Ukrainian Aircraft Shot Down By Separatists

Pro-Russian separatists have shot down an army transport plane in eastern Ukraine, killing 49 servicemen and dealing a massive blow to the campaign to defeat the rebels.

President Petro Poroshenko has summoned his security chiefs for meetings and promised an "adequate" response after the aircraft was shot down by an anti-aircraft missile as it came in to land at Luhansk airport.

Declaring Sunday a day of mourning for the nine crew and 40 paratroopers killed, he said: "All those involved in cynical acts of terrorism of this magnitude must be punished."

A separatist gathers ammunition at the site of the crash

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

The incident is likely to fuel tension between Russia and Ukraine's main ally, the United States, which has accused Moscow of arming the rebels.

The plane came down overnight near Novohannivka, a village 12 miles (20km) southeast of Luhansk, close to the Russian border.

Everyone on board was killed

Charred debris was scattered for hundreds of metres over sloping wheat fields.

The tail section jutted up from the ground, with sections of the engine, fuselage and other parts scattered around it.

Rebel forces wearing camouflage fatigues scoured through the wreckage for ammunition that was intended for government forces.

There were 40 paratroopers on the plane when it was downed

"This is how we work. The fascists can bring as many reinforcements as they want but we will do this every time. We will talk to them on our own terms," said a stocky 50-year-old rebel who identified himself as Pyotr, his name de guerre.

Rebels claimed to have shot down a fighter jet over the city of Slavyansk on Saturday, although this has not been confirmed.

Government forces, who hold the airport, attacked rebel positions near the airfield with jets soon after day broke, local residents said.

Luhansk is close to the Russian border

Ukrainian forces reclaimed the city of Mariupol on Friday, a major port for the export of steel.

Ukraine and Russia have begun talks on a peace plan despite the continuing violence.

A rebellion has been raging in east Ukraine since April, with separatists agitating for Russia to absorb the Russian-speaking east after the annexation of Crime in March.

The first flash of light in the footage

Russia denies being behind the uprising and the rebels say they get weapons from army stockpiles.

The US State Department said on Friday that Russia had sent tanks, heavy weapons and rocket launchers to Ukraine in recent days.

Spokeswoman Marie Harf said a convoy of three T-64 tanks, several MB-21 "or Grad" multiple rocket launchers and other military vehicles had crossed the border in the last three days.

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Iraq: No Turning Back As Country Is Carved Up

By Sherine Tadros, Middle East Correspondent, in Irbil

It may have taken years to get to this point, but the pace at which Iraq is being carved up is staggering.

Boundaries are being redrawn and alliances are shifting - what is taking days to achieve will take much longer to reverse.

The Kurds are taking advantage of the situation. 

The spokesman for their forces, the Peshmerga, told me they had warned the central government in Baghdad of the growing dissent against them, which allowed the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) to advance this much so fast.

"This is just the beginning of ISIS's plan," said Helgurd Hikmet Mela Ali.

"The problem is not ISIS, if it wasn't for the loss of support for the government in these areas then ISIS would not have been able to get this far."

Government forces and tribal fighters on the outskirts of Diyala

The Kurds are now in de facto control of ethnically mixed Kirkuk, which they have long wanted to stake out as their capital. 

Other gains are also within their sights, some are even talking about pushing for full autonomy.

Meanwhile the government seemingly has no plan to take back lost territory north of Baghdad. 

The governor of Mosul, Iraq's second city that fell to extremists earlier this week, says there is little the army can do because they are so hated by the locals.

The plan, he says, is to use local Sunni militias in Mosul to fight the insurgents. 

But he admits that cannot be done right now. 

People shout slogans backing a Shia cleric's call to arms against ISIS

The extremists have successfully branded their mission as an uprising against Prime Minister Nouri al Maliki and the governor says any attempt to fight them would be seen by locals as an attempt to help Maliki regain control.

"The militias will fight for themselves, for the Sunnis, but they will not fight in the name of Maliki," Atheel al Nujafi told me.

ISIS may be on the frontline and in the headlines, but they are not the only force making this advance.

As they sweep through towns they are recruiting men who are fed up with the prime minister and his American backers. 

There are also reports commanders from former president Saddam Hussein's army are also helping ISIS.

What will happen if their common enemy Maliki falls is another question that will determine the future of Iraq.

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Iraq: Britain To Give £3m In Emergency Aid

Britain will provide an initial £3m of emergency humanitarian assistance to help civilians fleeing the fighting in Iraq.

The support will include clean water, medicine, women-friendly hygiene kits, sanitation and basic household items.

It comes after Department for International Development experts were deployed to Iraq on Thursday to assess the situation.

Now the UK has activated its Rapid Response Facility, which provides support via approved organisations at times of crisis.

International Development Secretary Justine Greening said: "Iraq is facing serious humanitarian need.

"The UK contribution to the international relief response will include initial funding for clean water, medicine and sanitation, as well as support for the UNHCR to provide dedicated safety and welfare teams to protect vulnerable women."

DiFD added in a statement that the UK will continue to monitor the situation and work with the Red Cross/Red Crescent and the UN.

Hundreds of thousands of civilians have fled their homes amid an offensive by Sunni insurgents from the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS).

The fighters have seized a numbers of towns and cities as they make their way south to the capital, Baghdad.

Many civilians have gone to the autonomous Kurdish region in the north, and aid workers said most people are arriving with little more than the clothes on their backs and little money.

Save The Children said it was "working around the clock" with refugees and displaced people.

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Iraq: Iran Offers To Work With Arch Foe US

Iran's president has said he would consider working with the US to combat Islamist militants in Iraq, as he offered help fight the insurgents.

President Hassan Rouhani suggested he would be willing to co-operate with Iran's traditional enemy to keep the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) from taking control of its Middle East neighbour.

In a televised address on Saturday morning Mr Rouhani said Iran would be willing to go to Iraq's assistance and added: "We all should practically and verbally confront terrorist groups."

A refugee boy fleeing his Iraqi home after militants took control

Asked if Tehran would work with the Americans, he said: "We can think about it if we see America start confronting the terrorist groups in Iraq or elsewhere."

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

Barack Obama has ruled out troops on the ground

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

"The United States will do our part, but ultimately it's up to the Iraqis as a sovereign nation to solve their problems," Mr Obama said. "We can't do it for them."

Iran has already sent a Major General from the Revolutionary Guard to Baghdad to meet leaders of the city.

Hassan Rouhani has offered to help Iraq in a televised address

Iran is predominately Shia and does not want to see a Sunni caliphate established on its borders by ISIS fighters, who are now thought to be fewer than 50 miles (80km) from Iraq's capital.

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

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

Britain is to provide £3m in emergency aid to help refugees fleeing the violence.

Volunteers waiting to join the Iraqi army to fight ISIS

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

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

Mr Nujaifi said: "We need to have weapons. We need to have political support.

A comparison of the Iraqi army and ISIS

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

The UN has said the 7,000-strong ISIS force has carried out summary executions and rapes in its bloody takeover of large swathes of the country. Around 90,000 Iraqi soldiers are said to have deserted their posts.

Some of the areas affected by the fighting

By Saturday morning the Iraqi army had staged a fightback, retaking the towns of Ishaqi, al-Mutasim and Duluiyah, in Salah ad Din province. They have also retaken much of Tikrit, Saddam Hussein's home town.

Hundreds of young Iraqis attended volunteer centres across Baghdad to sign up to fight the militants after the country's most senior cleric urged people to take up arms on Friday.

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

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

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McCanns: Search Shows Madeleine May Be Alive

Kate and Gerry McCann believe the lack of evidence found during new police searches proves their daughter could still be alive.

The couple say they are "very pleased" with the digs carried out in Praia da Luz over the last 10 days.

"We are further encouraged that despite the intensive searches, no trace of Madeleine has been found and this reinforces our belief that she could still be alive," they said in a statement.

Kate and Gerry McCann believe their daughter could still be alive

"As parents of a missing child, we have always wanted all reasonable lines of inquiry to be followed and it is gratifying to know that a substantial amount of work will take place over the coming months with the close co-operation of the British and Portuguese authorities.

"We would like to thank all those involved for their efforts and the members of the public who have come forward with information."

The Portuguese resort of Praia da Luz

Officers from the UK have been working with their Portuguese counterparts on sites in and around Praia da Luz, where Madeleine disappeared in 2007.

Police say this is only the "first phase of this major investigation which has been agreed with the Portuguese".

It is thought the UK teams will start flying home today but officers say more searches will take place "shortly".

Further searches in Portugal are expected to start "shortly"

The new operation in Portugal is being carried out at the request of British police.

The three search areas were identified after 41 ground anomalies were identified by both aerial survey and ground analysis.

There were also unconfirmed reports last week that Scotland Yard has been granted permission to question three suspects about the case.

Meanwhile, Mr and Mrs McCann will return to Portugal on Monday to deliver statements to the libel trial of former Portuguese police chief Goncalo Amaral, who they are suing over claims in his book The Truth Of The Lie.

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Solar Flare Could Hit Earth On Friday 13th

A trio of major solar flares could spell trouble for Earth on Friday 13th, scientists have warned.

The solar events, captured on film by Nasa, caused communications blackouts on Tuesday lunchtime - and there may be further consequences tomorrow.

"Impacts from this activity were short-lived and affected high-frequency communications for the daylit side of Earth at the time of the flare," said a statement on the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) website.

"A Coronal Mass Ejection associated with the activity has been observed moving at a flank from Earth and a glancing blow to Earth from this event is expected on June 13."

The three solar flares emitted this week. Pic: Nasa

A Coronal Mass Ejection releases vast amounts of matter and electromagnetic radiation - resulting in a threat to high-frequency communication systems used by weather stations, aviators, government time stations and international shortwave broadcasters, among others.

Nasa says GPS can also be affected by solar flares.

"Harmful radiation from a flare cannot pass through Earth's atmosphere to physically affect humans on the ground," the organisation's website says.

A Coronal Mass Ejection could hit earth tomorrow. Pic: Nasa

"However, when intense enough, they can disturb the atmosphere in the layer where GPS and communications signals travel."

The solar flares - caused by the build-up of magnetic energy in the sun's atmosphere - are thought to be among the most powerful of the current 11-year solar cycle.

The NOAA has warned of "continuing chances" of further flares in the near future - some of which could be even more powerful.

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Mourning Mum In Call To Legalise Drugs

By Lisa Dowd, Sky News Correspondent

A single mother who lost her only child after she took MDMA is calling for drugs to be legalised and regulated.

Martha Fernback was just 15 when she died after swallowing half a gram of the powder - better known as ecstasy - in July last year.

A verdict of accidental death was recorded at Oxford Coroner's Court after a short hearing.

In a statement following her daughter's inquest, Anne-Marie Cockburn said: "It has been 328 days since my precious girl was safely by my side.

"Martha wanted to get high, she didn't want to die - no parent wants either, but one of those is preferable to the other.

"I wish Martha was sitting her GCSEs alongside her friends at school right now.

"I wish the drug education she received had enabled her to make a more fully informed decision, instead of leaving her so vulnerable and in danger.

"I would like to meet with Theresa May, Norman Baker and Yvette Cooper to start a sensible dialogue for change, from prohibition to strict and responsible regulation of recreational drugs.

"This will help to safeguard our children and lead to a safer society for us all by putting doctors and pharmacists, not dealers, in control of drugs."

The drug that killed the teenager was unusually high in its purity.

On a website set up in her daughter's memory, Ms Cockburn said: "Free drug testing facilities should be widely available in order to fully educate young people and, by putting some safeguarding measures in place, levels of harm are significantly reduced.

"Had Martha been able to access drugs that had been legally produced and labelled accordingly, she would have been able to make a more informed decision - in fact, I'd go as far as to say that she might still be alive."

The inquest heard how the MDMA powder that Martha took was 91% pure and doctors found that the concentration of the drug in her blood was "very high".

The hearing was told that the purity level would normally be around 58%.

After she had taken the drug, Martha had told friends it "was amazing ... it feels like a dream".

But in statements read out at the hearing her friends said she began to "sweat profusely", her behaviour became "more erratic", and she started to tremble and shiver.

She collapsed in a local park, an ambulance was called, but she was pronounced dead at the the city's John Radcliffe Hospital.

Sky News has approached the Home Office for comment but received no immediate statement. 

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Iraq Militants Parade Captured Soldiers

Video footage has emerged of militant fighters with captured Iraqi soldiers as the parliament failed to agree on a state of emergency in the country.

A senior government official told the AFP news agency that only 128 of 325 MPs attended the emergency session, which could have seen extra powers given to Prime Minister Nouri al Maliki.

Militants from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIS) have seized cities including Mosul, Tikrit and Baiji and fighting was also reported on the outskirts of Samarra, within 70 miles of the capital Baghdad, as a wave of attacks continued southwards.

Mourners react at a funeral in Najaf after a suicide bomb attack

The group, led by Abu Bakr al Baghdadi, wants to create a Sunni state, or caliphate, straddling the border between Iraq and Syria and had previously seized control of Fallujah and parts of Ramadi.

In a statement spokesman Abu Mohammed al Adnani said: "The battle is not yet raging, but it will in Baghdad and Karbala.

"We have a score to settle, for there is an old balance with it (Baghdad), and we must make it even."

Thousands of refugees have fled the violence. Pic: UNHCR

Karbala, southwest of the capital, is one of the holiest sites for Shiite Muslims.

The Army Aviation Command of Iraq released footage which it claimed showed a series of air strikes against militant strongholds in Saladin province.

It comes after Iran President Hassan Rouhani warned on state television the country's security forces would combat terrorism which targeted Shiites in Iraq.

Abu Bakr al Baghdadi leads the ISI insurgents

He said: "In the name of the government of the Islamic Republic of Iran we are not prepared to standby and tolerate the violence, we will not tolerate the terrorism."

In the north, the Iraqi army has abandoned its bases in Kirkuk leaving the Kurdish Peshmerga forces to take control, according to a spokesman.

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

Reports also claimed that Iraqi soldiers who fled Mosul have been queuing to buy tickets for flights to Baghdad to take part in the fighting and "hundreds" of young men have crowded outside the main army recruiting centre in the capital to sign up and help battle the militants.

Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari told Sky News security forces were beginning to push back the insurgents.

He said: "This has really caused very, very serious disruption and it is a setback definitely for Iraqi security forces."

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

Sky's Diplomatic Editor Tim Marshall said: "The Americans do not want Baghdad to fall, it's embarrassing, because if Baghdad falls then you're starting to march down toward the south.

"A threat to Baghdad and then the south would then threaten the oil supply and then things get even more serious."

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

Security has been stepped up at checkpoints in the Iraqi capital

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon, meanwhile, condemned the abductions of Turkish consulate staff in Mosul.

US State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said America would support a "unified approach" against ISIS aggression.

International Development Secretary Justine Greening added that a team of "humanitarian experts" had been deployed in northern Iraq to assess the situation on the ground.

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Passport Pile-Up: PM Says Backlog Is 30,000

David Cameron has admitted around 30,000 passport applications have been delayed - after the Government earlier denied a backlog.

The Prime Minister told the House of Commons there had been 300,000 more applications than normal at this time of year and that 10% of those had been delayed.

He said emergency plans were being put in place to ensure families who want to go on holiday get their passports back in time.

In an angry exchange at Prime Minister's Questions in the House of Commons, Labour leader Ed Miliband said the Government needed to "get a grip" on the unfolding crisis.

He said the row between Mrs May and Education Secretary Michael Gove had distracted the Home Secretary from her job.

He said: "The truth of the picture of this Government is we have the Home Secretary fighting with the Education Secretary but not paying attention to the business of government."

Those British citizens living abroad are being hit

"The truth is that is tens of thousands of people are finding that their holidays are being cancelled because they are not actually getting a passport,"

However, Mr Cameron said the Home Office had been on top of the situation since the beginning of the year.

The Government had on Wednesday morning denied there had been a pile-up of applications after unions claimed a 12-year high in applications and cuts in staffing had lead to a 500,000 backlog.

Mr Cameron and his Home Secretary Theresa May said 250 staff had been redeployed to tackle the problem, working seven days a week around the clock to make sure people got their documents.

Meanwhile Sky has seen a letter sent to the UK Visas and Immigration Department saying 72 of their staff will start training next week on how to process passport applications ready to be redeployed.

The increase in passport applications started in January and coincides with the closures of regional application offices across the world in an attempt to cut costs.

British citizens living abroad now have to apply in the UK and many of those are now reporting significant delays with their applications.

Applications in the Liverpool passport office

Pictures taken by a disillusioned worker in the Liverpool passport office show tens of thousands of applications waiting to be dealt with.

One MP said thousands of families face having their summer holiday plans ruined because documents were not being prepared in anything like the normal time.

Some families who want to make sure their documents are returned in time for them to go on holiday face paying extra for a faster service - up to £55.50 on top of the £72.50 standard fee.

Mr Brokenshire admitted to Sky News that the Passport Office did make a profit from those who elected to use the faster services because they feared their holiday plans could be in jeopardy.

Three million passports have already been issued this year, with officials processing an average of 18,000 applications a day over the last two months. 

The increase has been blamed on the number of people feeling they can now afford holidays with the economic recovery.

Mike Jones, from the PCS Union said: "There are half a million applications that are waiting within the Passport Office at the moment.

Families are frantic for passports to return

"That figure is raised steeply over a number of months. The Home Office and the Passport Office used to have strategies in place for when the figure reached 150,000, that they would put contingency plans in to deal with those amounts."

He told Radio 4's Today programme: "Now we have seen the figures are up to 500,000 and rising at the moment. Even all the contingencies that they are trying to put in place, we are still seeing that figure rising, so there is clearly a crisis going on within the Home Office and the Passport Office as well."

Labour's Geoffrey Robinson, the MP for Coventry North West, claimed the Government had left it so late to react to what he called a "burgeoning problem" that there was not enough time to deal with it before the start of the summer getaway.

"The nub of the problem lies in the cuts the Government has made," he said.

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Iraq: Third City Attacked In Militants' Surge

Militants from an al Qaeda splinter group have attacked a town housing Iraq's largest oil refinery, as more than 500,000 people fled an assault on the country's second city.

Some 250 guards at the refinery in Baiji withdrew to another town after the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) militants sent a delegation of tribal chiefs to persuade them to pull out.

The militants, in around 60 vehicles, moved into the city overnight and released prisoners in the town.

An estimated 500,000 people have fled Mosul and the surrounding area

Security sources said insurgents had overran parts of the north of Tikrit on Wednesday and video footage showed fighting in Kirkuk.

Residents in Baiji said police officers and soldiers were warned not to challenge the fighters, who destroyed a court house and a police station.

Jasim al Qaisi said: "Yesterday at sunset some gunmen contacted the most prominent tribal sheikhs in Baiji and told them 'we are coming to die or control Baiji, so we advise you to ask your sons in the police and army to lay down their weapons and withdraw'."

ISIL fighters wave their flag at the Sykes Picot Border. Pic: albaraka_news

A senior government official said the production of crude oil in Iraq - which produces around 3.5 million barrels of oil per day - could be affected after the attack on Baiji.

It comes after the militants seized control of Iraq's second city Mosul on Tuesday, forcing an estimated 500,000 people to flee the area.

Gunmen, wearing military uniforms and all-black clothing, have been guarding banks and government buildings in the city and calling over loudspeakers for government employees to return to work.

Insurgents have struck in Mosul, Baiji, Tikrit and Kirkuk

The militants also seized the Turkish consulate in the city and reportedly kidnapped the head of the diplomatic mission and 24 staff members, according to police.

Families have made their way into the Kurdistan region, which has its own military force the Peshmerga.

Bodies of soldiers and policemen have been left in the street, according to reports.

People celebrate as ISIL fighters occupy Mosul. Pic: albaraka_news

One officer said: "We can't beat them. We can't. They are well trained in street fighting and we're not.

"We need a whole army to drive them out of Mosul. They're like ghosts: they appear, strike and disappear in seconds."

Ninevah province governor Atheel al Nujaifi said on Wednesday authorities had a plan to restore security.

People queue at a border crossing into the Kurdistan region

Prime Minister Nouri al Maliki has asked parliament to declare a state of emergency that would grant him additional powers to tackle the crisis. He also appealed for help from the international community.

And Iraq's Foreign Minister, Hoshyar Zebari, has said Baghdad will co-operate with Kurdish forces to "flush out these foreign fighters".

Influential Shiite cleric Moqtada al Sadr has called for the formation of militia units to help defend religious sites in Iraq.

ISIL has made serious gains in Iraq in the last year, seizing control of the city of Falluja and parts of Ramadi.

The group is also fighting President Bashar al Assad's regime in Syria.

Led by Abu Bakr al Baghdadi, it was formed after a split with al Qaeda's international leader Ayman al Zawahiri.

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Madeleine McCann Police Search A Third Site

Madeleine: Key Events Timeline

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

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

2007

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

2008

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

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

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

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

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

2009

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

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

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

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

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

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

2010

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

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

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

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

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

2011

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

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

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

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

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

2012

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

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

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

2013

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

2014

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Black Cab Demo Causes Central London 'Gridlock'

Parts of central London are currently gridlocked after thousands of black cab drivers took industrial action at Trafalgar Square.

Up to 12,000 black cabs have headed to the centre of the capital with the intent to cause traffic chaos.

The traditional cabbies are protesting at Transport for London's (TfL) regulation of rival cab service Uber.

The Google-backed app allows users to order a car at the touch of a button, and the fare is calculated using GPS tracking.

The protest is aimed at Transport for London and Uber

But traditional cabbies say this is effectively a taxi meter, which only black cabs are legally entitled to use in the capital.

Sky's Ashish Joshi said that Trafalgar Square was "gridlocked" just before the protest officially started at 2pm.

He said: "This is technology against tradition. It's the new Battle of Trafalgar."

But Uber general manager Jo Bertram has defended the company's business model, and says the number of app downloads has soared.

She said: "Londoners are voting with their fingers, tapping the app in support of new and innovative services as we see our biggest day of sign-ups in London today since launch two years ago.

"In fact, today we're seeing an 850% increase in sign-ups compared to last Wednesday.

"Unsurprisingly, the Licensed Taxi Drivers Association, which is stuck in the dark ages, is intent on holding London to ransom and causing significant economic impact to Londoners today, estimated to be £125m."

More follows...

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Cameron Sets Out 'British Values' For Schools

'Trojan Horse': Full Statement

Updated: 10:45am UK, Monday 09 June 2014

The full statement from Park View Educational Trust on a damning Ofsted inspection of its schools as part of the checks sparked by alleged Islamist infiltration plot.

"On behalf of the staff, students and parents who have worked so hard to improve their schools, we're extremely disappointed to confirm that Ofsted has graded Park View, Golden Hillock and Nansen schools as inadequate and put them into special measures.

"We support the role of Ofsted in holding schools to account in a fair and transparent way. But we wholeheartedly dispute the validity of these gradings.

"Park View, Golden Hillock and Nansen are categorically not inadequate schools.

"Our Ofsted inspections were ordered in a climate of suspicion, created by the hoax Trojan letter and by the anonymous unproven allegations about our schools in the media.

"Ofsted inspectors came to our schools looking for extremism, looking for segregation, looking for proof that our children have religion forced upon them as part of an Islamic plot.

"The Ofsted reports find absolutely no evidence of this because this is categorically not what is happening at our schools. Our schools do not tolerate or promote extremism of any kind. We have made a major commitment to raising all students' awareness of extremism, people who know and have worked with our schools are appalled at the way we have been misrepresented.

"Our schools serve some of the most disadvantaged communities in Britain. In spite of this, 75% of students at Park View achieved at least five good GCSEs last year including English and maths. This makes it the best school of its type in England.

"Golden Hillock and Nansen are on course to get their best results ever.

"Quite simply this is because we believe our role is to break the link between demographics, deprivation and destiny. We refuse to let our students' backgrounds limit what they can achieve and who they can become.

"The speed and the ferocity with which Park View school in particular has been condemned is truly shocking.

"Park View School, where we are standing today, has helped to transform the lives of local families by realising their hope and ambition for educational success. School communities in Park View, Golden Hillock and Nansen, that have worked hard to turn round failing schools, are being condemned when they should be being celebrated.

"The problem here is not extremism, or segregation, or religious indoctrination, all the things that Ofsted looked for but failed to find in our schools. The problem here is the knee-jerk actions of some politicians that have undermined the great work we do here and undermined community cohesion across Birmingham and across many of our cities.

"They have put Muslim children from these communities at substantial risk of not being accepted as equal, legitimate and valued members of British society.

"And they have allowed suspicion to be cast on the aspirations of their parents and anyone else who believes that these children deserve the same rights and excellent standards of education as any other child.

"It is important you know that we will now be challenging all these reports through the appropriate legal channels."

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Rik Mayall: Comedian 'May Have Died After Fit'

Stars Mourn 'Funniest Man Of Generation'

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Mortimer was joined by a host of fellow comedians.

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

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

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

Here are some of the other tributes made:

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

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

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

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

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

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Iraq: Al Qaeda Splinter Group Seizes Mosul

Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has asked parliament to declare a state of emergency after militants seized control of key buildings in the country's second-largest city.

Security forces abandoned their posts in Mosul after fighters armed with machine guns and rocket-propelled grenade launchers overran the provincial government headquarters and other buildings.

An army colonel in the local military command said: "We have lost Mosul this morning. Army and police forces left their positions and ISIL terrorists are in full control.

"It's a total collapse for the security forces."

Prisoners walk free in Mosul

Mr al-Maliki also said the government would arm citizens to fight the militants.

Sky News Arabia sources say around 1,400 prisoners have been released after gunmen torched several police stations in the city, which is a former al Qaeda stronghold.

Residents told the Associated Press detainees set free were seen roaming the streets in their yellow jumpsuits.

The insurgents seized the government complex - a key symbol of state authority - on Monday.

Iraqi army soldiers involved in the fighting against militants in Mosul

The fighters are believed to be affiliated with an al Qaeda splinter group, the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, which is behind many attacks in the country.

The group was known as al Qaeda in Iraq until ties between the two organisations were cut earlier in 2014 following a power struggle.

Witnesses saw the militants hoisting black flags inscribed with the Islamic declaration used by ISIL, al Qaeda and other jihadist groups.

The violence is the worst in many years

Government employee Um Karam said her family decided to flee on Tuesday after hearing about the building's fall.

"The situation is chaotic inside the city and there is nobody to help us," the Christian mother of two said, using a nickname because of concern for her safety.

"We are afraid ... There is no police or army in Mosul."

Ali Mahmoud, the media official for Nineveh province, said the fighters were able to overpower the building guards after a brief firefight.

Iraqis fleeing Nineveh province wait in their vehicles at a checkpoint

He confirmed that many of the police and army forces had gone by Tuesday.

Provincial governor Atheel al Nujaifi was in a nearby guest house at the time of the attack, but managed to escape unharmed.

The violence in Iraq is the worst since the sectarian bloodletting of 2006 and 2007.

ISIL insurgents and their allies retain control of Fallujah and other parts of Anbar province, which neighbours Nineveh province.

An Iraqi Kurdish security guard frisks a man at a checkpoint

The fighters have also launched frequent attacks in the capital, Baghdad, and in other parts of the country.

Several members of the Iraqi security forces were killed last week when insurgents launched an attack on the Sunni-dominated city of Samarra.

They took control of a number of districts before eventually retreating.

PM Nouri al-Maliki has asked parliament for a state of emergency

Insurgents also occupied a university in Anbar province, taking dozens of hostages before releasing many later on. Fifteen people remain missing.

There was also an explosion at a funeral in the central city of Baqouba for a Sunni university professor on Tuesday.

That attack has so far claimed 20 lives and left another 28 wounded.

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America's Cup: Kate Helps Sir Ben Launch UK Bid

The Duchess of Cambridge has joined Sir Ben Ainslie as he launched Britain's bid to win the America's Cup.

Kate could not conceal her passion for sailing as she eyed the trophy admiringly during the launch this lunchtime.

Sir Ben, a four-time Olympic gold medal winner, will skipper the team that aims to win the historic trophy - something a British team has never done.

Kate, who wore a Jaeger dress, has been a keen sailor since childhood and even raced and comprehensively beat Prince William in Auckland earlier this year.

Their yachts were used by New Zealand in the America's Cup.

The Duchess can't keep her eyes off the trophy

The Duchess's support for the team will be a long-term commitment and will see her "getting out there" to back the challenge, said a Kensington Palace spokeswoman.

Sir Ben was famously employed as a tactician during the last America's Cup race, helping the US Oracle team overturn an 8-1 deficit to beat New Zealand.

The sportsman said he had a burning desire since he was a child to be part of a British America's Cup bid.

He told Sky News: "The budget for the team is around £80m and that's what we need to have a chance to be successful - to get the right talent, the right designers and to build the boats.

"A proportion of that is through private investors, about 40%, and the other 60% we need to raise commercially.

"We are just starting to go out into the market after launching a team and our initial conversations are really encouraging and we expect to get there."

The Olympic sailor added: "We want to bring it home, it would be an amazing thing for this country."

He will skipper the team that aims to triumph in the 35th America's Cup being staged in 2017, with the entry made through the Royal Yacht Squadron.

The club hosted the first race which took place off the Isle of Wight in the mid-19th century.

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Birmingham Schools 'Target Of Extremist Plot'

Schools in Birmingham are being targeted by a campaign to impose hardline Islamic views on teachers and their pupils.

Ofsted chief Sir Michael Wilshaw said schools in the city were being run under a "culture of fear and intimidation".

He said successful head teachers had been forced out of their posts or "marginalised" leaving a "vacuum" leading to "a collapse in morals and a rapid decline".

The "steep and sudden decline" meant schools which were recently judged outstanding by inspectors were now found inadequate, he said.

In addition governors were exerting "far more influence on the day to day running of these schools than is either appropriate or acceptable".

Park View Academy has gone from 'outstanding' to 'inadequate'

Ofsted inspected 21 schools across Birmingham after allegations of an attempted takeover of the city's schools by Islamist extremists. Five have now been placed in special measures as a result.

Sir Michael said: "Some of our findings are deeply worrying and in some ways quite shocking, while a number of these schools are doing well and providing their children with a good, well-rounded education, there are others that give cause for grave concern.

"In the most serious cases, a culture of fear and intimidation has taken grip since the schools were last inspected. We found evidence that some head teachers, including those with a proud record of raising standards, have been marginalised or forced out of their jobs.

"This has left a vacuum in which schools previously rated good or outstanding have suffered enormous staff turbulence, a collapse in morale and a rapid decline in their overall effectiveness."

Golden Hillock has also been placed in special measures

He said that a number of head teachers had "reported that there's been an organised campaign to target certain schools in Birmingham in order to impose a narrow faith-based ideology and alter the schools character and ethos."

Inspectors found schools were not taking seriously enough their duty to protect children from extremism and radicalisation. One school had even invited a speaker known for their extremist views to give a talk.

Teachers reported  they were being treated unfairly because of their sex or religion and that boys and girls were not treated equally.

Sir Michael also placed significant levels of blame at the door of Birmingham City Council saying it had reacted too slowly.

He said: "Our evidence points to a serious failure on the part of Birmingham City Council, a failure to support schools in their efforts to keep pupils safe from the risk of extremism."

David Hughes says inspections were carried out in a 'climate of suspicion'

He has made a number of recommendations including better training for governors, better vetting of governors and a register of interests.

Schools will also be issued with guidance on what a broad and balanced curriculum should be.

Sir Michael's recommendations could raise big questions for Mr Gove's Free and Academy schools project, which gives schools more freedom over what they teach.

Speaking in the House of Commons after the publication of the reports the Home Secretary Theresa May said: "We need to do everything we can to protect children from extremism."

The vice chairman of the Park View Education Trust, which runs three of the schools put in special measures – Park View Academy, Golden Hillock and Nansen primary – has hit back saying the schools do not "promote extremism".

David Hughes said: "Ofsted inspectors came to our schools looking for extremism, looking for segregation, looking for proof that our children have religion forced upon them as part of an Islamic plot."

He said they would be mounting a legal challenge against Ofsted's findings.

The other two schools placed in special measures were Saltley and Oldknow.

David Cameron has ordered Education Secretary Michael Gove to carry out  "dawn raids" on the schools, which have been accused of covering up evidence of infiltration.

It comes after a row erupted between Mr Gove and Mrs May after the Education Secretary said the Home Office had failed to properly deal with extremism.

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Scottish Voters 'Not Getting Full Picture'

By Jon Craig, Chief Political Correspondent

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"The problem is this vote is almost irreversible.

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

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Heavy Rain Threatens Damage And Disruption

The Met Office has warned of a risk of damage and disruption from "potentially intense thundery downpours" in the next few hours.

It is the second severe weather warning for heavy rain issued in less than a week.

Surface water flooding, hail and gusting winds add to the risk, said the Met Office. Around 20mm (0.8ins) of rain is predicted to fall in an hour in some areas.

The weathers cover the east of England Pic: Met Office

Sky News Weather Presenter Jo Wheeler said: "Today's showers have the potential to give some torrential downpours, much like last week's stormy weather which saw a significant 18.2mm (0.7ins) of rainfall in just one hour in Suffolk.

"Thunder and lightning has already been registered through parts of the Midlands, and it'll be the Midlands, east of England, Yorkshire and southeastern England at greatest risk of further storms through the rest of the day. 

"Such showers will bring brief periods of unpleasant weather in the form of heavy rainfall, gusty winds and hail, with the likelihood of seeing some very localised flash floods.

"Such is the nature of showers however, that some parts of the country, even the eastern counties, may miss the showers entirely.  And the risk overall, diminishes this evening as the showers begin to die out or move away."

A yellow "be aware" weather warning has been issued by the Met Office for Yorkshire and Humber, the East and West Midlands, the East of England and London and south east England. The warnings are in force until 8pm tonight.

The fresh storm prediction comes after the Met Office issued a severe weather warning last week for Saturday with forecasts of heavy, thundery rain battering parts of England, Wales and southern Scotland.

Britons have been basking in sunshine between the recent storms

But fears that some places could see flooding and an entire month's rainfall in just one hour turned out to be misplaced, with Britain spared the worst as the summer storms swept the country.

The heaviest downpour was registered in Santon Downham, Suffolk, which saw 0.7in (18.2mm) fall in one hour, followed by 0.6in (16.4mm) falling in Bickley, Worcestershire.

It fell well short of the 1.2in (30mm) - almost half of the UK monthly average for the whole of June of 2.9in (73.4mm) - which had been forecast as a possibility.

Last month the Shard in London - western Europe's tallest building - was struck by lightning during a thunderstorm.

A recently published study by the Met Office and Newcastle University warned that climate change could result in heavier summer rainfall in Britain, which in turn could increase the risk of flash flooding.

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