Deadly Virgin Crash May Hit Space Tourism

The crash of a Virgin Galactic craft is going to make people think twice about going on tourist trips to the edge of space, a former astronaut has told Sky News.

Hundreds of people have already reserved seats and paid a deposit on the $250,000 (£156,000) ticket price for a minutes-long suborbital flight on SpaceShipTwo, which can carry six passengers.

During its 35th test flight, it exploded over California's Mojave Desert shortly after being released from its mother ship WhiteKnightTwo, which had taken it to an altitude of 50,000ft.

The death of a pilot marks a major blow for the project and its billionaire founder Sir Richard Branson, who immediately headed to the scene by plane.

Retired astronaut Jose Hernandez told Sky News: "It is a risky business and we need to make sure it's safe for humans to travel into space."

The planes. Pic: Virgin Galactic/Scaled Composites/Jason DiVenere

He said of the crash: "It's certainly going to make people think twice before getting onto a ship and trying a zero g flight into space.

"But I think this is natural progression of what happens when you're going from having zero experience to trying to send humans into space.

Video: One Dead In Virgin Galactic Crash

"It is a steep learning curve. Sometimes it is an expensive learning curve."

Another pilot was badly injured in what has been described as a "catastrophic failure".

The company said in a tweet that the craft had suffered a serious "anomaly", without going into details.

The plan was for SpaceShipTwo to fire its rocket engine and carry out a 30-second "burn" test.

It was the first flight testing its engine for nine months and experts were also assessing a new type of fuel mixture which is plastic-based rather than a rubber-based compound.

It was hoped the new formulation would boost the engine's performance.

During test flights, the craft had not yet reached the edge of outer space, about 62 miles above Earth.

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1. Gallery: Images Showing Wreckage Of SpaceshipTwo In The Mojave Desert

   SpaceShipTwo and its mother ship WhiteKnightTwo are pictured before the test flight. Pic: Virgin Galactic/Scaled Composites/Jason DiVenere

2. Part of the wreckage from the Virgin Galactic SpaceshipTwo lies in California's Mojave Desert after it crashed

3. Photographer Ken Brown said the craft was released from the plane that carries it to high altitude, ignited its rocket motor and then exploded

4. Two pilots were on board. California authorities said one died and the other was badly hurt

5. A witness said the space tourism craft exploded during a test flight over the desert

6. The aim of such flights was to assess SpaceShipTwo in preparation for suborbital trips to the edge of space about 62 miles above the Earth

7. Hundreds of people have already reserved seats and paid a deposit on the $250,000 (£156,000) ticket price for the flights. Pic: Virgin Galactic

8. After several delays, Sir Richard Branson's company had hoped to start taking passengers to the edge of space in 2015

9. But space expert Marco Caceres said: "You are not going to see any commercial space tourism flight next year or probably several years after that."

But the company had said the first trip there could have taken place in the next few months, depending on how testing went.

The launch date of the project has been put back repeatedly from the original 2007 date, but Sir Richard claims he and his son will be on the inaugural flight by next spring.

He previously described the project as the "beginning of a whole new era of space travel" and even suggested his business could "start doing trips to Mars".

Space journalist Sarah Cruddas told Sky News that things had "been looking really good for Virgin Galactic".

She said there had been "problems" with the engine in the past.

SpaceShipTwo is the commercial version of SpaceShipOne, the first private spacecraft to reach the edge of space in 2004, and which is now on display at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington.

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Search Begins For New Child Abuse Inquiry Chair

The search is under way for a new head of the inquiry into historical child sex abuse after Fiona Woolf became the second chairwoman to quit.

Mrs Woolf stepped down on Friday after victims' groups told Home Office officials they were "unanimous" in the view that she should go.

They had raised concerns over Mrs Woolf's social links with former Home Secretary Lord Brittan, who is likely to be called to give evidence to the inquiry.

Mrs May is expected to brief the House of Commons on Monday

Her predecessor, Lady Butler-Sloss, resigned in July after similar questions were raised over her ties to prominent figures associated with the investigation.

The race is now on to find a suitable replacement as Home Secretary Theresa May faces criticism over the two failed appointments.

Video: Woolf Quits Child Abuse Inquiry

Chairman of the Commons Home Affairs Committee, Keith Vaz, told Sky News: "This has been a chaotic process.

"One would have expected the Government to have learnt from the first resignation of Lady Butler-Sloss, (and) to have consulted widely, to have done their due diligence and then to have presented to parliament and the public the name of the new chair.

"All they've succeeded in doing is delay the start of this inquiry, and frankly embarrass Fiona Woolf, who has had to resign because of the whole process that has been involved in her appointment."

Mrs May is expected to face some tough questions from MPs when she makes a statement to Parliament on Monday outlining the next steps in the process.

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1. Gallery: The Redrafted Letter At Centre Of Woolf Row

   A letter from Fiona Woolf to the Home Secretary referring to her links to Leon Brittan went through several drafts.

2. Chair of the Commons Home Affairs Select Committee Keith Vaz criticised Mrs Woolf, saying the final version showed a more "detached" relationship with the Brittans than the first one. For example, it stressed there were a number of other people present at dinner parties.

3. Mr Vaz had said Mrs Woolf's appointment had been "chaotic" and she should decide whether she wishes to remain as chair of the inquiry. It was confirmed on Friday afternoon that she would be stepping down

Labour leader Ed Miliband said Mrs May needs to explain why simple background checks were not done ahead of Mrs Woolf's appointment.

"It seems inexplicable, given what happened to the first head of the inquiry, that some basic questions were not asked of Fiona Woolf, before she was appointed, about her connections," he said.

"Theresa May has some explaining to do. To lose one chair is a misfortune but to lose two is total carelessness on her part."

Mrs Woolf came under increasing criticism following claims a letter setting out her contacts with the Lord and Lady Britton was redrafted seven times, with guidance from Home Office officials, before being sent to the Home Secretary.

Video: Woolf Resignation: 'Very Damaging'

Announcing her resignation she said: "Ever since the issues first arose, I've been worrying about the negative perceptions and there's been a lot of negative comment and innuendo and that has been getting in the way as well.

"I was determined that the inquiry got to the bottom of the issues for them and if I don't command their confidence to run the panel fairly and impartially then I need to get out of the way."

Mrs Woolf was appointed last month to chair the inquiry, which was launched earlier this year to examine whether alleged abuse by politicians and other powerful figures between the 1970s and 1990s was swept under the carpet.

She replaced Lady Butler-Sloss, who stepped down after her suitability was called into question, due to the fact her late brother, Lord Havers, was attorney general during the period when many of the alleged offences are said to have taken place.

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Branson Vow To Continue Space Race After Crash

Sir Richard Branson has vowed to continue his space tourism venture despite a Virgin Galactic spacecraft crashing during a test flight over California's Mojave Desert.

The Virgin Group founder arrived in the desert today, and has described the journey to the crash site as "one of the most difficult trips I have ever had to make".

In a post on his website, Sir Richard said: "Space is hard - but worth it. We will persevere and move forward together."

"We've always known that the road to space is extremely difficult - and that every new transportation system has to deal with bad days early in their history," he added.

One pilot died in the crash and another was seriously injured when he ejected from the rocket plane and parachuted to the ground.

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1. Gallery: Images Showing Wreckage Of SpaceshipTwo In The Mojave Desert

   SpaceShipTwo and its mother ship WhiteKnightTwo are pictured before the test flight. Pic: Virgin Galactic/Scaled Composites/Jason DiVenere

2. Part of the wreckage from the Virgin Galactic SpaceshipTwo lies in California's Mojave Desert after it crashed

3. Photographer Ken Brown said the craft was released from the plane that carries it to high altitude, ignited its rocket motor and then exploded

4. Two pilots were on board. California authorities said one died and the other was badly hurt

5. A witness said the space tourism craft exploded during a test flight over the desert

6. The aim of such flights was to assess SpaceShipTwo in preparation for suborbital trips to the edge of space about 62 miles above the Earth

7. Hundreds of people have already reserved seats and paid a deposit on the $250,000 (£156,000) ticket price for the flights. Pic: Virgin Galactic

8. After several delays, Sir Richard Branson's company had hoped to start taking passengers to the edge of space in 2015

9. But space expert Marco Caceres said: "You are not going to see any commercial space tourism flight next year or probably several years after that."

Virgin Galactic, part of British billionaire Sir Richard's Virgin Group, had been aiming to begin tourist flights to the edge of space next year.

SpaceShipTwo has been under development at the Mojave Air and Spaceport.

The tragedy occurred after SpaceShipTwo fired up its rocket following a high-altitude drop from Virgin Galactic's WhiteKnightTwo mothership.

Stuart Witt, chief executive of the space port, said the cause of the crash remains unclear.

Virgin Galactic said it will work with authorities to determine the cause of the accident. The Federal Aviation Administration is also investigating.

Video: Deadly Crash May Hit Space Tourism

It is the second disaster involving a US spacecraft this week.

On Tuesday, another private company's unmanned rocket exploded six seconds after launch on a resupply mission to the International Space Station.

Virgin Galactic's 60ft (18 metre) long SpaceShipTwo was testing a redesigned rocket motor as it made its first powered flight since January.

The rocket plane, which was attached to the underside of WhiteKnightTwo, took off at 9:19am local time (4:19pm GMT) on Friday in California.

It is not the first accident involving SpaceShipTwo.

Video: Space Crash 'An Incredible Tragedy'

During testing for the development of its rocket motor in July 2007, an explosion at the Mojave spaceport killed three workers and critically injured three others.

Virgin Galactic aims to become the world's first commercial "spaceline", sending customers willing to pay up to $250,000 (£156,000) for a short journey into zero gravity and a glimpse of the planet from the edge of space.

The company previously said it has accepted more than $80m (£50m) in deposits from hundreds of people who hope to be among the first space tourists.

British physicist Stephen Hawking, comedian Russell Brand, actors Leonardo DiCaprio and Ashton Kutcher, and singer Justin Bieber are said to have signed up.

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Sex Abuse Inquiry Head Under Pressure To Quit

By Anushka Asthana, Political Correspondent

A lawyer representing 50 victims of child abuse has said the Home Office must "start again" if it wants its inquiry into historical allegations to win public confidence.

Alison Millar, a partner at Leigh Day solicitors, has told Sky News she will make the argument at a meeting with officials in Westminster later this morning.

Lord Brittan denies failing to act on a dossier of paedophilia allegations

It comes after Fiona Woolf, the second chair appointed to lead the investigation, was engulfed in controversy about her social links to Lord and Lady Brittan.

Leon Brittan was Home Secretary in the 1980s and was handed evidence about sex abuse cases, which victims accuse him of failing to act upon.

Video: July: Sex Abuse Inquiry Judge Quits

Ms Millar told Sky News: "It will take quite a lot to convince survivors of abuse that this inquiry is for them rather than a damage limitation exercise by the Home Office."

She said none of her clients had confidence in Mrs Woolf, particularly following revelations on Thursday about how a letter outlining her social interactions with the Brittans was redrafted seven times.

Chair of the Commons Home Affairs Select Committee Keith Vaz criticised Mrs Woolf, saying the final version showed a more "detached" relationship with the Brittans than the first one.

For example, it stressed there were a number of other people present at dinner parties.

Mrs Woolf also said the last time she saw Lady Brittan was in April last year, but a picture has since emerged of them speaking at an event last Autumn.

Video: July: May Announces Abuse Review

Ms Millar added: "It is not just the personnel, although none of my clients have said that Fiona Woolf has their confidence.

"But it is also the way the whole thing is being conducted.

"Look at how it has been structured - it is not clear how or even, if, survivors of abuse are being invited to participate.

"If they really want this inquiry to engage survivors of abuse they are going to have to start again."

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Terrier Vaz Is Chasing May Over Abuse Inquiry

To lose one sex abuse inquiry chief is unfortunate. To lose two looks like carelessness.

And Keith Vaz, the indefatigable and tenacious chairman of the Home Affairs Committee, claims Theresa May is guilty of far worse than carelessness.

Threatening to haul Alderman Fiona Woolf before his committee for a second time, he says the Home Secretary's appointments process has been chaotic.

New readers start here:

Under enormous pressure from MPs, Mrs May announced an inquiry into allegations dating back to the 1980s, when the late Tory MP Geoffrey Dickens took a dossier of complaints to the then home secretary Leon Brittan.

Mr Vaz learned there had been seven drafts of Mrs Woolf's letter

But her first choice to head the inquiry, respected judge Baroness Elizabeth Butler-Sloss, had to quit after complaints that her late brother, Sir Michael Havers, was attorney general at the time.

So after much delay, the Home Secretary announced that Mrs Woolf, the current Lord Mayor of London, had been chosen. Her appointment was initially welcomed by MPs, but not for long.

Video: July: May Announces Abuse Review

It became apparent that Mrs Woolf is friendly with Diana Brittan, wife of Leon. The Woolfs and the Brittans live in the same street and have attended charity functions together.

After a photograph of Mrs Woolf chatting to Lady Brittan (and the former newsreader Martyn Lewis) appeared on the front page of the Daily Mail, Mr Vaz wrote to the Lord Mayor asking for an explanation.

Has she cleared up any misunderstanding? Far from it. She's now even deeper in trouble and in danger of being forced to quit, just like Baroness Butler-Sloss.

That's because Mr Vaz suspects nobbling by the Home Office, after he learned there had been seven drafts of her letter. And even then, the letter "raises more questions than it answers about an appointment process that has been chaotic".

The correspondence reveals all sorts of meetings with the Brittans, all innocent, she claims. But Mr Vaz isn't letting go.

"The lessons of the Butler-Sloss appointment and resignation have not been learned," Mr Vaz thunders.

"There should have been full disclosure of this information before, not after, her appointment. The committee will consider the issue of her recall at its meeting on Tuesday, 4 November."

The lessons of all this? Don't try to hide a friendship with a former home secretary and his wife, which is bound to be revealed eventually. If rumbled, fess up and don't wriggle. It will only make matters worse.

And, above all, don't mess with Mr Vaz, who may be a silky-voiced smoothie when he chairs his committee, but is terrier-like in his pursuit of the facts, exposing cover-ups and condemning blunders at the heart of government.

Mrs May should know that by now. And her handling of this sorry affair does now indeed look, as Keith Vaz says, chaotic.

And so if she does lose her second abuse inquiry chief in just a few months she will look like a serial bungler.

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Popular Teaching Methods May Harm Education

By Gerard Tubb, North of England Correspondent

Schoolchildren in some schools are being taught using methods that have no evidence to back them up, according to a report by academics.

It claims teaching in same-ability groups, lavishing children with praise and letting them learn in the way they want to can do more harm than good.

Good teaching and teachers who fully understand their subject were found to have the most evidence to support a positive effect on children's learning.

The report suggests lavish praise could do more harm than good

Professor Rob Coe from Durham University led a team that analysed more than 200 pieces of research to compile the What Makes Great Teaching report.

"It is surprisingly difficult for anyone watching a teacher to judge how effectively students are learning," he said.

Video: Failing Headteachers Face Sack

"We all think we can do it, but the research evidence shows that we can't."

The report says some unusual methods work well, including challenging students to identify the reason why an activity is taking place and spacing out studies in a given topic.

The report was commissioned by the Sutton Trust, which aims to improve social mobility and tackle disadvantage in education.

Dr Lee Elliot Major, the trust's director of policy and development, said good quality teachers transform the achievement of pupils from poorer backgrounds.

"This research review debunks many of the teaching myths, but also reveals the core lessons for schools to help them develop great teachers," he said.

The report's publication comes as council leaders call for an independent review of education watchdog Ofsted, whose credibility they say has been called into question.

The Local Government Association (LGA) has pointed to a recent trend which has seen Ofsted downgrade schools after negative media attention, often overruling previous judgements handed out just months earlier.

It said that after the "Trojan Horse" scandal, for example, five schools were downgraded to "inadequate," in some cases just months after they were inspected and given a higher rating.

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Child Grooming 'Normal' In Parts Of Manchester

By Nick Martin, North of England Correspondent

Child sexual exploitation is a "real and ongoing problem" that has become "normal" in some parts of Greater Manchester, according to a new report.

It suggests that youngsters are exposed to an increasing amount of explicit music and pornography which it is claimed is fuelling the problem. 

The independent report by Ann Coffey, Labour MP for Stockport, was commissioned by Tony Lloyd, the Greater Manchester Police and Crime Commissioner, in response to a number of high-profile child exploitation cases.

Home Secretary Theresa May described its findings as "shocking".

In 2012, nine Asian men were jailed for grooming girls with alcohol, drugs and gifts before forcing them to have sex with multiple men.

Video: Dec 2013: MP Criticises Police

The case led to claims the authorities had ignored the problem for reasons of "political correctness".

Ms Coffey said: "My observations will make painful reading for those who hoped that Rochdale was an isolated case. This is a real and ongoing problem.

"I have been concerned about the number of people who have told me that in some neighbourhoods child sexual exploitation had become the new social norm.

"This social norm has perhaps been fuelled by the increased sexualisation of children and young people and an explosion of explicit music videos and the normalisation of quasi-pornographic images.

"Sexting, selfies, Instagram and the like have given rise to new social norms and changed expectations of sexual entitlement, and with it a confused understanding of what constitutes consent."

Some schoolgirls told her they were regularly approached by older men in the street and urged to get into cars on their way home from school.

The problem will not be tackled unless there is a "sea change" in public attitudes away from a culture of blaming children and young people for bringing about their own sexual exploitation, the report claimed.

Nicola Pomfrey first became the victim of exploitation from the age of 14. She said the man she was with controlled every aspect of her life. 

She told Sky News: "It felt like we were friends at first, he kept buying me food and cigarettes. Then it turned into a relationship.

"But as time went on I felt like I was trapped, there was no-one I could turn to and I became isolated from friends and family.

Video: Sep 2012: Handling Of Abuse Slammed

"I was vulnerable, I needed the attention and I got it from the wrong place.

"At the time I didn't feel like telling the police, or a social worker or a teacher would do any good. I suppose I didn't think they would believe that I was a victim."

Home Secretary Theresa May said a public consultation would be held on whether teachers, doctors and other officials should have a duty to report any suspicions - or face the law.

"This is yet another disturbing report which highlights unacceptable failings by authorities at a local level to ensure the protection of children," said Mrs May.

"The report's findings about the scale of child sexual exploitation and attitudes towards it are particularly alarming."

Hayley Harewood, chief executive of Oldham-based charity Keep Our Girls Safe, which helps around 200 young girls at risk of sexual exploitation, agreed with the report's findings.

"It is true that in some areas child sexual exploitation is normal. It is often the first experience many girls have in terms of a relationship," she said.

"On most occasions the girls don't realise what's happening to them until it is too late and they are trapped."

The 148-page report, titled Real Voices - Child Sexual Exploitation In Greater Manchester, recommends a radical new approach to tackling the problem led by young people, which recognises that the police, justice system and children's services alone cannot succeed in protecting children.

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Ebola: Better Maps Could Have Helped Fight Virus

By Tom Cheshire, Technology Correspondent

Better maps could have helped contain the deadly Ebola virus, according to Medecins Sans Frontieres.

Ivan Gaytan, technology advisor to MSF, told Sky News the disease is "preventable" and could have been "easier to contain" if there was more knowledge of the region.

He said: "In any country where Ebola or any other infectious disease arrives, if you already have a good map which actually reflects the way people describe geography, you set up your clinical activities to take that data in the first place in the right way."

MSF, also known as Doctors Without Borders, will launch a project next month called Missing Maps, which lets anyone, anywhere in the world, annotate maps to show dwellings and infrastructure.

Volunteers are mapping regions within the Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan in the hope that, if an outbreak occurs, more accurate maps will help health workers respond quicker.

Video: Using Phone Tech To Map Movement

Knowing where people live and what infrastructure they use is vital to dealing with public health emergencies.

These maps will provide important information for NGOs and public health officials.

Liz Hughes, the CEO of MapAction, told Sky News: "You could look at Ebola and say it's an emergency that is a geographic emergency.

Video: Ebola Diary: Day Four

"It's really important to stop the transmission of disease, and you do that by identifying where the highest infection rates are - so being able to map that picture.

"Where people have contracted Ebola, where they're moving to, where the treatment centres are, whether they're in the right places - all of that can be mapped to help decision makers work out where to put resources."

Mobile phone data is also helping to create new types of maps.

Video: DEC launches appeal

This week, IBM Research unveiled a system to let people in Sierra Leone report Ebola-related issues and to track the disease.

Swedish NGO Flowminder has also been analysing the movements of thousands of mobile phone users.

Video: Ebola: Busting The Myths

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Tough Drug Laws Have No Impact On Use - Report

By Tadhg Enright, Sky News Correspondent

Severe criminal penalties on drug taking makes no difference to the level of substance use in a country, a Government report has indicated.

The first Home Office study of the issue based on international evidence has caused a split within the coalition, with Lib Dems supporting its proposed reforms and the Conservatives opposing them.

It found "no apparent correlation between the 'toughness' of a country's approach and the prevalence of adult drugs use".

"There is evidence from Portugal of improved health prospects for users, though these cannot be attributed to decriminalisation alone," the report said.

"There are indications that decriminalisation can reduce the burden on criminal justice systems."

Video: Libs Dems Announce New Drug Policy

It also found worse health outcomes in the Czech Republic after possession was criminalised, and no evidence of lower use.

Danny Kushlick, founder of Transform Drug Policy Foundation, called the report a "historic moment" in drugs policy.

"For the first time in over 40 years the Home Office has admitted that enforcing tough drug laws doesn't necessarily reduce levels of drug use," he said.

Although it was completed several months ago, the report has been kept under wraps to be released alongside another study which recommends so-called legal highs be criminalised.

Video: Jail For Possession Of Drugs?

The Lib Dems have long supported a review of Britain's drugs policy and the party's minister in the Home Office, Norman Baker MP, told Sky News he backs its findings.

"We're very clear that what we need to do is move towards a health based approach - to stop criminalising people unfairly and to make sure that we don't lock people up, but rather deal with it as a health issue," he said.

But a Home Office spokesperson said: "This Government has absolutely no intention of decriminalising drugs.

"Our drugs strategy is working and there is a long-term downward trend in drug misuse in the UK."

Video: Mourning Mum In Legalise Drugs Call

But the Home Office is giving strong consideration to the report backing the criminalisation of so-called legal highs, which are sold online and in high street "head" shops.

Both coalition parties back a blanket ban on their sale, which has been welcomed by campaigners including Maryon Stewart, whose daughter, Hester, died in 2009 after taking a lethal cocktail of alcohol and the legal substance GBL.

She told Sky News: "In that time, there've been as many crime prevention ministers as there have years, and it's been a really difficult journey.

"I think everyone agrees that there needs to be change, what's happening right now isn't working."

Video: 2012: Brand Speaks Out Over Drugs

An opinion poll in The Sun suggests for the first time, most Britons believe the war on drugs can never be won.

A total of 71% of those surveyed said the war had failed, while 51% said it will always be doomed. The survey found 65% supported a review of drugs policy.

16.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

Rocket Explosion: 'Catastrophe' Not The First

The "catastophic" Antares explosion off the US east coast is not the first failure of a rocket used in a NASA mission.

Most pass off without any serious glitches, but a few infamous missions, such as the Challenger disaster and Apollo 13, have given the space agency some its darkest days - and even threatened to bring a halt to America's space programme.

The Columbia crew were killed after their shuttle's wing was damaged

:: Apollo 1 - 27 January, 1967

Three astronauts died when a fire broke out during a launch-pad test.

NASA eased up in its space race with the Soviets after the deaths of Virgil "Gus" Grissom, Ed White and Roger Chaffee and made crucial design and safety changes.

:: Apollo 13 - 13 April, 1970

Immortalised in the Hollywood blockbuster starring Tom Hanks, the spacecraft was crippled when a tank carrying liquid oxygen exploded and cut off its power.

Apollo 13 was heading for the moon on America's third landing mission.

The three astronauts survived by decamping to the lunar module until they were able to fly the main craft back to earth.

:: Challenger - 2 January, 1986

One of the most iconic news events of the 1980s - the shuttle violently broke up 73 seconds after lift-off at Florida's Cape Canaveral.

The devastating images were broadcast around the world.

Seven crew, including teacher Christa McAuliffe, were killed and the shuttle programme was shelved for nearly three years.

An investigation found the explosion was caused when an O-ring seal in one of the rocket boosters failed, allowing pressurised hot gas to escape.

:: Columbia - 1 February, 2003

Seven more astronauts died when the shuttle disintegrated on re-entry, spewing debris over Texas and Louisiana.

The shuttle's left wing was damaged during launch, said investigators, when foam insulation on the fuel tank broke off.

The damage meant gases from the atmosphere were able to penetrate and destroy the wing as it made its approach back to Earth.

:: Wallops Island - 22 August, 2008

Nasa destroyed another unmanned rocket by remote control just 27 seconds into its flight when it veered off course - again at Virginia's Wallops Island.

Carrying research satellites, it was downed to protect the public at a height of around 12,000ft (3,657m).

Experts said they did not know why it strayed from its flight path.

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Rocket Explosion: 'Hazardous Materials' Warning

People have been warned to keep away from any hazardous debris they might find after an unmanned rocket carrying supplies to the International Space Station exploded seconds after lift-off.

NASA footage showed the Antares rocket, built and launched by Orbital Sciences Corp, bolting off its coastal launch pad at the Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia and exploding in a huge fireball seconds later.

Enveloped in flames, the rocket collapsed to the ground, as a cloud of dark grey smoke rose from the wreckage.

No one was injured and the damage so far appears to be limited to the facilities, according to the company.

Ronda Miller, manager of the Ocean Deli in Wallops Island, told the Reuters news agency she felt the force of the blast from five miles (8km) away.

Video: 'Holy Cow': Plane Captures Fireball

Investigators quickly secured the perimeter of the area and blocked any outside interviews of witnesses or staff, citing classified equipment that had been aboard.

The cause is not yet known, and NASA mission control in Houston, Texas, called it a "catastrophic anomaly".

Engineers said the countdown had gone according to plan and there were no issues apparent with the machinery.

Video: Beware 'Hazardous' Rocket Debris

Speaking at a news conference, Orbital Sciences executive vice president Frank Culbertson warned of the dangers of debris around the site.

He said: "I do want to caution the public…This is an accident site and it is a rocket. It had a lot of hazardous equipment, hazardous materials on board, that people should not be looking for or wanting to collect souvenirs over."

Anyone who finds anything should not touch it, keep others away from it and contact the local authorities, Mr Culbertson added.

Video: 'Launch Failures Do Happen'

The rocket was carrying a Cygnus spacecraft packed with nearly 5,000lb (2,200kg) of food, supplies and materials for space experiments.

One of the items on board was a nitrogen tank to manage the ISS' air supply, said Tariq Malik, managing editor of Space.com, who also added that some scientists had been waiting years to get their hardware on board.

Also among its payload were some Maryland crab cakes for the space station crew.

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1. Gallery: Antares Rocket Explodes In Huge Fireball

   These images capture the moment a rocket carrying supplies to the International Space Station exploded seconds after lift-off from Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia

2. The rocket was unmanned and no one is thought to have been injured

3. The cause of the explosion is unknown but authorities have warned people not to touch any of the debris as it could be "hazardous"

4. NASA confirmed that the crew of the ISS is not in danger because of the failed mission

5. The Cygnus spacecraft was carrying nearly 5,000lb (2,200kg) of food, supplies and materials for space experiments

6. A picture of the craft docking with the International Space Station on a previous mission. Continue through for more pictures

12. A map showing where the launch could be viewed from on the US east coast

The launch was postponed on Monday after a boat ventured into a restricted zone within 10 minutes of take-off.

NASA is paying Virginia-based Orbital Sciences and California-based SpaceX to keep the space station stocked after the space agency retired its own space shuttles.

Orbital has a $1.9bn (£1.1bn) contract with NASA for a total of eight supply missions. The rocket itself and the cargo ship were valued at $200m (£123m).

Video: What Was On Board Rocket?

The mission, known as CRS-3, was to be Orbital's fourth trip to the ISS.

After the launch, Cygnus was meant to remain in orbit until 2 November, then fly itself to the station so astronauts could use a robotic crane to snare the capsule and attach it to a berthing port.

NASA spokesman Rob Navias said there was nothing on the rocket that was urgently needed by the six people living on the station.

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Asylum: 29,000 Cases Unresolved Since 2007

By Tom Parmenter, Sky News Correspondent

Failings in the UK's asylum system have led to an "extremely concerning" backlog of cases - with the Home Office accused of being in chaos over immigration.

Some 11,000 asylum seekers have been waiting since 2007 to be told whether they can stay in the country.

In total there are 29,000 cases waiting to be resolved, according to a damning report.

Margaret Hodge MP, chair of the Public Accounts Committee, said: "To make matters worse, the department is also failing to meet its targets for dealing with newer claims, so it is now creating another backlog for itself.

"The number of claims awaiting an initial decision was up 70% to 16,273 in the first three months of 2014 compared to the same period last year.

Video: Asylum Process System In Chaos

"It is deeply worrying that the Home Office is not tracking those people whose applications have been rejected to ensure that they are removed from the UK."

The report said there are 175,000 people whose applications to stay in the UK have been rejected and are still awaiting removal.

The Government scrapped the UK Border Agency last year as part of major reforms. 

One asylum seeker has told Sky News she feels mentally "tortured" after being left in limbo.

Her case has been repeatedly delayed and nine months after applying for asylum the Ugandan woman still has not been given a proper interview about her request.

Fearing further delays to her claim, she asked only to be known as "Namusoke" and explained to Sky News: "I feel tortured here in the UK, I feel depressed, stressed and traumatised, so I really feel bad because I can't help nothing for myself.

"I'm a beggar, which I was not born to do."

The woman is fleeing persecution in her homeland due to the fact she is a lesbian - homosexuality is deemed illegal in Uganda.

Immigration and Security Minister James Brokenshire said: "The immigration system we inherited was totally dysfunctional.

"Turning around years of mismanagement has taken time, but it is now well under way.

"We have reformed visa routes to make them more resistant to fraud and cancelled failing contracts; and we are addressing the backlogs we inherited."

Shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said: "This report lays bare how Theresa May and David Cameron are presiding over one failure after another in our immigration system."

The Refugee Council's head of advocacy, Lisa Doyle, said: "It's extremely concerning that so many people are still waiting for a decision on their asylum claim, years after first applying."

On Tuesday the mayor of Calais said Britain's benefits system had become a magnet for asylum seekers making their way across the English Channel from France - and that many are "prepared to die" to make the journey.

16.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

Bodies Of Four People Found In Bradford Home

West Yorkshire Police has said the bodies of four people were discovered at a house in Bradford, on Monday night.

Officers were called at around 8.30pm to the home in Clayton after the bodies of a man, a woman and two teenage girls were found.

A statement from the police force said: "Enquiries are at a very early stage, but police are not currently looking for anyone else in connection with the enquiry.

"Police have sealed off the area while forensic investigation takes place and this is expected to take some time."

More follows...

16.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

Fears Over Squeezed Energy Network Capacity

The readiness of Britain's energy network to deal with freezing temperatures will be revealed later, when the National Grid reveals the gap between capacity and demand.

There are concerns over the whether the lights can stay on and blackouts can be avoided, following a series of power station closures and fires which have led to a squeeze on energy capacity.

The prospect of an electricity energy crunch has risen since the summer, when a key measure of risk, called Loss of Load Expectation (Lole) was forecast at 0.5 hours for the coming winter.

At the same time, the Grid announced "last resort" measures such as paying industrial users to reduce power usages and supplying reserves from power stations that would otherwise be closed or mothballed.

Since then the Lole risk measure has risen to 1.6 hours, factoring in the fires that have caused in the permanent shutdown of Ironbridge in Shropshire and the temporary closure of Ferrybridge in West Yorkshire.

Video: Didcot Power Station Up In Flames

A power station in Barking will also close, while a planned return to service for four EDF nuclear reactors at Heysham in Morecambe, Lancashire, and at Hartlepool, will see them return at only 75% capacity.

A fire put half of operations out of action at Didcot B power station in Oxfordshire - which has capacity to supply a million homes - last week.

The part of the site affected by the blaze is expected to return to around 50% service this week.

Video: Fire At Power Station Under Control

16.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

Lloyds Cuts 9,000 Jobs And 200 Branches

Lloyds Banking Group has confirmed 9,000 job losses and 200 branch closures as it moves to bolster its digital banking offering.

The bank - part-owned by the taxpayer - said the cuts would take place over the next three years as customers' habits continued to shift towards online banking services.

Sources at Lloyds told Sky News it had previously shed 45,000 jobs since its bailout at the height of the banking crisis.

The news was contained in its latest results which showed a nine-month profit before tax of £1.61bn - flat on the same period last year.

Lloyds said the figure included an extra £900m provision for the costs associated with the payment protection insurance mis-selling scandal.

Antonio Horta-Osorio wants to make Lloyds more efficient

Sky News reported on Monday night that Lloyds and other major banks were all planning to put aside extra funds, giving them a combined provision of more than £22bn.

Lloyds accounts for half the total.

Underlying profits for the business, which includes Halifax and Bank of Scotland, rose 41% to £2.2bn in the third quarter.

The job cuts announced by Lloyds represent around 10% of its current workforce of 88,000 and form part of its plans to "digitise" the bank.

Earlier this year, the British Bankers' Association published research showing that UK-based customers conducted almost 40 million mobile and internet banking transactions each week in 2013, a huge increase on the previous year.

The branch closures will mainly affect urban areas where there are already high concentrations of Lloyds branches.

Chief executive Antonio Horta-Osorio said: "Over the last three years the successful delivery of our strategy has ensured that we have become a safe, highly efficient, UK-focused retail and commercial bank.

"The next phase of our strategy will use these strong foundations as a basis for meeting the rapidly-changing needs of our customers, and sets out how we will grow the business in a way that will deliver increasing and sustainable returns for our shareholders."

16.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

Lifeguard Review After Surfers Die In Cornwall

Sea rescue services have said a risk assessment will be carried out to determine whether lifeguard cover should be extended at a beach in Cornwall where three surfers died.

Officers were called by the Coastguard after reports that four children and three adults were caught in a rip current off Mawgan Porth beach, Newquay, on Sunday.

Two surfers recovered from the sea were given CPR at the scene

A man in his 50s and a man and woman in their 40s were found unconscious in the sea.

The victims, who have not been named, were taken to Treliske for treatment but were pronounced dead in hospital.

A spokesman for the Maritime and Coastguard Agency said: "The four children were all located safe and well on shore but the three adults were recovered from the water.

"Two of those recovered from the water were given CPR at the scene. The three casualties were transferred to hospital by the rescue helicopter from RNAS Culdrose and both the Devon and Cornwall air ambulances."

The surfers were caught in a rip tide while surfing off Mawgan Porth beach

A spokeswoman for the South Western Ambulance Service said they took a call at 1.31pm about reports the surfers were caught in a rip current.

She said air ambulances, a search and rescue helicopter, police and rapid response vehicles were all deployed to the scene.

Air ambulances and a search and rescue helicopter were deployed

The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) said lifeguards man Mawgan Porth beach from March to September and confirmed there would have been none patrolling there on Sunday.

But it explained that there would have been "clear signs" indicating the lack of lifeguard cover for beachgoers.

A RNLI spokeswoman said: "We position lifeguards at certain beaches during the summer months and at other times that we think will be busy during the year.

"A risk assessment is carried out and agreed with the local council and authorities, whoever is responsible for the beach.

"That risk assessment is decided by taking into account the number of users, the type of users, the topography of the area - how the waves fall there - and the proximity of other rescue services.

"Every season an assessment is carried out to see what lifeguards there should be on every beach.

"I am sure we will take into account visitor numbers at Mawgan Porth during half term and once we know what happened today it will form part of the review into whether we need to extend lifeguard cover there."

Gareth Horner, lifeboat operations manager, said: "Mawgan Porth is a dangerous beach. We don't know the exact circumstances or the ability of the people that were rescued today.

"My understanding is that they were in two groups and that one of the casualties actually entered the sea to assist other people who were in trouble."

Police said the woman and the man in his 40s were from Cornwall, while the third victim was from outside the force's area.

16.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

South Africa's Football Captain Shot Dead

The goalkeeper and captain of South Africa's national football team has been shot dead by gunmen who broke into the house of his girlfriend.

Senzo Meyiwa, 27, was killed after two armed men entered the house in the Vosloorus township near Johannesburg on Sunday evening while an accomplice waited outside, police said.

Seven people were believed to have been inside the house, including Meyiwa, when the suspects forced their way into the property.

Police said Meyiwa was shot after a row, and the assailants fled.

Kelly Khumalo's Instagram picture with Meyiwa - posted hours before he died

South Africa's police force tweeted: "There was an altercation and Senzo Meyiwa was shot. The three suspects fled on foot after the shooting.

"We can assure South Africans that we will do all we can to bring Meyiwa's killers to book."

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1. Gallery: S Africa's Goalkeeper Fatally Shot

   Senzo Meyiwa, the goalkeeper and captain of South Africa's national football team, was fatally shot after two gunmen entered a house near Johannesburg where he was staying.

2. The 27-year-old captained South Africa in their last four matches in the African Nations Cup qualifiers without conceding a goal.

3. Police said the shooting followed an "altercation" at his girlfriend's house.

4. Meyiwa's saves made him a national hero.

5. His club, Orlando Pirates, advanced to the semi-finals of the South African League Cup.

6. He is pictured shaking hands with Manchester United's Wayne Rooney in 2008.

A reward of 150,000 rand (£8,500) has been offered for information leading to an arrest.

Cindy Poluta, sports editor at Eyewitness News in Johannesburg, told Sky News: "Police say that according to neighbours Senzo was at the house of his girlfriend, Kelly Khumalo.

"Two men came inside and started demanding goods and cell phones. It was when Senzo was trying to defend Kelly, who apparently the gun was being pointed at, when he was shot in the back.

"Neighbours said they heard three shots but only one of those killed Senzo.

"He was declared dead on arrival at a hospital in Johannesburg and later on in the evening South Africa's national coach was seen comforting fellow teammates.

"Vosloorus is riddled with crime, and unfortunately Senzo has become another unfortunate statistic and victim of crime in South Africa."

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1. Gallery: Senzo Meyiwa Shot Dead In Vosloorus

   Kelly Khumalo, girlfriend of Senzo Meyiwa, arrives back at her home.

2. Police question potential witnesses in Vosloorus where Meyiwa was killed.

3. Vosloorus is a town 20 miles south of Johannesburg.

4. Investigators at the scene of Senzo Meyiwa's fatal shooting.

5. Members of Kelly Khumalo mourn at her home in Vosloorus.

6. Police at the scene of Meyiwa's shooting. Pic: Eyewitness News @ewnreporter.

Ms Poluta said South Africans waking up to the news had turned to Twitter to express their "utter disbelief and devastation".

Meyiwa's club Orlando Pirates issued a statement on Twitter saying the club "has learned with sadness about the untimely death of our number one goalkeeper and current captain Senzo Meyiwa".

"This is a sad loss whichever way you look at it - to Senzo's family, his extended family, Orlando Pirates and to the nation," Pirates chairman Irvin Khoza said.

Dean Furman, one of Meyiwa's teammates, tweeted: "Beyond devastated at the loss of our captain & friend Senzo Meyiwa. Thoughts & prayers are with his family & friends at this terrible time."

Meyiwa was South Africa's captain in its four qualifiers for the African Cup of Nations this year, including its last game, a 0-0 draw with Republic of Congo on 15 October.

His death is the second to hit South African sports in three days, as former 800-metre world champion Mbulaeni Mulaudzi was killed in a car crash on Friday. 

16.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

'HS3' Northern Rail Link To Cut Journey Times

The Government has welcomed plans to give a multi-billion pound rail boost to northern England.

The project, dubbed High Speed 3 (HS3), could see journey times between Leeds and Manchester cut by up to half.

The plans, due to be unveiled later, would cover an east-west section of northern England - across the Pennines - and would be in addition to the north-of-Birmingham phase two of HS2 which will see a Y-shaped route going to Manchester and Leeds.

Train services running between Liverpool and Hull will also be upgraded.

Journeys between Leeds and Birmingham, Leeds and Sheffield Meadowhall, York and Birmingham, and Nottingham to Birmingham could also be slashed by a half or more, and many more journeys substantially shortened.

HS2 Ltd chairman Sir David Higgins said the new northern connectivity plans would be "as important to the north of England as Crossrail is for London".

Sir David told Sky News that the plans were in the early stages and there was no estimate as to how much the new link would cost. The budget for HS2 has been set at £50bn.   

He said: "We have not put a figure on the east-west link because it's got to be part of a much broader transport strategy."

He added: "It isn't anything like the budget of HS2 because the link is some 40 miles long, (and) the link would be a combination of existing track and some new tunnels to speed up the journey time from one hour to half an hour and to double capacity."

Video: Early Days on HS3 Rail Link

Phase one of HS2 involves a new high-speed line from Euston in London passing through the Chilterns to Birmingham, with an expected completion date of 2026.

Phase two was originally due to be completed in 2032/33, although Sir David is keen for this date to be brought forward.

The project is strongly supported by the Government but is bitterly opposed by some councils and residents along the phase one route.

Sir David's four main proposals in his report are:

Video: Church Opposition To HS2 Route

::  Need to take forward both legs of the proposed HS2 Y-network - the alternatives will not bring the same capacity, connectivity and economic benefits.

:: Improve the rail services between east and west - sharply reducing journey times between Liverpool, Manchester, Leeds, Sheffield and Hull will stimulate local economies.

:: Northern cities should speak with one voice - local authorities from five key cities should join together to form a new body.

:: Set out a timetable to develop a new transport strategy to decide on an approach for improving rail and road connectivity across and within the region north of Birmingham.

Video: China's High Speed Rail Revolution

Prime Minister David Cameron said he welcomed the report which will "create a northern powerhouse and ensure that HS2 delivers the maximum economic benefits".

Stop HS2 campaign manager Joe Rukin said Sir David's report "showed that the original plans for HS2 weren't thought through properly".

He added: "Changing the mess that is phase two doesn't change the fact that phase one is still a complete mess, as is the entire concept of HS2."

16.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

Afghanistan: Britain Never Had Enough Soldiers

By Stuart Ramsay, Chief Correspondent

It is hot. Hot as hell. Driving a Jackal long-distance reconnaissance truck and dragging another broken one behind.

My cameraman Jim Foster is at the wheel as we career across the desert on the outskirts of an Afghan village full of Taliban.

They have been firing at us for at least half an hour and we know it is going to get a lot worse. It's the summer of 2008.

"RPG! RPG! Hold tight!" Jim shouts.

To our left, in near slow-motion, I see a Talib lift his rocket-propelled grenade.

In my mind, I am screaming, but I am silent. Trying to work a camera. I am all fingers and thumbs. I know this is really, really bad. I remember thinking I hope it doesn't f****** hurt. He is so near he surely can't miss.

I heard the whoosh. It passes between us, just above our heads. Then explodes in the air behind us.

Video: On Patrol In Helmand

"Christ," I shout at Jim.

Then I see three more Jackals driven by Pathfinders from the Parachute regiment manoeuvre around us. Guns blazing towards the Taliban positions.

They are protecting us. They smash the Taliban and we surge forward over a final hillock and into the desert.

We pull over and form a circle as mortars and rounds crash into the desert a short distance behind us.

I pass Jim a bottle of water. Boiling hot from the sun, but still cooler than us.

He drinks the lot, smiles, and taps me on the leg.

"That was interesting," he says, smiling. "You did well son, very well mate."

I wanted to cry. Afghan embeds can be like this. Awful.

Every year since 2001 I have reported from Afghanistan in various capacities.

Often on embeds with the British and American forces and often as a civilian, meeting the Taliban, covering elections and reporting on this country of no real importance to the UK, apart from its place as the crucible of al Qaeda and the birthplace of terror-related stories that have dominated most of my life ever since 9/11.

The embed is a much talked about and often misrepresented phenomenon. They can be horrendously annoying, bureaucratic and plain dumb.

But in an era where war reporting, and the protagonists in the fight, be they the armies of Western governments or the forces aligned against them such as the Taliban or al Qaeda, see reporters as very much part of the battle; being embedded became a part of reality.

If we want to see what is happening at the pointy end of the conflict then embedding was the only way to achieve this.

I am told I held the record for embeds in Afghanistan. I doubt it's true but I did loads. To be honest I can't say I ever actually enjoyed them but I will forever cherish the memories and the many friends I made in the armed forces.

Video: Meeting The Taliban IED Killers

The soldiers, along with all the military personnel who fought in Afghanistan, risked their lives, lost their lives and limbs over all these years, did so without ever missing a single opportunity to bitch and moan.

But they served with a remarkable sense of pride and professionalism.

I never saw a man or a woman scared of the battle, never miss the opportunity to engage the enemy and never doubt that they were doing a job that deserved their full commitment.

Doubt and questioning was for people like me, not them.

When their comrades died they did not, as has often been reported, let their morale drop.

In my experience the death of a friend or a colleague spurred them on.

What better way to honour the fallen than to take their place over the wire, to follow their path, where every step could be your last, where every contact could take your life?

In truth, Britain never had enough soldiers on the ground.

I was deployed on a US Marine embed to cover the presidential elections in 2009.

We came across a ramshackle, half-destroyed government building that was the main base in the area. It had been set up by the British military.

In three rooms I found the British military presence. There were 22 of them, if I recall correctly, and they had held the building and 200 meters of road for four months.

Re-supplied by helicopter they were attacked by the Taliban every single day.

They were never given more support and they were told to carry on trying to impose security on the town and get the market working. It was hopeless, but they never gave in.

The Americans agreed with their job, they just disagreed with the way it was being done. So they took over.

Video: Video Timeline: War In Afghanistan

Our 22 soldiers were replaced with 2,200 Marines. Security in the town improved immediately. The Taliban left. The market opened the next day. I think that says it all.

In 2010 my colleague Alex Crawford and I finally met the Taliban for a series of meetings. They explained their thinking, they showed us how they made and laid roadside bombs and they revealed to us how they were entwined with Afghan society.

We, personally, and Sky News, as an organisation, were widely condemned for our decision to talk to the "enemy".

Within months, talking to the Taliban by governments and military had become common place.

As the British combat role draws to an end gauging the success or otherwise of this campaign begins.

The coalition aim to destroy al Qaeda's ability to plan attacks across the world from the safety of Afghanistan was undoubtedly achieved.

But as attention drifted to Iraq, with its own military objectives and problems, the collective focus on Afghanistan stuttered and eventually failed.

Opium production soared, funding the insurgency in the country, and a decision to try to build an Afghanistan that had never existed was almost always going to be too big a project and was probably always going to fail.

This year's presidential elections were a success and the new co-operative government is making the right noises about the future, with a heavy focus on getting rid of endemic corruption. But these are early days.

Without foreign military, the government would probably fail. It still might. For certain the Taliban have not gone away.

As with Iraq our military leave a country with many, many problems but that is not their fault.

They served with integrity and purpose and did as they were asked. They let me experience that. It is an honour to have been there.

16.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

Afghan Fighting Was 'Fruitless And Expensive'

By Sam Kiley, Foreign Affairs Editor

Two men, successive commanders of the Special Air Service, gave the same advice to their superiors.

One even drove the length of Helmand in an unarmoured Land Rover to seek out the truth.

The first to conduct the reconnaissance, in late 2005, met with tribal elders, drug khans and ordinary farmers, and reported back with these words: "There isn't an insurgency in Helmand - but we can give you one."

The next, who also toured the southern Afghan province where opium farmers quietly produced some 70% of the world's heroin base, came back more specific advice.

He told the Ministry of Defence the military estimate of a light brigade of about 3,000 men was only just adequate to secure a British presence in one town, Lashkagar.

"Anything beyond that risked sparking a conflict that we had no way to control," the former SAS commander said.

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1. Gallery: Life In Camp Bastion

   Soldiers from 2nd Royal Tank Regiment relax in transit accommodation as they prepare to leave Camp Bastion in Helmand Province, Afghanistan after a gruelling six month tour

2. British troops cross themselves during prayer as they stand at ease on the parade square at Camp 501, Camp Bastion

3. The coffin containing the body of British Army soldier L/cpl Paul "Sandy" Sandford is carried by his fellow soldiers during his repatriation ceremony

4. Troops from various regiments including Sandford's, the Worcestershire and Sherwood Foresters Regiment held a repatriation ceremony for the British soldier killed in action on 6 June, 2007

5. British soldiers play a game of Scrabble as they watch the live broadcast of the Royal wedding

6. Soldiers wait to talk to then Chancellor Gordon Brown, with a cross in the foreground - part of a monument in the memory of fallen comrades

7. Merlin Pilot Wing Commander Nigel Colman Officer Commanding 78 Squadron sits at the back of a Merlin at Camp Bastion

8. Troops observe the minute's silence at Camp Bastion during a special Armistice Day Parade on the 93rd anniversary of the end of the First World War

9. Lieutenant Chris Millen, serving with 2nd Royal Tank Regiment, relaxes in his bedspace in transit accommodation as he prepares leave Camp Bastion

10. Capt Robbie Robertson (left) and Capt Olly Denning spar at Camp Bastion

11. Troops from 1st The Queen's Dragoon Guards with a Scimitar tank

12. Trooper Ben Rakestrow (right), 21, from Egypt squadron, 2nd Royal Tank Regiment, sits on his rather colourful bedspread with friends in transit accommodation at Camp Bastion

13. Royal Military Police (RMP) as they clear their vehicle and its shelter of snow following a rare snow shower

14. British soldier Jamie Anderson lifts weights as he passes time at Camp Bastion

15. A British soldier controls the ball during a football match as comrades (background), and an Afghan National Army soldier, right, look on during a football training session at Camp Bastion

Smarting from the failure to secure Basra in southern Iraq, senior British officers appeared to both SAS bosses as anxious to recover the forces reputation but blind to the potential costs and the resources kicking the Helmand hornet's nest would need.

It was kicked in 2006. Within weeks of their deployment in Helmand many in 16th Air Assault Brigade were fighting in Forward Operating Bases for their lives.

In Musa Qala, Now Zad, Sangin and along a chain of 'platoon houses', units came close to being overrun and massacred.

Besieged for weeks that stretched into months, they ran perilously close to running out of food, water and ammunition.

The landscape beyond their walls was torn and smashed by wave upon wave of airstrikes against insurgents.

This set the pattern for the next three years.

Tough infantry fighting gave ample opportunity for winning medals and the testing of British fighting spirit. It did nothing for the lives of Helmandis but bring violence.

Video: Video Timeline: War In Afghanistan

The troops loved it. The media, myself among them, loved it too. But it was, in the end, entirely fruitless, expensive, bloody and the result of military hubris.

Too few troops were sent, too lightly armed, without sufficient helicopters to do the job.

Proof of this is that by 2010 the province was so angry that about 40,000 troops, 30,000 of them American, were fighting across Helmand and peace was brought to none of it.

As NATO forces have been withdrawn large chunks of the province have already slipped away from limited government control. Musa Qala and Now Zad have gone, Afghan troops are hanging on to a small base in Sangin.

And the drug khans are enjoying an unprecedented boom. Opium revenues are up by a third this year to $3bn.

Now the Union flag has been lowered, and the last troops pulled out of Camp Bastion, Helmand is to be left to the Afghans to deal with.

NATO's boot is being pulled out of the nest. Let's hope the hornets go back to it.

16.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

Britain's War In Afghanistan Comes To An End

By Alistair Bunkall, Defence Correspondent

Britain's war in Afghanistan is officially over.

In a symbolic ceremony at Camp Bastion, the Union Flag was lowered for the last time, marking the formal handover of power to Afghan Forces.

That simple act brought the 13-year war to an end for British forces - the longest conflict in modern times.

At a peak, 9,500 British military personnel were based in Afghanistan as part of Operation Herrick.

Camp Bastion was the epicentre of operations. A further 136 smaller bases were dotted around Helmand Province in the south of the country.

Towns such as Musa Qala, Sangin and Nad Ali, were scenes of bloody fighting. They became infamous in Britain for the toll fighting took on British forces.

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1. Gallery: A Timeline In Pictures

   October 7, 2001: US President George W Bush announces the US and Britain have started bombing Afghanistan

2. March 26, 2006: The first regular British troops of the Helmand Task Force unload their kit after arriving by helicopter to an American-run base in Lashkar Gah in Helmand

3. April 25, 2006: Defence Secretary John Reid announces Britain's GR7 Harriers would stay on in Afghanistan until at least 2007

4. January 2, 2008: Prince Harry sits with a group of Gurkha soldiers after firing a machine gun from the observation post on JTAC Hill, close to forward operating base Delhi, in Helmand Province

5. February 21, 2008: Prince Harry riding an abandoned motorcycle past his Spartan armoured vehicle, in the desert in Helmand

6. The Ministry of Defence announced in February 2008 that the then 23-year-old Prince, an officer in the Household Cavalry regiment, had spent the past 10 weeks secretly serving in Helmand

7. February 20, 2008: Prince Harry sitting below the turret of his Spartan armoured vehicle as he communicates with other units by radio

8. July 13, 2009: US Marine Sergeant Anthony Zabala runs to safety as an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) explodes in Garmsir district of Helmand

9. 2009 saw the most IED attacks of the war so far, with 7,228 IED attacks killing 280 coalition soldiers

10. November 10, 2009: Friends and family react as hearses carrying the coffins of six dead soldiers pass mourners lining the High Street in Wootton Bassett, Wiltshire

11. November 14, 2010: Prince William salutes the memorial to the British soldiers killed in Afghanistan, during a remembrance day ceremony at Camp Bastion

12. Capt Judith Gallagher with the Dragon Runner developed by Qinetiq which can remotely disarm IEDs and can be carried by a soldier in a back pack

13. July 20, 2010: Soldiers from Scots Guards during an operation at an Afghan National Police base on Punjab hill, Helmand

14. January 28, 2011: Mr Miliband arrives at Camp Bastion in Helmand for his first visit to Afghanistan

15. January 29, 2011: Labour leader Ed Miliband, shadow defence secretary Jim Murphy and shadow foreign secretary Douglas Alexander watch a landmine detection exercise at Camp Bastion

16. April 9, 2011: British troops, most of whom are new in theatre starting their tour, travel in a chinook helicopter to Lashkar Gah in Helmand

17. April 10, 2011: A Chinook makes a delivery at Patrol Base Attal in Helmand

18. July 20, 2011: Afghan elders wait for beginning of a handing over ceremony of control of security in the town of Lashkar Gah to the Afghan police and army

19. July 27, 2011: Cpl Ryan Wordsworth of X-Ray Company, 45 Commando Royal Marines, brushes his teeth at Patrol Base Kalang in Afghanistan

20. November 14, 2011: A soldier from the Alpha (Grenadier) company, the 3rd Battalion Royal regiment for Scotland meets a young child on a patrol in Nad e-Ali

21. March 22, 2012: Sergeant Jon Van Zyl of the Princess of Wales' Royal Regiment stands in front of two Mastiff vehicles and beneath Venus and Jupiter in the clear Helmand desert sky

22. December 18, 2012: The Princess Royal talks to Lieutenant Colonel Ben Wrench, Major Angus Watson and Sergeant Gardner in Camp Tombstone during her visit to Camp Bastion

23. January 21, 2013: Prince Harry does a pre-flight check of his Apache helicopter after starting his 12 hour VHR (very high ready-ness) shift

24. Harry scrambles to his Apache

25. April 2, 2013: Petty Officers inspect a Chinook airframe for small arms fire damage as part of the ongoing battlefield maintenance and repair on Camp Bastion

26. October 5, 2013: Soldiers approach a Chinook aircraft in the Nahr-e Saraj district, Helmand

27. October 11, 2013: An Afghan National Army (ANA) soldier from 3 Brigade 209 Kandak looks through his rifle scope as he is trained on marksmanship skills at ANA Camp Shorabak, Helmand

28. December 23, 2013: Private Zina Saunders, a dog handler, gives Hazel Christmas presents which were sent by the handler's friends and family in the UK

29. December 23, 2013: Soldiers based at Patrol Base Lash Durai, Afghanistan get into the festive spirit

30. October 3, 2014: David Cameron addresses British troops at Camp Bastion in Helmand for the final time before troops wind down their mission in Afghanistan

In total, 453 British lives were lost fighting the Taliban. Thousands more were injured, many permanently.

The deadliest year was 2009, when 108 British troops were killed.

Defence Secretary Michael Fallon said: "It is with pride that we announce the end of UK combat operations in Helmand having given Afghanistan the best possible chance of a stable future."

Camp Bastion grew out of nothing to become a monstrous fortress in Helmand to accommodate ever-growing numbers of troops and the increasing demands of a vicious fight against the Taliban insurgency.

Early on the British Government sought to wipe out the illegal opium poppy trade, but that failed and the mission moved on.

1/15

1. Gallery: Life In Camp Bastion

   Soldiers from 2nd Royal Tank Regiment relax in transit accommodation as they prepare to leave Camp Bastion in Helmand Province, Afghanistan after a gruelling six month tour

2. British troops cross themselves during prayer as they stand at ease on the parade square at Camp 501, Camp Bastion

3. The coffin containing the body of British Army soldier L/cpl Paul "Sandy" Sandford is carried by his fellow soldiers during his repatriation ceremony

4. Troops from various regiments including Sandford's, the Worcestershire and Sherwood Foresters Regiment held a repatriation ceremony for the British soldier killed in action on 6 June, 2007

5. British soldiers play a game of Scrabble as they watch the live broadcast of the Royal wedding

6. Soldiers wait to talk to then Chancellor Gordon Brown, with a cross in the foreground - part of a monument in the memory of fallen comrades

7. Merlin Pilot Wing Commander Nigel Colman Officer Commanding 78 Squadron sits at the back of a Merlin at Camp Bastion

8. Troops observe the minute's silence at Camp Bastion during a special Armistice Day Parade on the 93rd anniversary of the end of the First World War

9. Lieutenant Chris Millen, serving with 2nd Royal Tank Regiment, relaxes in his bedspace in transit accommodation as he prepares leave Camp Bastion

10. Capt Robbie Robertson (left) and Capt Olly Denning spar at Camp Bastion

11. Troops from 1st The Queen's Dragoon Guards with a Scimitar tank

12. Trooper Ben Rakestrow (right), 21, from Egypt squadron, 2nd Royal Tank Regiment, sits on his rather colourful bedspread with friends in transit accommodation at Camp Bastion

13. Royal Military Police (RMP) as they clear their vehicle and its shelter of snow following a rare snow shower

14. British soldier Jamie Anderson lifts weights as he passes time at Camp Bastion

15. A British soldier controls the ball during a football match as comrades (background), and an Afghan National Army soldier, right, look on during a football training session at Camp Bastion

An 11,500 ft runway was built allowing the largest transport planes to fly in at any time of the day or night. Bastion became the third busiest British airport after Heathrow and Gatwick.

The first rotations of troops deployed with sub-standard equipment, when the initial emphasis was on reconstruction.

Very quickly they found themselves in close-quarter fights. New technology had to hurried through to protect against the Taliban's maturing tactics, principally roadside IEDs.

A shortage of helicopters to move troops, equipment and supplies, was finally addressed after considerable public and media pressure on the government and senior military chiefs.

The hospital in Bastion became a world leader in trauma medicine, attracting and training the brightest surgeons and nurses from the military and NHS.

If a casualty made it to the hospital within an hour of being wounded on the battlefield they had an incredible 98% chance of survival.

Although combat operations are now over, British involvement in Afghanistan will continue for a number of years.

A few hundred will be based at the Qargha Officer Training Academy outside Kabul.

It has been nicknamed "Sandhurst in the Sand" and is Britain's contribution to Operation Resolute Support, the name for the training and advisory mission to Afghan forces.

Special Forces operations will also continue in the country for the foreseeable future. 

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