The eighth British victim on board flight MH17 has been named as 27-year-old Robert Ayley, who was originally from Guildford.
Mr Ayley moved to New Zealand when he was a child and had been in Europe for a month visiting Rottweiler breeders.
His wife Sharlene wrote on Facebook: "Rob was our everything. We adored him and there was no one else like him. He touched so many hearts and lives.
"We are grateful to forever have him in our hearts."
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Children have described how it was "raining people" after the shooting down of a passenger jet with 298 people on board in eastern Ukraine, reports Sky's Stuart Ramsay.
Human remains and debris from the plane are scattered everywhere, and bodies can be seen hanging from telegraph wires, he said.
Ramsay said local volunteers had been left traumatised, such was the scene of devastation.
Amid the carnage of the crash site, the sound of rockets being fired can be heard in the distance as the conflict between Ukrainians and pro-Russian separatists continues to rage.
A pro-Russian separatist at the site of the downed plane A large number of armed militia are in control of the area, aiming to help preserve the scene for aviation investigators.
But officials face a difficult task as the situation on the ground remains volatile, and the potential for tension high.
Ramsay said: "There's fighting in a town to my west and fighting in the town to the east, and we are stuck in the middle."
Given this it was hard to see how a thorough investigation of an extensive crime scene could be carried out.
"They need to get on with it but it's going to be difficult to do this because it's so volatile," he said.
Crash investigators are yet to arrive at the scene Ramsay said the downing of the plane had left people living nearby in a state of shock.
"Most of them saw the plane coming down. It was in bits," he said.
"Parts of bodies are absolutely everywhere.
"In some of the villages there are bodies hanging from telegraph wires and on roofs."
Children, who witnessed the plane coming down, said: "It was raining people."
Ramsay said the plane attack and horrific loss of life had affected people's attitudes to the continuing violence.
"The thing that's struck them is the pointlessness," he said.
Pro-Russian separatists have been accused of removing 38 bodies from the Malaysia Airlines crash scene and attempting to destroy evidence at the site.
The Ukraine government said "terrorists, with the help of Russia, are trying to destroy evidence of international crimes", adding it had obtained data which showed bodies had been taken to a morgue in Donetsk.
However, Sky's Chief Correspondent Stuart Ramsay, at the scene, said there were reports rebels had moved bodies on Friday, which he did not witness himself, but body parts were now officially being removed by Ukraine emergency services.
It comes amid discussions between the two factions over the creation of a "security zone" around the crash scene amid claims of looting and evidence being compromised. No deal has yet been reached to seal and secure the site.
Concerns have been raised by Malaysia about the investigation into the plane disaster after a team of 30 international observers complained they were confronted by aggressive armed rebels who restricted their access to the crash site.
Critically, they said they were unable to speak to anyone about the whereabouts of the jet's two black box voice and data recorders.
Security monitors speak to a separatist at the crash scene Six air accident investigators from Britain and a Malaysian disaster response team are due in the capital Kiev later.
Reports of looting have also emerged as victims' bodies and belongings remain strewn across the area two days after the crash.
Sky's Michelle Clifford, in Donetsk, said: "These disturbing reports are gaining currency about looting at the site, that valuables, credit cards are being taken from bags from the wreckage, and in some cases from bodies.
The debris was scattered over a wide area "I think we should also see these reports in the context of a propaganda war. It may be part of a narrative to discredit the rebels.
"But, I have just spoken to somebody, a contact I know very well and trust, and he said with his own eyes he saw the rebels taking money and valuables from luggage at the site."
Some 298 people, including 10 Britons and 80 children were killed when flight MH17 was brought down near Grabovo, Donetsk.
A children's toy lies among the passengers' possessions The British Government has joined the United States in blaming pro-Russian separatists for the catastrophe.
Downing Street said it appeared "increasingly likely" a surface-to-air missile had been fired from near Torez, in territory controlled by rebels seeking closer ties to Moscow.
US ambassador Samantha Power said Washington could not rule out the possibility that Russia offered help to separatists to launch the missile, believed to be an SA-11.
British victims Richard Mayne, Ben Pocock, Glenn Thomas and Liam Sweeney The Boeing 777-200 was flying on an established route from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur that had been declared safe by the International Civil Aviation Organisation.
It came down close to where Ukrainian forces have been battling separatists, with both sides blaming each other for the disaster.
Ukraine condemned the "act of terrorism" and released what it claimed was a recording of an intercepted phone call between two Russian military intelligence officers, discussing the downing of the plane.
In an unverified video, apparently taken moments after the plane was hit, an alleged pro-Russian rebel boasts: "Wow, that was a blast."
However, Russia pointed the finger at its neighbour, saying it picked up radar activity from a Ukrainian Buk missile system south of Donetsk when the aircraft came down.
:: The Foreign Office has set up a helpline for anyone concerned. Text MH17 to +447860010026, or call 020 7008 1500. Malaysia Airlines's emergency line is 00 6 037 884 1234.
A British family scheduled to fly on the downed Malaysia Airlines plane say they have a "second chance" at life after being forced to miss the flight because there were not enough seats.
Barry Sim, from Scotland, his wife Izzy, and the couple's young child were travelling to Amsterdam's Schiphol airport in a taxi on Thursday evening when they heard about the crash.
They had been due to catch flight MH17 to Malaysia earlier in the day, but were told they would have to switch to another plane.
Cradling her baby at the airport, Mrs Sim said: "I'm shaken. I don't even know what to do. I feel physically sick.
"I was coming from the Hilton (hotel) in The Hague to the airport in the taxi and I was just crying.
"I'm just thinking that I feel like I've been given a second chance, so hopefully we will get there (to Malaysia) safely and we will see my family again."
The couple told the Daily Telegraph they were forced to swap to a KLM flight bound for Kuala Lumpur as there were too few seats for them and their baby.
A woman cries as she waits for information in Kuala Lumpur Mr Sim told the newspaper he also felt "sick" after hearing about his family's lucky escape, but added that he wanted to carry on with his life.
"In my mind lightning never strikes twice in the same place, so I am still philosophical that you get on the flight and you go about your life," Mr Sim told the newspaper.
Flight MH17 was heading from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur at an altitude of 33,000ft (10,000m) when contact was lost yesterday afternoon.
An armed pro-Russian separatist at the crash scene The plane crashed near the border with Russia. There were nine Britons among the 283 passengers and 15 crew members on board.
An adviser to the Ukrainian interior ministry said the Boeing 777 had been hit by a Buk ground-to-air missile.
US intelligence has also concluded a surface-to-air missile brought the plane down.
Mobile phone footage has emerged which appears to show the moments after Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 was shot from the sky over Ukraine.
Three men - reported to be pro-Russian rebels - are heard in the video discussing debris falling from the sky, with one man saying: "We just saw a plane being blown to pieces."
Another man describes the initial explosion he witnessed as "a blast" and praises the precision of those who shot the plane down.
During the video a large black plume of smoke begins to rise in the distance.
The video begins with a man saying: "I just saw a plane was shot down, and now we can see the bits are falling down."
A second man then describes seeing debris "still falling down" out of the sky.
"Wow, that was a blast," says the first man, who adds that he thinks the plane was "hit by a rocket".
Sky News has not been able to independently verify the authenticity of the video.
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World leaders are demanding an international investigation after a passenger plane was allegedly shot down over eastern Ukraine, killing all 298 people on board.
Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 was heading from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur at an altitude of 33,000ft (10,000m) when contact was lost yesterday afternoon and it crashed near the border with Russia.
The Netherlands suffered the biggest loss of life with 173 of its citizens dying. Among the other victims were nine Britons.
An emergency worker at the scene of the crash They included 49-year-old Glenn Thomas, a media officer at the World Health Organisation, who was described as a "wonderful person and a great professional".
Two Newcastle United fans John Alder and Liam Sweeney, who were travelling to see their football team play in New Zealand, also died.
Plumes of thick, black smoke could be seen rising high into the air close to the village of Grabovo, Donetsk, where the airliner came down.
Flames rise from wreckage of the Malaysia Airlines jet The cockpit and one of the turbines were over half a mile apart, and residents said the tail was about six miles away, indicating the aircraft most likely broke up before hitting the ground.
Many of the bodies strewn across the fields are largely intact – some of them are still strapped into their plane seats. People who live in the area have described seeing bodies falling through the sky.
An adviser to the Ukrainian interior ministry said the Boeing 777 was hit by a Buk ground-to-air missile. US intelligence also concluded a surface-to-air missile had brought the plane down.
Authorities in Kiev said pro-Russian separatists were to blame, as President Petro Poroshenko called it an "act of terrorism".
However, separatist leader Alexander Borodai said the aircraft was shot down by Ukrainian government forces.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said: "The state over whose territory this occurred bears responsibility."
Flight MH17 taking off at Schiphol Airport in the Netherlands Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott criticised Russia's attitude, saying the crash was "not an accident, but a crime".
Among the 283 passengers and 15 crew on board were 44 Malaysians, 27 Australians, 12 Indonesians, four Germans, four Belgians, three Filipinos, one Canadian and one from New Zealand.
Three infants are among the dead, and the nationalities of 20 passengers have yet to be verified.
The last known location of flight MH17 Many of the passengers were on their way to an International Aids Society (IAS) conference in Melbourne, and the Society has said they may have included one of its former presidents, Joep Lange.
Pro-Russian separatists in the region said they had found one of the "black box" recorders and rescue workers have recovered a second flight recorder.
Britain has joined the US and other countries in calling for an international probe into the disaster. US President Barack Obama has said it should be "prompt, full, credible and unimpeded".
Armed Russian separatists inspect the wreckage US Vice-President Joe Biden said the jet appeared to have been deliberately "blown out of the sky", with an unnamed US official blaming Ukrainian separatists backed by Russia.
Sky's Katie Stallard, in Moscow, said Igor Strelkov, the commander of the pro-Russian Donetsk People's Republic, appeared to have boasted about the incident on social media.
The wreckage was scattered over a wide area In one deleted message recovered by Sky News, he allegedly wrote: "We warned you not to fly over our sky."
Ukraine's security service also released what it claimed was a recording of an intercepted phone call between two Russian military intelligence officers, discussing the downing of the plane.
A distressed woman waits for information in Kuala Lumpur Sky's Mark White said the aircraft had been flying just 1,000ft (300m) above a zone deemed "unsuitable for civilian aircraft".
However Malaysia Airlines has said the route taken by flight MH17 had been declared safe by the International Civil Aviation Organisation.
The operator, still reeling from the loss of flight MH370 in March, has announced all its European flights will be taking alternative routes with immediate effect.
The disaster is the latest in a series of reported attacks on planes in Ukrainian airspace and came a day after one of the country's Sukhoi-25 fighter jets was shot down.
The United Nations Security Council is to hold an emergency meeting on Ukraine later today.
:: Malaysia Airlines has set up an emergency line for worried relatives: 00 6 037 884 1234.
Palestinian Police have said three Gazan civilians were killed when Israeli tank shells landed on a house - minutes before a temporary truce got under way.
Fighting between the two sides continued right up to the start of the five-hour ceasefire which started at 10am local time (8am BST).
A further four people were seriously wounded in the attack on the southern Gazan town of Rafah, according to medics, while the Israel military said 15 rockets were fired into Israel this morning.
An Israeli cannon fires artillery shells into Gaza on Thursday morning The truce came into force just hours after Israel said it has foiled an attack by 13 Palestinian gunmen who tunnelled in from Gaza.
A spokesman said the Hamas fighters were identified some 820ft (250 metres) inside Israel and were struck by aircraft.
He said at least one militant was killed and the remaining fighters appeared to have returned to Gaza through the tunnel which they had been digging for some time.
They were heading towards Sufa kibbutz, a small community about a mile away, when they were spotted.
Gaza City (foreground) and the Israeli city of Ashkelon (background) It is the second time Palestinian fighters have infiltrated Israel from Gaza. Last week four were killed as they attempted to enter from the sea.
It comes amid reports Israel and Hamas have been holding indirect talks in the Egyptian capital Cairo.
Both sides agreed to halt fighting for five hours on humanitarian grounds on Thursday, while efforts continued to broker a longer-term truce.
It will allow for humanitarian aid to get through and for people to go out and shop for vital provisions.
A dozen gunmen sneaked into Israel from Gaza Israel said it would stand by the agreement despite the infiltration - but warned the attack "could have had devastating consequences" as the Palestinian fighters were armed with "extensive weapons", including rocket-propelled grenades.
Sky's Chief Correspondent Stuart Ramsay, who is in the Israeli city of Ashkelon, said: "It is one of the biggest fears in Israel that Hamas fighters can get into Israel and wreak havoc in the kibbutz that are along the border with Gaza.
"The whole of that border is watched very, very closely at all times, and so the Israelis here are saying that they expected there would be some type of spectacular attempt to attack Israeli citizens, but they were able to foil it."
Four children were killed in an Israeli strike on a Gaza beach on Wednesday The temporary truce comes after a group of Palestinian children were killed on Wednesday when a shell landed on a beach they were playing on.
Gaza's health ministry described the attack as "cowardly", while the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) promised a full investigation and said the deaths appeared to have been a "tragic outcome" of a strike aimed at Hamas militants.
Some 233 people have been killed so far in the 10 days of cross-border fighting.
Tensions in the region have been inflamed following the kidnap and murder of three Israeli teenagers and the suspected revenge killing of a Palestinian teenager.
By Nazaneen Ghaffar, Weather Presenter
Temperatures are set to reach 32C (90F) across many southern parts of Britain over the next few days, leading to the chance of severe thunderstorms.
Today, England and Wales will be mainly dry with spells of warm sunshine and it will feel very warm, especially across the southeast.
Scotland, Northern Ireland and the Republic will also have sunny spells, however western Scotland may see some scattered showers.
Temperatures will widely reach the mid to high 20s across England and Wales, and up to 30C (86F) is possible in the southeast.
The hottest areas will be in the South East of England. Pic: Met Office However, Scotland and Ireland will be several degrees cooler.
By this evening, thundery showers will spread into Kerry and Cork and move northwards through the night across most of the Republic of Ireland as well as parts of southwest England, Wales, the Midlands and central and southern England.
The heaviest and most torrential downpours are likely over Ireland. It will be a warm and muggy night as well, especially in the south.
Friday will be another very warm day across England and Wales with high humidity.
The showers and thunderstorms will continue spreading northwards into Northern Ireland, northern England and Scotland.
Friday will be the hottest day, with temperatures 30C or more in places As the showers clear, long spells of sunshine will develop in the south. Temperatures will be high again, up to 32C (90F) in the south.
The forecast has brought health warnings - especially for the elderly, the young and those with serious illnesses.
Dr Paul Cosford, director for health protection at PHE, said: "Older people and those with long-term illnesses are particularly vulnerable to the effects of very hot weather, so it's important to look out for them and keep indoor areas as cool as possible."
The Met Office has declared a level 2 heat-health alert, which is activated when there is at least a 60% chance of temperatures being high enough on at least two consecutive days and into the night to have an impact on health.
The Met Office has issued severe weather warnings for rain for much of the UK, with "significant" flooding possible.
The reason for the hot conditions is southerly winds dragging up very warm and humid air, mainly from Iberia where temperatures are close to 40C (104F) in the south of Spain.
Next week's temperatures are likely to be a little lower, however it will still feel very warm and there will still be some thunderstorms.
The Liberal Democrats have withdrawn support for the so-called "bedroom tax" setting up a showdown with the Conservatives and sparking questions over credibility.
Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg said it was clear the policy was unfair and was not working and said: "I think when something isn't working, you fix it."
Mr Clegg said a Government report, which was published on Tuesday, showed that people being penalised for living in homes deemed too big were unable to move to smaller properties. He said it was wrong they should have their benefits cuts.
Speaking on his LBC Call Clegg radio programme, he denied the call for three significant changes to the policy amounted to a u-turn and said that "sometimes things in practice don't work quite in the way you expect."
Danny Alexander revealed the Lib Dem shift in a Daily Mirror article The reform has seen social housing tenants considered to have more bedrooms than they need have their housing benefit reduced, to offset what the Government calls a "spare room subsidy".
Mr Clegg said disabled people should be exempt and those who were unable to move to a smaller property should not have to pay. He also said 300,000 more affordable homes should be made available.
The significant policy shift emerged overnight when Chief Secretary to the Treasury Danny Alexander outlined the changes in an article for the Daily Mirror.
It sparked accusations of "hypocrisy" and "lack of credibility" from both Labour and the Conservatives.
Mr Alexander said the reform needed to be fundamentally changed The Liberal Democrats had not discussed their change of stance with their coalition partners and Tory sources told Sky News: "It was news to us." However, the party remains "committed" to the change.
They said the volte-face struck at the heart of the Lib Dem's credibility and added: "They say one thing and do another. They have no conviction in their beliefs."
The party's credibility suffered badly after it broke its 2010 manifesto pledge to vote against a rise in university tuition fees when it formed the coalition.
Rachel Reeves said Labour will look to call a fresh vote on the policy Mr Alexander said the Lib Dems hoped to convince the Tories of the need to change the policy and if they don't they could force a Commons vote on the issue. The new approach will be included in the party's 2015 manifesto.
The Government report into the so-called bedroom tax found 60% of those hit by the reforms had been in rent arrears and a shortage of smaller properties meant just 4.5% of tenants had been able to move into a smaller property.
Shadow work and pensions secretary Rachel Reeves said Mr Clegg was guilty of "unbelievable hypocrisy".
She said: "The Lib Dems voted for the bedroom tax. There wouldn't be a bedroom tax if it wasn't for the Lib Dems. And in February when Labour tabled a bill to scrap the bedroom tax, the Lib Dems were nowhere to be seen."
Mr Clegg has come under pressure to oppose the policy since his party conference voted overwhelmingly to review what activists called a "reprehensible and evil" move.
By Thomas Moore, Health Correspondent
Every care home in England is to be inspected and rated in a new drive to prevent abuse and neglect of residents.
All 25,000 care homes and homecare services will be assessed by the Care Quality Commission, starting in October.
And from April next year, those rated as inadequate face being put into special measures.
If they fail to improve care within a set time limit they could be closed down.
The move follows the success of a turnaround programme in hospitals identified last year by NHS England as having a high death rate.
Details released by the Department of Health show that of 11 hospitals that were put into special measures, five have improved to such an extent that they have now been cleared, or are expected to be shortly.
Another four have made significant improvements but are expected to be kept under special measures for another six months. A decision on the final two is expected later this week.
Chief inspector of hospitals Professor Sir Mike Richards said: "We have seen significant improvements in almost all of the 11 trusts that were put into special measures, with exceptional progress in two trusts and very good progress in a further three.
"The hard work by trust staff that has underpinned this progress should be recognised.
"Special measures brings a new focus on quality improvement in trusts which have previously struggled to provide high quality care."
The failing hospitals were paired up with successful NHS Trusts to implement an action plan for improving care.
Overall, they recruited 603 more nurses, 721 nursing support staff and 101 doctors.
Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt said: "Mid Staffs was a wake-up call which uncovered how staff in a minority of isolated hospitals believed poor care was somehow normal and acceptable.
"Thanks to a sharp focus on admitting problems rather burying heads in the sand, some of these hospitals have tackled their deep-rooted failings for the first time and are on the road to recovery.
"Everybody wants to know they can get safe, compassionate care from their local hospital."
Tom Sandford, of the Royal College of Nursing, added: "Staffing levels must never again be dictated by finances rather than patient need.
"Getting staffing levels right will ensure that patients receive the care they deserve."
An operation by the National Crime Agency has seen 660 suspected paedophiles arrested across the UK.
Those held include doctors, teachers, scout leaders, care workers and former police officers, the NCA said.
Thirty-nine of the 660 were registered sex offenders but the vast majority had not come to the authorities' attention before.
As a result of the six-month investigation - which has only now been revealed - more than 400 children have been safeguarded.
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Official figures show pay is growing at its weakest level for five years, heightening renewed concerns over the cost of living.
The Office for National Statistics' (ONS) latest monthly update on jobs and pay showed an improving picture for employment, with the jobless rate falling to 6.5% in May, but highlighted a deteriorating picture on pay growth despite the improving economy.
In the three months to May, total pay including bonuses rose at an annual rate of 0.3% - down from a yearly rise of 0.8% in the three months to April.
The ONS said the figure continued to be affected by comparisons with the same month last year when many companies delayed paying bonus awards to help their employees benefit from a cut in income tax.
When the effect of bonuses was excluded, growth of 0.7% was measured - which the ONS said was the slowest rate under that measure since records began in 2001.
Just 24 hours previously, the ONS charted a steeper-than-expected increase in the headline measure of inflation from an annual rate of 1.5% in May to 1.9% in June confirming that the gulf between rising prices and pay increases was widening further.
The Government admitted there was "more work to do" to help bolster living standards but pointed to the unemployment figures as evidence that progress was being made.
The employment minister Esther McVey told Sky News the recovery had "reached a milestone" in terms of employment, with the total rising by 254,000 in the three months to May.
Much of the increase was attributed to hiring by companies rather than rising self-employment levels which had been credited for rises over previous months.
The unemployment total was calculated at 2.12m - a fall of 121,000 - with the numbers claiming jobseeker's allowance dropping by 36,300 in June.
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William Hague burst on to the political scene at the age of 16 when he took the 1977 Conservative Party conference by storm.
Nearly 40 years later he has stolen the headlines again with his bombshell resignation announcement overshadowing the rest of David Cameron's reshuffle.
"Role as Leader of the House means I will finish in politics as I began - speaking in Parliament and campaigning among the voters," he tweeted.
He says after the General Election, when he will step down as MP for the "All Creatures Great and Small" constituency of Richmond in the Yorkshire Dales, he will return to writing, supporting the Tories and campaigning on international issues.
So he's likely to continue his high-profile trips with Angelina Jolie campaigning against sexual violence in conflict, while giving up the dross of EU foreign ministers' meetings and other tiresome international summits.
He will also, I predict, return to the lucrative after-dinner speaking circuit, where he made a handsome income after stepping down as Tory leader until his recall to the front line by David Cameron in 2005.
Mr Hague, flanked by wife Ffion, resigns after 2001 election defeat His replacement as Foreign Secretary, Philip Hammond, has none of the flair or wit of Mr Hague, though he has proved to be a safe pair of hands at the Ministry of Defence and won the trust of previously sceptical military chiefs.
After his barnstorming conference speech at 16, William Hague waited another 12 years before becoming an MP in the by-election caused when Leon Brittan - back in the news again now - went to Brussels as an EU commissioner.
He only won the by-election because the Liberals and Social Democrats, then going through an acrimonious merger, fought against each other. But since then, Mr Hague has turned Richmond into one of the safest Tory seats in the country.
He was a junior minister, then Welsh secretary when John Redwood challenged John Major for the Tory leadership and then party leader at just 36 after Tony Blair's landslide victory in 1997.
The Foreign Secretary has campaigned with Hollywood star Angelina Jolie But while Mr Hague outwitted Mr Blair in the Commons, the Conservatives were still trounced by Labour again in 2001 in a result almost identical to 1997 and it seemed his top-flight political career was over until Mr Cameron persuaded him to return.
Nearly a decade after his comeback, in what looks like a purge of middle-aged men by the Prime Minister, at least Mr Hague's departure from the Foreign Office was his own decision.
And the Tories will benefit enormously from his skills in the Commons as Leader of the House and campaigning on the domestic front - particularly in the north of England - in the run-up to the next election.
Plenty of other middle-aged men have been ruthlessly sacked by David Cameron in what one of them called "the cull of all the innocents".
Downing Street listed seven ministers - all men - who had resigned. They were Kenneth Clarke, David Willetts, Alan Duncan, Hugh Robertson, Sir George Young, Andrew Robathan and Greg Barker.
Damian Green is one of the high-profile Cabinet casualties But the No 10 list did not include the names of David Jones (Wales), Dominic Grieve (Attorney General), Damian Green (Policing) and Stephen Hammond (Transport). All were sacked. And all were shell-shocked by their dismissal.
As news of the sackings spread through Westminster, middle-aged male Tory MPs stood around in conspiratorial huddles of three or four, whispering and muttering.
For the moment, there is a lot of ill-feeling on the back benches.
But after the disappointed will come the appointed - promotion for younger, telegenic women MPs. The traditional parade up Downing Street and the smiles for the cameras.
Mr Cameron has got the bad news out of the way first. Labour has called his reshuffle a "massacre of the moderates". The PM will be hoping for more favourable publicity for day two of his changes.
But William Hague quitting is a serious blow. And if things go badly for the Tories at the next election, don't bet against Lord Hague of Richmond taking the Conservative Party conference by storm once again.
Michael Gove will leave his job as Education Secretary in a major reshuffle of the top jobs in Government.
The 46-year-old, a controversial figure among many teachers, has been swapped to the role of Commons Chief Whip - a move described as "definitely a demotion" by Sky's Political Editor Adam Boulton.
David Cameron had been expected to promote more women into key posts ahead of next year's General Election.
Nicky Morgan takes over from Michael Gove as Education Secretary The first to secure a high-profile role was Nicky Morgan, the current Minister for Women and Equalities, who will fill the vacancy left by Mr Gove.
It is a rapid rise for an MP who has only held a seat in the House of Commons for four years.
Liz Truss also secures promotion, moving from Education Minister to Environment Secretary to replace Owen Paterson, who became a familiar face during the flooding crisis over the winter.
The wide-ranging reshuffle also sees the shock departure of William Hague as Foreign Secretary.
The 53-year-old will become Leader of the House Of Commons before standing down as an MP at the next General Election in 2015.
He is replaced by Philip Hammond, who moves from the role of Defence Secretary.
Philip Hammond replaces William Hague as Foreign Secretary Sky's Political Correspondent Sophy Ridge said: "When they said this would be a significant reshuffle, they actually meant it."
A Downing Street spokesman said Mr Hague will help to coordinate government policy and become a "leading campaigner in key constituencies, particularly in the north of England".
He will also be the Prime Minister's special representative on preventing sexual violence in conflict, following his work with UN special envoy and Hollywood actress Angelina Jolie.
Mr Hague with Angelina Jolie and US Secretary of State John Kerry Meanwhile, Ken Clarke is retiring from Government and other high-profile Tory MPs have emerged as casualties of the reshuffle, including Policing Minister Damian Green and Attorney General Dominic Grieve QC.
Mr Clarke, 74, is stepping down as minister without portfolio, bringing to an end a front bench career stretching back to 1972.
Speaking shortly after Mr Hague announced his departure, the Prime Minister said: "Mr Hague has been one of the leading lights of the Conservative Party for a generation, leading the party and serving in two cabinets.
Ken Clarke pictured arriving at No 10 on Monday "Not only has he been a first class Foreign Secretary, he has also been a close confidante, a wise counsellor and a great friend."
Mr Hague said there was a "balance to strike between experience on the one hand and the need for renewal on the other".
"Renewal in politics is good and holding office is not an end in itself," he said.
"After 26 years as an MP, the time will be right for me to move on."
Mr Green has been sacked in a "shock" move and Mr Grieve has also left the Government, Sky sources say.
Welsh Secretary David Jones, Transport Minister Stephen Hammond and Minister for Civil Society Nick Hurd are also out.
International Development Minister Alan Duncan is standing down at his own request, while Universities Minister David Willetts has also stood down and declared his intention to quit as an MP next year.
Mr Jones is set to be replaced by Stephen Crabb, according to Sky sources.
Boulton said: "It's the biggest upheaval in David Cameron's government since he came to power in 2010.
"He is clearly cutting out a lot of, as people are saying, 'pale, male and stale' ministers.
"A lot of them are, frankly, thought to be doing quite good jobs in their ministerial positions."
Oscar Pistorius has denied claims he was involved in an altercation in a nightclub days after the final evidence was heard in his murder trial.
The alleged argument took place at The VIP Room, in Sandton, Johannesburg, on Saturday night.
The 27-year-old Paralympian and Olympian claimed he was approached by a man who "aggressively interrogated" him over his trial for the murder of girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp.
Businessman Jared Mortimer told local media that Pistorius insulted his friends and began poking him in the chest at the club.
Reeva Steenkamp was shot dead on Valentine's Day 2013 at Pistorius' home But a statement from Pistorius' spokeswoman Anneliese Burgess denied the incident was a "bar brawl".
"We can confirm that Oscar was at the said venue with one of his cousins," she said.
"They sat in a quiet booth in the VIP section when they were approached by an individual who has now been identified as a Mr Mortimer.
"The individual, according to my client, started to aggressively interrogate him on matters relating to the trial.
"An argument ensued during which my client asked to be left alone. Oscar soon thereafter left the club with his cousin.
"My client regrets the decision to go to a public space and thereby inviting unwelcome attention."
It comes after Pistorius broke his silence on social media by posting a series of messages on his Twitter account on Sunday.
In them, he posted a collage of himself posing with children and uploaded a passage about how a man in "utter desolation" can still "achieve fulfilment".
The athlete posted these images on his Twitter account Pistorius claims he heard an intruder in his house and "in fear for his life" approached a closed toilet door and fired four shots through it on Valentine's Day in 2013.
He said he thought Miss Steenkamp, 29, was still in the bedroom when he opened fire.
Pistorius' defence wrapped up its case in the trial last Tuesday.
The double-amputee, known as the Blade Runner, will be back at Pretoria High Court on August 7 for closing arguments.
The judge will then retire to consider the verdict, which could take several weeks.
Pistorius faces between 25 years and life in prison if found guilty.
Updated: 9:57am UK, Monday 14 July 2014
By Nick Powell, Sports Editor
It was entirely appropriate that a competition where predictions became impossible should be settled in extra-time by a German who came on as substitute for the World Cup's all-time leading goalscorer.
After a gripping but goalless opening 90 minutes, Mario Gotze, replacement for Miroslav Klose, beat Argentina with a sublime piece of skill befitting what we have seen this past month.
For sustained team excellence throughout, Germany are worthy champions.
It was unquestionably a terrific tournament.
Best ever? Too subjective. One of the best, certainly. 1970 and 1998, to name but two, gave us plenty to enjoy.
But football has changed since then, and World Cups too.
Fitter, faster, stronger players. Bigger tournaments. More countries, for heaven's sake, and more finalists (after an expansion to 32 countries in 1998).
One argument against that has been exploded this past month in Brazil, namely that too many weak teams would feature.
Costa Rica, Algeria? Both reached the last 16, where the former won again and the latter took Germany to extra-time.
The competition's compelling nature proved enough to quell most of the Brazilian protests about its cost, and help us generally forget the questions about FIFA's competence and propriety.
But match-fixing allegations surrounding Cameroon were an in-tournament reminder of football's seamy side, or more accurately of the sport's attractiveness to criminals seeking a fast illegal million bucks or a money laundry.
Luis Suarez snaffled himself more column inches through his incisors than his prodigious talent or his noteworthy comeback from knee surgery to blast England out of the World Cup.
Ah yes, England ... no, let's move on, as they might yet successfully do themselves if Roy Hodgson can get them playing consistently as they did for long periods against Italy.
FIFA acted quickly and strongly against Suarez, less so against the brutality which many teams realised they could get away with - not least Brazil, who themselves ironically lost poster boy Neymar to a crude knee in the back.
That must be sorted by Russia 2018 - always assuming investigator Michael Garcia has not found reasons to switch the venue (unlikely).
Which brings us to Qatar 2022, and a welter of unanswered questions guaranteed to keep journalists busy and lawyers rich.
And to Teflon-coated FIFA President Sepp Blatter.
Like the poor, always with us, and set on asking in 2015 for another four-year term to stay as football's overlord until he's 83.
The politics are on the doorstep.
But it's acceptable for now to put our fingers in our ears, draw the curtains, and replay in our minds (or on video) the sporting delights served up this past four weeks by unheralded talents like Colombia forward James Rodriguez and Costa Rica goalkeeper Keylor Navas, and acknowledged superstars like Neymar, Dutch wizard Arjen Robben.
Not to mention the wonderfully gifted Argentinian Lionel Messi, who fell one step short of football's ultimate prize.
His team's fans ended the night in tears.
Only four more years ....
The operation to refloat the shipwrecked Costa Concordia has begun with compressed air being pumped into 30 tanks attached to the sides of the vessel to force out the seawater inside.
Thirty-two people died when the huge ship slammed into rocks off the Italian island of Giglio in January 2012 and part of the ship's 290-metre-long hull sank beneath the water.
But having been hauled into an upright position after a 19-hour operation last September, the wreckage of the luxury liner is now being refloated before a flotilla of tugboats will drag it to the port of Genoa.
The Costa Concordia has been resting on a huge underwater platform It will then be broken up and sold as scrap.
The 114,500-tonne vessel will be raised two metres off the artificial platforms it has rested on since September in the initial phase of the operation on Monday.
It will then be towed away from the shore and moored using anchors and cables.
The salvage operation is the biggest in maritime history "The risks are that the ship could bend as it is raised, or the chains underneath it could snap," Salvage Master Nick Sloane said.
"There will be 42 people on board during the first manoeuvre. If disaster strikes we will evacuate through emergency escapes on the bow and stern."
The bulk of the refloating operation is due to take place from Thursday to Saturday, as the decks slowly emerge to be cleared of debris and checked for structural damage.
Mr Rebello, second left, is the only victim whose body is still missing Search teams will scour the wreck as it is refloated in an attempt to find the body of the only victim still missing, Russel Rebello, an Indian waiter.
In an interview with Sky News last January, Mr Rebello's brother, Kevin, who has made regular trips to Giglio from his home in Milan, said: "More than anything we would just like to find Russel's body so we can bury him and draw a line on what happened.''
Eerie video footage shot by divers and released by police earlier this month showed twisted metalwork, broken furniture and discarded belongings left by the 4,200 people who were on board the Costa Concordia when it crashed.
Francesco Schettino is accused of fleeing the ship Francesco Schettino, the ship's captain, is on trial for charges including manslaughter.
He is accused of deliberately altering the course of the Concordia in order to carry out a sail-by salute of the island in order to impress local residents and passengers.
The 53-year-old, who was allegedly on the bridge with his Moldovan lover Domnica Cemortan, claimed it was ''too dark to see anything'' and told investigators he had not fled but had ''tripped and fell into a lifeboat".
He was dubbed 'Captain Coward' by some tabloid newspapers after reportedly refusing orders from the coastguard to return to the ship to help with the rescue operation.
Britain is set for the hottest week of the year so far with the mercury rising to at least 30C (86F), forecasters say.
Temperatures will rise as the week continues, peaking on Friday when parts of the UK will be hotter than Ibiza and Gran Canaria, experts predict.
Sky News weather producer Christopher England said the southeast of England would be hottest, but most other areas should see lots of sunshine too.
Monday and Tuesday can expect temperatures of 24C (75F), rising to 28C (82F) by Wednesday.
The forecast is good news for sunseekers Sunbathers will then have to slather on more sun cream, with summer's hottest spell bringing a sweltering 30C (86F) by Friday.
"This should be the hottest period of the year so far," England said.
"The high temperatures will be seen in quite a wide area covering large parts of England."
July 4 saw the year's previous highest temperature of 29C (84F).
Northern England and Scotland will reach temperatures up to 22C (71F), while Wales could see temperatures rise to 26C (79F) by the end of the week.
The warm weather is down to hot and humid air being pumped up from Spain, the Met office said.
Israeli troops have launched a ground operation in the northern Gaza Strip, the first since the offensive against Hamas began, as Palestinian deaths continue to mount.
The navy commandos' brief incursion - which ignored a United Nations call for a ceasefire - targeted a rocket launcher site, according to Israeli public radio.
The armed branch of Hamas confirmed that Israeli troops had exchanged gunfire with Palestinian fighters.
Artillery flares illuminate the sky following an Israeli airstrike in Gaza Residents in northern Gaza spent the night fleeing their homes, after a warning from Israel's military that they should leave "for their own safety".
Israel says it plans to step up its offensive against Hamas militants in Gaza today in an effort to stop missiles being fired into Israel.
It has been massing military hardware and troops close to the border with northern Gaza.
A picture tweeted by Israel claiming to target a militant rocket site Sky's Alex Rossi said more than 100 Israeli armoured personnel carriers and tanks are in the area.
Israel began its offensive on Tuesday in response to weeks of rocket attacks from Hamas militants in Gaza, who are understood to have fired more than 600 missiles into the country.
On Saturday evening, an Israeli warplane bombed the home of Gaza's police chief and damaged a nearby mosque, killing at least 18 people and wounding 50.
Tel Aviv residents take cover during an air raid siren warning of an attack It was the deadliest single attack during the five-day conflict, which has now claimed 165 lives and left more than 1,000 injured.
Injured Palestinians were taken to al Shifa hospital in Gaza City as the bombardment continued.
Israeli soldiers rest in the shade of trees near central Gaza Dr Ayman al Sahabany, director of emergency ward at the hospital, said: "Women and children are more than half of the casualties. And children form a third of the total casualties."
No Israelis have died so far in the latest conflict, and many of the rockets fired into the country have been intercepted by Israel's Iron Dome missile defence system.
Israeli soldiers walk across a field near central Gaza strip Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said he will not end the campaign until he achieves his goal of stopping the rocket attacks from a "terrorist organisation which calls for our destruction".
Former Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniya said: "(Israel) is the one that started this aggression and it must stop, because we are (simply) defending ourselves."
By Mark Kleinman, City Editor
Vince Cable is to set out new proposals to force buyers of key British companies to make watertight commitments aimed at protecting jobs and research budgets.
The Business Secretary is expected to detail plans that would oblige foreign bidders for UK businesses to offer binding guarantees to the City's takeover watchdog in order to prevent the erosion of Britain's knowledge base.
His pledge will come less than two months after the American pharmaceuticals giant Pfizer's interest in a £69bn takeover of AstraZeneca ignited a political storm in Westminster about a perceived threat to scientific research and development in Britain.
Mr Cable is understood to want to strengthen the powers of the Takeover Panel, which oversees mergers and takeovers involving British companies, but his plans will nevertheless fall short of the more stringent regulatory framework for which Labour has been calling.
The Business Secretary's proposals are expected to be set out later this weekend.
It was unclear on Saturday whether Mr Cable would require legislative change to push through his proposals or whether there would be a formal threshold above which acquirers of UK companies would be forced to adhere to any new rules.
Currently, the formal public interest test which gives politicians power to intervene in corporate deals is restricted to areas such as media plurality and financial stability.
The Takeover Panel, which regulates mergers and acquisitions, can force foreign bidders for UK companies in any sector to make or clarify public statements about their intentions.
However, it is not deemed by ministers to have sufficiently robust powers to compel companies to make legally-binding commitments on issues such as jobs and R&D.
Promises made by Kraft on UK jobs and manufacturing were reneged upon That became a politically sensitive issue under the last Labour Government, when Kraft Foods of the US reneged on a pledge to retain a Cadbury manufacturing facility in the UK.
Speaking before a House of Lords select committee earlier this week, Mr Cable said he was not interested in introducing rules purely designed to protect the Union flag, pointing out that Britain's biggest manufacturer is Tata, the Indian conglomerate which owns Jaguar Land Rover.
"A crude nationality test has no merit," he said.
Hinting at a possible strengthening of the Takeover Panel's powers, he also said that an extension of the national interest test could risk breaching European Union law.
Ian Read, Pfizer's chief executive, said in May he regarded commitments to UK jobs made during the recent bid situation as legally enforceable.
When Pfizer abandoned its offer two months ago, Chuka Umunna, the Shadow Business Secretary, reaffirmed his commitment to subjecting the deal to a public interest test if a fresh approach was made under a Labour administration.
"While Labour was standing up for British jobs and British science throughout this takeover bid, David Cameron and his ministers were cheerleading for it when one of the primary motivations behind the deal was financial engineering - cited by the AstraZeneca board as one of the execution risks justifying rejection of the bid," he said at the time.
Pfizer was forced to walk away from its bid after a string of rejections by the AstraZeneca board, despite a desire from some of the UK company's shareholders for it to engage with its suitor.
AstraZeneca could invite Pfizer to enter fresh talks towards the end of August, although it would be late November before the US company could make a new unsolicited approach under Takeover Panel rules.
