meeting with Portuguese colleagues to agree a timetable for new searches.

:: May 22 - Met Police Assistant Commissioner Mark Rowley says the investigation will enter a "substantial phase of operational activity" in Portugal in the coming weeks. 

:: June 2 - Portuguese police seal off an area of scrubland to the west of Praia da Luz as they prepare to examine the potential excavation site.

:: June 11 - Police begin to search an area between Praia da Luz and the town of Lagos behind a water treatment plant. The search of the scrubland site was wound down on June 9.

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Speeding Drivers Could Be Fined £10,000

Drivers caught speeding on motorways could be fined up to £10,000 under plans being considered by the Government.

Magistrates would be able to issue fines four times larger they can at present, with maximum penalties for a range of offences including drink-driving and driving with defective tyres or brakes, so-called 'level four' offences, all increasing to £10,000.

People convicted of criminal damage, racially aggravated disorder or failing to provide a drugs sample could all be fined the same amount.

Meanwhile, motorists who ignore red traffic lights or use their mobile phone while driving, both of which are 'level three' offences, could be given fines of up to £4,000 - up from £1,000 at present.

Courts would also be able to levy unlimited fines for the most serious crimes dealt with by the lower courts, such as arson, fraud and animal cruelty, which at present attract penalties of up to £5,000.

The Government paved the way for the huge increase - the first in more than two decades - when it passed new legislation in 2012.

Justice Minister Jeremy Wright said the changes would give magistrates the "greater powers" they need to punish offenders.

However, motoring groups have criticised the changes, with Robert Lipton, director of the National Motorists Action Group, telling the Daily Telegraph the move was "disproportionate and draconian".

Edmund King, president of the AA, added: "We wouldn't condone excessive speeding ... but fines have to be proportionate to the offence.

"One has to question whether increasing the fines four-fold is proportionate and it probably isn't."

Mr Wright said financial penalties were "an effective way of punishing criminals and deterring them from further offending".

"Magistrates are the cornerstone of our justice system and these changes will provide them with greater powers to deal with the day-to-day offences that impact their local communities," he said.

Legislation to increase the levels of fines will be laid before Parliament on Tuesday and will be debated before coming into force.

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Rik Mayall: Comedian 'May Have Died After Fit'

Stars Mourn 'Funniest Man Of Generation'

Updated: 8:00am UK, Tuesday 10 June 2014

Comedian Adrian Edmondson has led tributes to his long-time friend and collaborator Rik Mayall, who has died aged 56.

The pair worked together on hit shows such as The Young Ones and Bottom after meeting at Manchester University.

"There were times when Rik and I were writing together when we almost died laughing," said Edmondson. "They were some of the most carefree stupid days I ever had, and I feel privileged to have shared them with him. And now he's died for real. Without me. Selfish b*****d."

Mayall's CV stands alongside anyone in sitcom, rising to fame in the 1980s as Cliff Richard superfan Rick in The Young Ones.

Sir Cliff said: "I became a fan of his when he was in The Young Ones show and was always thrilled when he used my name during his series. I am so sad at his passing."

Shows like Blackadder and The New Statesman contributed to Mayall becoming one of the most recognisable comics of the modern era.

Blackadder writer Ben Elton and co-star Stephen Fry were quick to pay their respects.

"I met Rik when I was 18 and his friendship and extraordinary comic talent have been an inspiration to me ever since," said Elton.

"I owe him so much, he changed my life utterly when he asked me to co-write The Young Ones with him and he was with me on the day I met my wife. He always made me cry with laughter, now he's just made me cry."

Fry added: "Simply distraught to hear of the death of Rik Mayall. An authentic comedy genius and a prince among men."

Comic Bob Mortimer was one of the first to respond to news of Mayall's death.

He wrote on Twitter: "Last time I saw him he grabbed my crotch and said 'Not eaten yet then?' So sad … Funniest man of his generation."

Mortimer was joined by a host of fellow comedians.

"Very sad to hear of the passing of Rik Mayall," said Monty Python star Eric Idle.

"Far too young. A very funny and talented man."

Impressionist Rory Bremner too: "Oh no. Awful news about Rik Mayall - a fireball of creative comic energy and inspiration. Such brilliant raw talent."

Here are some of the other tributes made:

:: DJ Chris Moyles: "RIP Rik Mayall. Thank you for making me laugh a million times. Woof."

:: Actress Helen Lederer: "Rik Mayall, I loved you. Gutted. The man who taught me not to crash laughs, has crashed. Real love to wife, children. Massive loss."

:: DJ Chris Evans: "RIP Rik Mayall. I'm off to hit the gasman with a frying pan. It's the least I can do."

:: Comedian Jack Dee: "So shocked to hear about Rik Mayall. A wonderfully funny icon of British comedy."

:: Satirist Charlie Brooker: "Rik Mayall was just pure wiry, energetic, unpredictable humour poured into the shape of a human. You couldn't not watch him."

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Pakistan's Karachi Airport Under Second Attack

Gunfire has been heard at Pakistan's Karachi airport training facility - the second attack on the airport in two days.

Ghulam Abbas Memon, a spokesman for the Airport Security Force, says gunmen tried to enter the facility from two different entrances on Tuesday but the security forces were fighting them back.

He did not have any details on the number of attackers or possible casualties.

Pakistani television reported that three militants had been surrounded by security forces at the academy, but no other details were immediately available.

At least four ambulances were seen rushing to the scene.

Pakistan's army said it had deployed troops to reinforce security forces trying to protect the academy.

Seven burned bodies were found in an airport cold storage facility

The militants are thought to have gained access to the site via a slum housing area that surrounds it.

All flights in and out of the airport have been suspended "until further notice," a spokesman for Pakistan's Civil Aviation Authority said.

The attack comes only a day after gunmen laid siege to Karachi's international airport in an attack that left 36 people dead, including 10 Taliban gunmen.

The Pakistani Taliban said the attack was in revenge for their late leader Hakimullah Mehsud, who was killed in a US drone strike in November.

The assault destroyed prospects for peace talks between the Pakistani Taliban and the government of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and triggered speculation that the army might opt for an all-out offensive against militant strongholds.

Earlier on Tuesday, Pakistani fighter jets bombed Taliban positions on the Afghan border.

A body is removed from the burned-out cold storage room

"Nine terrorist hideouts were destroyed by early morning military air strikes near the Pakistan-Afghan border," the army's press wing said, adding that 15 militants were killed.

It was unclear if the latest air strikes signalled the start of a broader offensive in the North Waziristan region where the al Qaeda-linked Taliban are based, or indeed if they had been carried out in retaliation for the airport attack.

Meanwhile, seven bodies have been found in a burned-out building at the airport following the previous attack.

The discovery took the death toll from the Taliban attack to 36, including 10 Taliban militants, Pakistani officials said.

The remains of the seven victims, who were burned beyond recognition, were found inside a cold storage unit but it was unclear how they got there or who they were.

Reports suggest they were airport workers who had hidden inside the unit from the fighting but became trapped and burned to death.

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Downing Street 'Asked Obama To Back Union'

US President Barack Obama was asked to chip into the Scottish independence debate by the UK government, according to Sky sources.

The president was asked about the issue during a joint news conference with British Prime Minister David Cameron after the G7 summit in Brussels last Friday.

He told reporters: "There is a referendum process in place and it is up to the people of Scotland.

"The United Kingdom has been an extraordinary partner to us. From the outside at least, it looks like things have worked pretty well.

"And we obviously have a deep interest in making sure that one of the closest allies we will ever have remains a strong, robust, united and effective partner.

"But ultimately these are decisions that are to be made by the folks there."

The referendum on Scottish independence takes place on September 18

'No' campaigners seized on the US president's comments as evidence that the UK is better off staying together.

Scotland's First Minister Alex Salmond immediately responded to Mr Obama's remarks last week by insisting independence would in fact give the US "two great friends" and make Scotland a land of opportunity.

Sky's Niall Paterson, in Edinburgh, said: "I have been speaking with a very senior source in the Scottish government who tells me he recently had a conversation with a similarly senior source within the US administration - very close to President Obama himself - who confirmed that President Obama's remarks on Scottish independence followed a direct request from the UK government.

"More than that, the senior source within the US government claimed that President Obama's remarks represented the minimum that they could say.

"I think, essentially, there are three ways you can look at all of this. First, that my source within the Scottish government is perhaps telling porkies, 100 days out from the referendum, to make political hay.

"The second way of looking at this is of course international leaders do speak to each other all the time, officials speak to each other all the time, and frankly, President Obama at a press conference such as that should have expected to receive a question on Scottish independence.

"He was never going to say, 'I think an independent Scotland would be a great thing'.

"The third way to look at it, if this is all true, is that perhaps figures within the Scottish government such as the First Minister Alex Salmond would make the point that if David Cameron is having to request the assistance of the US president to weigh into the Scottish independence referendum debate then perhaps it is not the 'Yes' campaign that is on the back foot, it is the 'Better Together' campaign."

There are now 100 days to go before voters north of the border vote on whether Scotland should be an independent country.

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Scottish Voters 'Not Getting Full Picture'

By Jon Craig, Chief Political Correspondent

Gordon Brown has told Sky News an independent Scotland would be a "more unequal country", despite the SNP's claims to the contrary.

In an exclusive interview with Eamonn Holmes marking 100 days to go until the referendum vote, he warned of serious economic consequences if the country splits from the rest of the UK.

The former prime minister said: "The SNP claims Scotland would be more equal - a fairer, more socially-just place - but actually, when you look at the policies, they're so keen to appease so many different people, they would end up making Scotland a more unequal country.

"The idea that oil is the solution to our problems is simply fantasy.

"We should not be led into this belief that somehow, the day after independence, everything is going to be wonderful when there are quite painful decisions that have to be made."

Asked by Holmes whether Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond had been telling "porky pies" about the true cost of independence, he replied: "I don't believe we're getting the full picture about what the consequences of independence are."

Mr Brown says Mr Salmond should apologise for a "terrible mistake"

In a wide-ranging interview, Mr Brown said he felt embarrassed when Mr Salmond staged his controversial Saltire stunt after Andy Murray's Wimbledon triumph.

He said the gesture was a "terrible mistake", "cheap" and "made Scotland look small".

But he also hit out at the Coalition Government's tactics in the battle over Scottish independence in the run-up to the referendum in September.

He claimed the tone of claims by the Liberal Democrat Treasury Chief Secretary Danny Alexander that Scots would be £1,400 a year better off by staying in the UK was "patronising".

"Last week when the Scottish Office and the UK Government put out that statement that Scotland would be £1,400 better off without independence, and they gave the example of (the amount of) fish and chips you could buy ... I thought that was patronising," Mr Brown said.

Asked by Holmes whether David Cameron had lectured Scots during a visit to his home country last month, Mr Brown said: "It was done for the right reasons but it looked like Britain versus Scotland.

"We've always been a nation. We've always had our institutions, we've always had our Parliament.

"The only issue that remains to be decided is if you want to break every link that remains with Britain."

Asked why he had stepped up his own efforts for the "no" campaign, Mr Brown said: "I'm a proud Scot. I want to put the case. I believe we have a strong sense of national pride.

"We're making a decision for my children's future. I'm not complacent but once I and others within Scotland make the case, I think we'll win this argument."

He was then asked: "What if you lose?"

"People will have to accept it," he admitted.

"The problem is this vote is almost irreversible.

"I think people will want to end the divisiveness and work together. We're adults with a vote (that) will affect generations."

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'Trojan Horse' Schools Reject Ofsted Findings

The education trust at the centre of the alleged "Trojan Horse" plot has hit back saying schools "do not promote extremism".

David Hughes, vice-chairman of the Park View Educational Trust has confirmed their three schools have been placed in special measures following Ofsted inspections.

Speaking ahead of the official release of details of Ofsted spot checks on 21 schools in the wake of allegations of an Islamic fundamentalist takeover at Birmingham's schools, Mr Hughes said he "wholeheartedly rejects" the findings.

It was disclosed by the Government on Sunday that Park View Academy, its sister school Golden Hillock and Nansen Primary School were found by Ofsted inspectors to be in need of special measures.

Mr Hughes confirmed the Ofsted findings on Monday morning and said the speed at which the schools had been condemned was "truly shocking".

He said the trust would be looking to mount a legal challenge to the findings and insisted the inspections were carried out in a "climate of suspicion".

He said his schools "do not tolerate or promote extremism" and the inspection results and inquiry into Islamist extremism in Birmingham put Muslim children at "substantial risk of not being accepted".

Oldknow School, a primary school, and Saltley, a secondary school, which are overseen by Birmingham City Council have also been found to be in need of special measures.

Staff at Oldknow School told inspectors they had been ordered to put on an Easter assembly and Christian activities when they discovered they were to be inspected.

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MH370 Families Offer Whistleblower Reward

What Next In Search For Missing Flight MH370?

Updated: 10:50am UK, Friday 30 May 2014

By Jonathan Samuels, Australia Correspondent

The news that teams searching for missing flight MH370 have finished combing the patch of Indian Ocean 1,000 miles off the coast of Western Australia is a huge setback.

The search focused on that area because four pings - or acoustic signals - were detected almost two months ago which were thought to have come from the plane's two flight recorders.

Nothing has been found and now it appears the noises did not come from the black box recorders at all.

It has been rumoured for some time they could have been caused by the search vessels themselves.

Now the US Navy's deputy director of ocean engineering has said much the same.

"Our best theory at this point is that (the pings were) likely some sound produced by the ship ... or within the electronics of the towed pinger locator," Michael Dean told CNN.

"Always your fear any time you put electronic equipment in the water is that if any water gets in and grounds or shorts something out, you could start producing sound."

The pings may have come from another source - sound plays strange tricks that deep in the ocean - and the US Navy has officially said the comments are "speculative".

Either way, it looks like the search is back to square one.

So now it moves to a new stage. 

All existing information and data will be re-examined and the whole of the 23,000 square mile 'southern arc' will again be in the frame.

A bathymetric survey will be carried out, essentially mapping out the sea floor.

It is work already partly underway by the crew of the Chinese ship Zhu Kezhen.

Commercial contractors will then be brought in to carry out the new deep sea search.

It's possible they won't start for a couple of months, and the job will be both long and expensive.

Australia has previously said this work could cost around £40m. It is not clear how expensive the search operation has been so far.

Scott Hamilton, managing director of US-based aerospace consultancy Leeham, said all the data will have to be re-examined "from start to finish".

However, he does not believe the search will be called off any time soon.

"I think it will be some time, perhaps years, before they completely throw in the towel," he said.

And for some, news the search has ended in the area which has been the focus so far is, in a way, welcome.

Sara Bacj, whose partner Philip Wood is among the missing passengers, told Sky News: "If they'd found the hull of the plane under the water then our loved ones would be dead for sure ... (but) most family members are not willing to accept that.

"They believe something else has happened to the plane so this is validation for them that keeping their hopes alive is not crazy."

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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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Gareth Huntley: Fight Claims Investigated

Police in Malaysia are reportedly looking into claims that British backpacker Gareth Huntley could have been murdered.

The 34-year-old, from Hackney, east London, disappeared on Malaysia's Tioman Island on May 27 after going on a jungle trek.

It was initially suspected that Mr Huntley got lost in the dense jungle, although the location where his body was found has put that theory in doubt. 

His body was discovered less than 100m from the sea turtle conservation camp where he worked as a volunteer.

According to The Sunday Telegraph Malaysian police are looking into reports that he was involved in a fight shortly before his death.

It said they are now investigating locals' claims that he was murdered.

Mr Huntley with his mother Janet Southwell

Tour guides on the island have reported that Mr Huntley's throat had been slit.

Meanwhile, Mr Huntley's family said "no words can describe the void he will leave".

And they thanked "everyone who came together in the last week to do everything in their power to help find Gareth".

Search personnel reportedly discovered the body in a pond close to a kayak storage unit at around 12pm local time on Wednesday.

Zakaria Ahmad, head of crime investigation in the eastern state of Pahang, said DNA tests confirmed the body was that of the Briton.

The cause of death has not yet been established.

His girlfriend Kit Natariga also helped with the search

Mr Huntley disappeared after trying to find a waterfall nearly four miles away from the camp in the jungles of the paradise island.

He told friends at the turtle project he would be back by 2pm but failed to return.

His mother, Janet Southwell, and girlfriend, Kit Natariga, had travelled to the island off Malaysia's east coast to help with the search effort.

The family statement added: "There are no words that can capture the devastation we feel right now.

"No words that can capture the kindness, warmth and spirit that Gareth exuded; no words that can describe the void he will leave in all of the lives he touched.

The backpacker had been volunteering in a turtle sanctuary on the island

"Gareth lived every minute of his life as fully as he could; never without a smile and always with others in his heart. You will never leave our hearts Gareth."

Search teams were backed by paramilitary commandos, multiple helicopters, speedboats and sniffer dogs in the latter days of the hunt following initial criticism of the Malaysian authorities' response.

Prime Minister David Cameron reportedly spoke to Malaysia's prime minister Najib Razak after receiving an open letter from Mrs Southwell in which she urged him to seek more resources for the search.

Mr Huntley, who was originally from West Yorkshire, was on a sabbatical from his job in the City.

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