'Corpses Everywhere' After Iraq 'Massacre'

Al Maliki's Successor Faces Old Problems

Updated: 6:29pm UK, Friday 15 August 2014

By Andrew Wilson, Sky News Presenter, in Irbil, Iraq

The disaster in the Sinjar mountains turns out to be less of a public relations nightmare for Western leaders than first feared.

A few thousand destitute Yazidi people don't carry anything like the clout of tens of thousands.

The UNHCR operators on the ground had figured this out days ago. Their job is numbers and they know that in a brutal world, the problem isn't Sinjar anymore, it's the displacement of those that were there and are now here looking for long-term shelter from the Kurdish Regional Government and maybe even homes in Europe and America.

So what about the spread of this Islamic caliphate across Northern Iraq and Syria?

Well, as far as its leaders-in-waiting are concerned, it's going pretty well.

It's ominous dark shade on the Middle Eastern map is now one colour from Aleppo to Diyala on Iraq's eastern border. 

And, to date, that progress has been largely unchallenged.

Reports of executions and crucifixions have played a part; even the Taliban back in 2001 could not generate the kind of terror that precedes Islamic State (IS) fighters wherever they go.

But IS are picking their enemies strategically as well.

Few tears were shed in Washington when the extremists turned on President Assad, and as for Baghdad, it took so long for the West to declare mission accomplished and pull out that going back in now would be unthinkably embarrassing.

Better to find another old friend to blame, this time the stubbornly sectarian Nouri al Maliki.

It is all his fault that disgruntled Sunnis allowed the IS to swoop down in their armed pickups and help themselves to all the American weapons lying abandoned in the sand.

If only he had built a more unified Iraq with loyal officers and disciplined troops, says the West, failing to mention 2003 when a cadre of professional Iraqi generals stood ready to deploy their well-trained forces for the post-Saddam rebuild only to be shunned by the American occupiers who knew better. 

So now the successor is embraced. Haider al Abadi seems a decent man, more of a consensus builder than a bully.

He is still a Shia, of course, same party as Mr Maliki, in fact, and you wouldn't want his job for all the gold in Saddam's palace.

He will need three phones; for Washington, Tehran and Brussels, and they will all be on his case to fix - in no particular order - the Islamic Caliphate; Sunni minority rights; an army that's just given all its weapons to the other side; Shia aspirations for a greater Iraq joined by holy sites to Iran and, of course, tens of thousands of displaced Yazidis.

It's difficult, if not suicidal, to be a consensus politician in the Middle East.

Think Sadat, Rabin, or even Mahmoud Abbas sitting quietly in Ramallah with "Israeli traitor" daubed on the walls near his house.

Sadly, in this part of the world, where the borders were drawn by foreigners a long time ago, the time-honoured formula, still espoused by Assad, Sisi, the Royal families of Saudi Arabia and Qatar, is more simple: build a power base and crush your enemies.

Nouri al Maliki was on the way, but didn't make it.

And this time, no more boots on the ground.

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Iraq: 'Secret' Surveillance Flights Revealed

The UK has been secretly flying its most advanced surveillance aircraft over northern Iraq during the humanitarian crisis there, the Defence Secretary has revealed.

The Rivet Joint intelligence gathering aircraft has been deployed to boost a team of Tornado jets gathering intelligence as Kurdish forces battle against Islamist militants in the region.

Information picked up by British forces is being fed back to the Iraqi government, Kurdish fighters and US forces in the region as they try to stem the tide of the Islamic State (IS) advance.

Revealing the move at RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus, Defence Secretary Michael Fallon said: "We will continue the humanitarian mission here and we will continue to make sure we will do everything we can to assist with the refugee problem which is wider than the Sinjar mountains."

Michael Fallon speaking to British troops at the RAF Akrotiri base

He added: "I can confirm today we have deployed Rivet Joint, our very latest surveillance aircraft, the successor to Nimrod, to give us a much better picture, more intelligence and analysis of what is happening on the ground which will help the Iraqi government, the Kurdish forces and the Americans."

The Rivet Joint aircraft has carried out a number of flights over the past few weeks, helping to pinpoint the locations of displaced people and IS fighters.

It provides real-time intelligence by intercepting electromagnetic signals, which can be combined with images gathered by Tornado jets to provide a fuller picture of the situation on the ground. 

Mr Fallon was visiting the Cyprus base for the RAF's Iraq aid drop operation.

He spent time with the teams packing and dispatching the aid bundles and told the Army and RAF personnel involved: "This mission isn't over yet."

Sky News Correspondent Tom Parmenter, at RAF Akrotiri, Cyprus said the Rivet Joint aircraft was like a "listening post in the sky".

Half a million people are believed to be displaced in Iraq's Dahuk region

He said: "It's an aircraft that goes up packed full of kit and analysis equipment to make sure the intelligence is as strong as it can be in terms of what they are gathering and how they are analysing it in this region and then feeding it back to the decision makers in Washington and London."

RAF Tornado jets have been flying missions over vast areas in northern Iraq, aided by larger Voyager planes that help them refuel at 300mph. 

Britain has also been delivering aid to help families fleeing the militants - the latest supplies of vital cooking equipment, needed by people forced to leave their homes suddenly.

Two Airbus flights landed in Irbil on Saturday morning with nearly 8,000 sets of cutlery, cooking pots, plates, frying pans, cups and wooden spoons.

The supplies will mean almost 40,000 people, who currently have to queue at makeshift canteens, will be able to cook for themselves and feed their families, the Department for International Development said.

There are approximately half a million displaced people in northern Iraq's Dahuk region - many of them arriving at refugee camps after travelling for days without food and water in temperatures of up to 50C.

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Yazidis Return To Mountains On Rescue Mission

By Sherine Tadros, Middle East Correspondent

Tens of thousands of people from the ancient Yazidi community were left stranded on top of Mount Sinjar when Islamic State militants took over their towns and villages on August 2.

Among them was Azeez Hussein and his entire family.

They spent eight days on Mount Sinjar with little food or water until Azeez decided they were going to die on the mountain if they did not try to escape. 

Two days later he made it to Duhok in northern Iraq.

It took him and his wife over 20 hours of walking to flee, carrying their seven children, including their three-week-old baby girl.

Azzez Hussein is heading back to the mountain to find his parents

When we finally met him he was traumatised and kept saying he needed to go back.

His decision to leave with his children meant he could not take his elderly parents, who were still stuck on the mountain surrounded by the militants.

So we went with Azeez to the crossing point leading back to Sinjar. As we approached the bridge, we found hundreds of Yazidis queuing to get across.

Azeez's three-week-old daughter has had a traumatic start to her life

Azeez's cousins were at the front of the line, they had already been there for hours. They too were returning so they could try to bring back their parents.

All around us we heard tragic stories of loss and despair.

I asked one man why he was going back rather than waiting for the Kurdish Peshmerga forces or the Americans to rescue their families.

"Because our families will die waiting," he replied.

These Yazidis say they families would die if they waited for outside help

Another Yazidi man told us about how he saw Islamic State fighters abduct people in his village. He said they tried to convert him to Islam but he refused and escaped.

American and British representatives were also at the bridge crossing.

But Yazidis said they felt abandoned by the international community who are now indicating there is no need for a rescue mission.

"We are assessing the situation and seeing how much more we can help beyond what we have already provided," Richard Guera from the Department for International Development told us.

After five hours, the crossing finally opened. Azeez's cousins crossed the bridge but they have a difficult journey ahead.

They will need to drive through the mountains into Syria and then cross back into Iraq. From there, it is a seven-hour walk to the towns and villages where their families are trapped.

Despite the aid and arms pledged by the international community, it is being left to Yazidi fathers, brothers and sons to return to a place where they almost died escaping from, to save those nobody else will.

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Screams As 35 Sick Migrants Found In Container

A dead man was among 35 immigrants found in a container at Tilbury Docks after crew were alerted by "banging and screaming".

Police have launched a "homicide" investigation after the man was discovered with 34 sick children and adults hiding in a container on a P&O ferry.

Police at the scene in Tilbury Docks

At least seven of those treated at three different hospitals with "significant health problems" were children.

At a press conference at Tilbury Docks, Essex Superintendent Trevor Roe said the man's death was being treated as a crime.

Seven ambulances were sent to the scene and Basildon Hospital said on its Twitter feed that it was "responding to a major incident".

The East of England Ambulance service confirmed a hazardous area response team had also been sent to the scene.

Eighteen patients were taken to Basildon Hospital, nine to London Whitechapel Hospital and seven to Southend Hospital.

Some were suffering from severe dehydration and hypothermia.

A police officer at the scene said they are still trying to determine the nationalities of those involved but they are believed to be of Indian origin, possibly Punjab.

Basildon Hospital is responding to a "major incident"

Essex Police were called after the people were found on the container, which arrived on a ship from Zeebrugge in Belgium and was being unloaded at 7.35am.

Natalie Hardy, from P&O Ferries, said the immigrants were in a container on board the Norstream, a commercial vessel.

She said the ship was scheduled to leave Zeebrugge last night at 10pm and arrive at Tilbury today at 6am.

It was carrying 64 containers, 72 trailers and five lorries and drivers.

The suspected immigrants were found at Tilbury Docks

Ms Hardy said: "They (port authorities) found 35 clandestines on a container in the ferry.

"They had been in there overnight, because the ship was an overnight freight ferry.

"This morning when they went to unload containers there was a noise heard, a banging. One unfortunately was dead and others were taken to hospital."

A spokeswoman for Public Health England said it was not involved in the response to, investigation of or anything to do with the incident at Tilbury Docks.

She said: "If it was ebola, health care professionals are so alert at the moment to signs and symptoms that should there have been anyone who was showing symptoms we would have been notified immediately.

"I think we can be confident that we are not dealing with that."

Police are dealing with the incident alongside staff from Port of Tilbury, UK Border Force and the East of England Ambulance Service, the spokesman said.

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Most Expensive Car Ever Sells For Record £23m

A Ferrari considered to be one of the greatest models ever built has sold at auction for a record £22.84m.

The 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO Berlinetta is one of only 39 models made.

The car sold at auction was the 19th of the 39 and has been owned by the Ferrari and motor-racing enthusiast Violati family since 1965.

It competed in a number of races including one which ended in tragedy when, in 1962, driver and former French ski champion Henri Oreiller was killed.

The car was the 19th of 39 built

The wrecked car was repaired and the family continued to race it until very recently.

The Ferrari went under the hammer at Bonhams' auction in Carmel, California, and the huge crowd watching the bidding clapped as the auctioneer confirmed the final price.

The auctioneer said it was a privilege to lead the sale

That topped the previous record for a car sold at auction, set at Bonhams' Goodwood Festival of Speed auction in Sussex last year, with the sale of a 1954 Mercedes-Benz W196 R F1 Racer for $30m (£18m).

Bonhams chairman Robert Brooks said: "It's been a genuine privilege to represent this outstanding car and we are absolutely delighted with today's results."

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Iraq: Talks To Arm Kurds As PM Calls For Unity

EU foreign ministers are meeting in Brussels to discuss whether to provide military equipment to Kurdish fighters in Iraq.

They will also co-ordinate their stance on providing humanitarian aid for those fleeing Islamic State (IS) militants, formerly known as the Islamic State In Iraq and Syria (ISIS).

Meanwhile, Iraq's prime minister designate, Haider al Abadi, said his country must unite in the face of "serious challenges".

Writing on Facebook after his predecessor, Nouri al Maliki, bowed to pressure and stepped down on Thursday, Mr al Abadi said he would not make "unrealistic promises" but added: "I will do my best to serve our people and our homeland."

Other EU countries have already agreed to send weapons to the Kurds

The Iraqi military has been struggling to contain the IS onslaught, especially in the north of the country, where thousands of people have been forced to flee after they were given an ultimatum to convert to Islam or face death.

The offensive has seen the fall of major cities including Mosul and Tikrit, with reports of beheadings and crucifixions as they grab more territory for their self-proclaimed caliphate in Syria and Iraq.

Prime Minister David Cameron and Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg agreed during an emergency Cobra meeting that it was "vital" to help the fight against the militants.

Yazidi people demonstrate at the Iraq-Syria border

The Government is expected to provide weapons and equipment, should Kurdish leaders make a request, although a Downing Street source said any supplies would be "dependent on what the Kurds would need".

France is already sending weapons to Iraq, with President Francois Hollande confirming the "imminent delivery of military equipment".

Germany, the Czech Republic and the Netherlands have also said they will send arms or are considering doing so.

Meanwhile, several thousand refugees from the Yazidi minority remain on Mount Sinjar in searing temperatures, although the US has said it is now unlikely to mount a rescue.

Nouri al Maliki has bowed to pressure at home and abroad

President Barack Obama said the situation had "greatly improved" after a special forces mission found many people had escaped.

Airdrops had delivered more than 114,000 meals and tens of thousands of gallons of water, with fighter jets striking Islamic State fighters to allow the drops to take place, he said.

He added that although the militants' siege of Sinjar town had been broken, strikes would continue.

UK International Development Secretary Justine Greening said military action and resistance from Kurdish troops had cleared a safe path for many refugees, who originally were thought to number in the tens of thousands.

Britain has also completed seven aid deliveries and a "small number" of RAF Chinook helicopters are being sent to the region, in addition to Tornado jets with surveillance equipment.

Earlier, the US described Mr al Maliki's decision to step down as a "major step forward" in uniting Iraq.

Secretary of State John Kerry said: "This milestone decision sets the stage for a historic and peaceful transition of power."

Iraq's most influential cleric, Grand Ayatollah Ali al Sistani, offered his support to Mr al Abadi, whose appointment he described as a "rare positive opportunity ... to solve all problems, especially political and security ones".

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'Mum Arrested' After Girl Drowns In Hotel Pool

The mother of a three-year-old girl who drowned in a hotel swimming pool near Blackpool has been arrested on suspicion of murder.

The youngster is believed to have been staying with her parents at the Dalmeny Hotel, St Annes, when she got into difficulty in the water on Thursday morning.

She was pulled from the swimming pool and taken to Royal Manchester Children's Hospital in a critical condition but died later.

The hotel's owner Chris Webb told Sky News that several other guests witnessed what happened in the pool and gave statements to the police.

Two guests tried to revive the girl before paramedics arrived.

It is understood that the girl's mother was in the pool at the time.

Police confirmed a 40-year-old woman, from Galashiels, Scotland, was arrested on suspicion of murder and child neglect. She remains in police custody.

Witness Carole Greenwood, who has lifeguard qualifications, told Sky News that she tried to rescue the child.

"Children in swimming pools should be looked after by their own parents. It is not necessary to have lifeguards necessarily because they are there to prevent accidents.

'Parents needs to be aware children can't swim, they are not strong swimmers and they need to wear flotation aids, especially little children."

Ms Greenwood said lifeguards had not been on duty because it was not the policy of private pools.

"Obviously I am devastated for this poor little girl, it's very sad.

"At the time, you are quite shocked because all your training is now coming into action.

"It's something you think you'll never, ever do, but I am satisfied I helped out in this case."

A guest called Darren, who did not want to give his surname, also told Sky News he had seen the girl and her family having dinner at the hotel - and witnessed the paramedics arrive.

"I saw them come out of the ambulance with what looked like a defibrillator," he said.

"My daughter saw the little girl being carried out by somebody."

He said the pool had been shut and "lots of police" had been at the hotel.

He described how he later saw the girl's mother being led away by officers.

Detective Inspector Nick Connaughton, of Blackpool CID, said: "This is a tragic situation where a young girl has lost her fight for life.

"We are now treating this sad death as suspicious and are investigating just how the child came into difficulties in the pool."

The Dalmeny Hotel, which overlooks St Annes beach, is described as a family-friendly resort with a heated indoor pool, a spa and three restaurants.

The hotel refused to comment.

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Ebola Epidemic Is Like 'War Time' Says MSF

Ebola Cure 'A Long Way Off': Facts About Virus

Updated: 12:08am UK, Thursday 07 August 2014

A cure for the deadly ebola virus, which has killed hundreds of people in West Africa, is "a very long way off", an expert has told Sky News.

David Evans, a professor of virology at Warwick University, said ebola is the latest disease to be transmitted "very efficiently" because of international travel.

More than 670 people in Sierra Leone, Liberia, Guinea and Nigeria have fallen victim to the viral illness, which has a fatality rate of up to 90%.

Those with ebola will often be overcome by a sudden onset of fever, as well as weakness, muscle pain and headaches.

The body is then gripped by vomiting, diarrhoea, rashes, kidney and liver problems and bleeding.

The time between infection and symptoms appearing is anything from two days to three weeks.

Ebola is spread through the direct contact with the blood, organs or other bodily fluids of those infected.

The liquid that bathes the eye and semen can transmit the disease, Prof Evans said.

Horseshoe bats are believed to be the natural host of the viral disease, he said.

"These bats transmit the virus between themselves, but periodically it then ends up in probably primates or other types of bushmeat which are then hunted by villagers and the virus is then transmitted from the sick animals to humans," he said.

Transmission has also been documented through the handling of chimpanzees, gorillas and porcupines.

One of the reasons for the disease's rapid spread is a tradition at burial ceremonies for mourners to have direct contact with the body of the deceased.

"Therefore barrier methods that prevent that direct contact, including things like washing of hands and things like that provide a reasonable level of protection," he said.

Healthcare workers treating patients are particularly at risk.

Public Health England said in a risk assessment published earlier this month said that the current outbreak could increase the risk for Britons working in humanitarian and healthcare delivery.

But the threat to tourists, visitors and expatriates is still considered "very low if elementary precautions are followed".

Prof Evans said there had been "periodic outbreaks" of ebola since the first recorded instances in 1976, but this is the deadliest so far.

There were two simultaneous outbreaks in Nzara, Sudan and Yambuku, a village in the Democratic Republic of Congo located near the Ebola River.

Data from the World Health Organisation shows the previous deadliest outbreak was the one in the DRC, when 280 out of 315 people infected died.

In the same country in 1995 another outbreak claimed 254 lives, with 315 patients infected.

In 2000, there were 425 cases in Uganda and 224 people died.

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Cliff Richard's Home Searched Over Sex Claim

Police are searching Sir Cliff Richard's home in connection with an alleged sex offence dating back to the 1980s - which the singer has dismissed as "completely false".

South Yorkshire Police officers have gained entry to the star's property in the Sunningdale area of Berkshire.

A search warrant was granted after a historical allegation of a sexual nature was made involving a boy who was under the age of 16 at the time.

No-one has been arrested and the owner of the property was not present, the force said.

Speaking out as officers continued to search his home, Sir Cliff said: "For many months I have been aware of allegations against me of historic impropriety which have been circulating online. The allegations are completely false."

"Up until now I have chosen not to dignify the false allegations with a response, as it would just give them more oxygen.

Police are searching the singer's home in Sunningdale, Berkshire

"However, the police attended my apartment in Berkshire today without notice, except it would appear to the press.

"I am not presently in the UK but it goes without saying that I will co-operate fully should the police wish to speak to me.

"Beyond stating that today's allegation is completely false it would not be appropriate to say anything further until the police investigation has concluded."

Sky's Crime Correspondent Martin Brunt said officers have removed several items from the singer's house.

"He was last seen a week ago in Portugal, where he held a concert at his wine estate," he said.

"He owns a vast property there with a vineyard where he produces wine. He also has a home in Barbados.

"He has said in the past that he spends the summers in Portugal and the winters in Barbados.

"But South Yorkshire police underlining that nobody has been arrested and the owner of the property was not present while the search was carried out.

"It is thought a number of items were removed from the property.

"One other thing to point out is that this isn't part of Scotland Yard's investigation into historic sex crimes - Operation Yewtree - launched in the wake of the Jimmy Savile scandal.

"Whether the initial allegation was made to the Metropolitan Police and passed on to South Yorkshire, that's a possibility. But this is very much a South Yorkshire Police investigation," he added.

More follows...

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Iraq: US-UK Row Back On Yazidi Rescue Mission

A US and UK humanitarian mission to rescue thousands of Yazidis trapped in Iraq is "far less likely" to take place after it has been revealed fewer are stranded than previously feared.

British Prime Minister David Cameron said the UK's plans needed to be "flexible" for the "complicated humanitarian mission" and stressed the need to continue delivering aid to refugees on Mount Sinjar.

The PM, who has resisted calls for military intervention, is chairing a meeting of the Cobra emergency committee to discuss the situation further.

Tory backbencher Mark Pritchard, who believes Britain should be doing more, told Sky News: "Bread alone will not stop ISIS, it will require bullets."

A map detailing the Sinjar mountains

He added: "They are not going to stop until they are stopped... we need to confront the enemy."

The UK has successfully completed seven aid airdrops and is sending a "small number" of RAF Chinook helicopters to the region.

It has already sent RAF Tornado jets equipped with sophisticated surveillance equipment to gather intelligence.

Members of the Yazidi sect hold a banner asking for international help

"What our plans need to do is to make sure that we have got the assets in place to help out in the right way and that's why last night one of our Tornados was gathering information about the situation, that's why it's important our Chinooks are in place and available if needed," Mr Cameron said.

He had said "detailed plans" were being made for an international mission to rescue the stranded Yazidis.

But Sky's Political Correspondent Sophy Ridge said: "Today I am told that just like the Americans, it is now unlikely that the UK government is going to carry out a rescue mission, and that's simply because the information has changed."

Areas the Islamic State has launched offensives and wants to make one state

A US assessment of the situation has found fewer Yazidis remain trapped on the mountain than previously thought.

Some 5,000 refugees remain stranded there, according to Sky sources. Some live there, while around 1,000 are being rescued every night by Iraqi forces.

It had previously been thought there were between 20,000 and 30,000 trapped on Mount Sinjar after fleeing Sunni militants of the Islamic State (IS), formerly known as the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS).

Mr Cameron at a UK aid Disaster Response Centre at Kemble Airport, earlier

IS fighters have threatened the ancient religious group with death if they fail to convert to Islam.

The Pentagon said an "evacuation mission is far less likely" given that humanitarian aid drops, airstrikes on IS fighters and the efforts of Peshmerga fighters had allowed many Yazidis to escape.

Bayan Sami Abdul Rahman, the Kurdish government's high representative to the UK, told Sky News while the new refugee figures spelled "good news", up to two million displaced civilians remained "in a dire situation" in the Kurdistan region.

Her comments came as the United Nations ramped up its assessment of the crisis to level 3 - its highest level of emergency - and condemned the "barbaric acts" of sexual violence IS fighters have reportedly inflicted on minority groups.

Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, said the Iraqi government had "received atrocious accounts on the abduction and detention of Yazidi, Christian, Turkomen and Shabak women and girls and boys, and reports of savage rapes".

"Some 1,500 Yazidis and Christians may have been forced into sexual slavery," he added.

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Record Numbers Off To Uni As A* Grades Rise

By Afua Hirsch, Social Affairs and Education Editor

A record number of students have been accepted into university, with a rise in the number achieving top marks in their A-level exams.

Ucas, the organisation which handles the admissions process, said 396,990 young people had been awarded places on degree courses - up 3% on last year.

Meanwhile, the number of students achieving at least one A* grade rose 0.6% to 8.2%, although the number gaining an A grade or above fell by 0.3%.

The overall pass rate also fell for the first time in 32 years, with the number of students achieving an A*-E grade down 0.1% to 98%.

Girls from Newcastle High School celebrate their A-level results

Students who received lower grades are expected to enjoy unprecedented access to university, with up to 30,000 new places created.

A decision by the Government to abolish the cap on student numbers could have a dramatic effect on this year's cohort, with fierce competition among universities seeking to attract school leavers.

Some were offering cash "scholarships", while others were offering reductions on accommodation and free tablet computers.

Mary Curnock-Cook, chief executive of Ucas, told Sky News: "Compared with their brothers and sisters two or three years ago, students will feel it's a little easier (to get into university)."

Coventry University, which is offering £1,000 cashback, said the giveaways did make a difference but did not unduly influence students.

Deputy vice chancellor Ian Marshall said: "Most students come to university on the basis of the subject they are interested in and the reputation of the institution."

The decision to expand the number of student places comes amid increasing concern about quality assurance in higher education and job prospects for graduates, with recent figures showing almost half of graduates were in non-graduate level jobs.

However, Education Secretary Nicky Morgan said: "This shouldn't be about ever higher numbers - it should be about ever higher standards.

"An A-level is still a significant achievement ... and we want an A-level that future employers and universities have confidence in."

Rhasan Brunner, who received an offer to study at London Goldsmith's University, said he was deferring his place to take an apprenticeship.

The 19-year-old, who studied at Brooke House Sixth Form College in Hackney, northeast London, said students should think twice about doing degrees, which now cost up to £9,000 a year in tuition fees alone.

"That debt is going to stay over their head for quite a long time," he said.

"Plus jobs are really rare and scarce and quite competitive nowadays, so it doesn't really guarantee you a job after university."

Access to university has been expanding since the 1960s, when a report by economist Lionel Robbins advocated opening up higher education to all those who qualified by virtue of ability and attainment.

Two years ago, the Government abolished the cap on students with the highest grades, essentially paving the way for the expansion of the elite Russell Group of universities.

But the new expansion for students with lower grades - which could also include an additional 60,000 extra students next year - has prompted concerns about quality.

Jude Heaton, from Teach First, a charity set up to end inequality in education, said: "The risk is we create a two-tier system, where pupils from richer backgrounds go to the most selective institutions ... (while) people from poorer backgrounds have an almost second tier university education."

Earlier this week, social mobility charity Sutton Trust warned students from disadvantaged backgrounds are 10 times less likely to apply to the UK's 13 most selective universities.

There are also reports that today's results will confirm a deepening of the gender divide, as girls continue to shun STEM - science, technology, engineering and maths.

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Heavy Shelling Heard In Rebel-Held Donetsk

Heavy shelling has pounded the centre of Ukraine's separatist-held city of Donetsk, according to witnesses.

People poured out of their offices onto the stairwell of the city's main administration building after loud explosions nearby triggered an evacuation warning, reports said.

Donetsk has been surrounded for several weeks by Ukrainian forces battling pro-Russian rebels.

A resident of Donetsk after shelling in the city

The shelling follows the resignation of pro-Russian separatist leader Valery Bolotov, head of the self-proclaimed Luhansk People's Republic.

Mr Bolotov said he had been injured and could no longer continue his role. 

His resignation came as a Russian aid convoy resumed its journey toward Ukraine, taking the road leading south towards rebel-held Luhansk.

The convoy of roughly 262 vehicles had been parked at a military depot in the southern Russian city of Voronezh since late on Tuesday.

The Russain aid convoy has turned towards Luhansk

There has been confusion and disagreement over how and where the aid could be delivered to Ukraine, where government troops are battling pro-Russia separatists.

By sending the convoy south, Russia appeared intent on not abiding by a tentative agreement to deliver aid to a border checkpoint in the Kharkiv region.

It had been hoped that the convoy would arrive in the Kharkiv region, so that the Red Cross could inspect the convoy.

Instead, the route taken by the convoy leads directly toward a border crossing controlled by pro-Russian rebels in the Luhansk region.

Self-styled mayor of Luhansk, Valery Bolotov, says he has been injured

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has accused Moscow of planning a "direct invasion of Ukrainian territory under the guise of delivering humanitarian aid".

Moscow has insisted it coordinated the dispatch of the goods - including baby food, canned meat and sleeping bags - with Red Cross officials.

Red Cross spokeswoman Anastasia Isyuk said talks between the organisation, Ukraine and Russia were continuing.

But she could not confirm where the Russian convoy was headed.

Vladimir Putin says he wants to end the bloodshed in Ukraine

"The plans keep changing, the discussions are going ahead and we will not confirm for sure until we know an agreement has been reached," Ms Isyuk said in Geneva.

Luhansk, where Mr Bolotov had declared himself "mayor", has been the scene of intense fighting between Ukrainian forces and separatists.

Mr Bolotov said Igor Plotnitsky, defence minister of the Luhansk People's Republic, would take over from him.

His resignation means that both the main separatist entities, in the Luhansk and Donetsk regions of eastern Ukraine, are having leadership changes.

A Russian soldier stands guard at the Kharkiv checkpoint

On August 7, Aleksander Borodai, head of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic, announced he was stepping down.

Vladimir Putin said on Thursday that Russia would do its utmost to stop the bloodshed in Ukraine.

During a visit to Crimea, Mr Putin also said that Russia should not "fence itself off from the outside world" despite a plunge in East-West relations.

As well as the shelling in Donetsk, fighting has killed at least 22 residents in the besieged rebel-held bastion of Luhansk over the past 24 hours.

Luhansk has been the scene of intense fighting

Fighting in eastern Ukraine has intensified in recent weeks, with UN officials saying there has been a spike in the number of deaths.

Some 2,086 people have died since the conflict began in mid-April, and more than half of them in the past fortnight, the UN said.

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PM: UK To Help In Major Iraq Rescue Mission

A growing number of MPs have told Sky News it is time for the UK to join US airstrikes in Iraq to stop the advance of Islamic State fighters.

David Cameron returned from Portugal today, cutting short  his holiday by a day, and will this afternoon chair a Cobra meeting to discuss the Iraq situation amid growing pressure for the UK to act further.

The UK has stepped up its aid drops in northern Iraq and is sending a "small number" of RAF Chinook helicopters to the region. It has also already sent RAF Tornado jets equipped with sophisticated surveillance equipment to gather intelligence.

RAF Tornado jets will carry out surveillance mission in Iraq

Britain is also transporting weapons for the Kurdish forces, who have been outgunned by the jihadists.

However, Downing Street has so far resisted calls for UK forces to join the US in taking military action against IS. It has also rejected demands for Parliament to be recalled to debate the crisis.

Thousands of Kurdish ethnic minority Yazidis have been driven into the Sinjar mountains to escape the onslaught of the militants, who have butchered their way through the north of Iraq leaving mass graves of victims in their wake.

The United Nations estimates that between 20,000 and 30,000 people from the ancient Yazidi community remain stranded, others have perished, unable to get food or water to survive, while some have been rescued by Kurdish forces.

The Prime Minister has been on a 10-day holiday in Portugal

Sky's Political Correspondent Sophy Ridge said of the 18 MPs she had spoken to, 15 said they would support military intervention and many urged Mr Cameron to recall Parliament.

Significantly, seven of those MPs who supported action voted against using military force in Syria to end the humanitarian crisis there.

Conservative MP Nick de Bois said: "Whether you support air strikes or not, and they should be on the table for urgent consideration, Parliament has both the moral obligation and a duty to our constituents to examine and advise the Government on whether we should take that step.

"Every day in this humanitarian crisis matters and that's why we should be recalled."

Another unnamed MP said: "It's very different from Syria, where the Government had no plan or conception of what might work. Here we have the Kurds on the ground. Also, recall of Parliament seems essential given world events."

The Yazidi community has fled into the Sinjar mountains

It comes as British commanders with experience in Iraq have urged the Prime Minister to consider taking military action with Colonel Tim Collins warning the ancient civilisations in Iraq could be "extinguished".

Col Collins claimed the Government had "left for lunch" on the issue, and accused politicians of refusing to accept the "moral responsibility" to act.

Writing in the Daily Telegraph, he said: "Britain helped create Iraq in 1920 and we have a moral responsibility to help."

Tony Abbott, in London on Tuesday, hinted forces could return to Iraq

A YouGov poll carried out for The Times suggests support for the British bombing of militants in Iraq is now at 40%. Some 36% of those asked were opposed to the UK taking action.

After talks with Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond in London on Tuesday, Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott has indicated his country's combat forces could return to Iraq but stressed it would be to "prevent genocide" on a "fundamentally humanitarian mission".

Germany has pledged to deliver "non lethal" military aid, including armoured vehicles, helmets and night vision goggles, to the Iraqi army. France was expected to deliver arms to Kurdish forces later on Wednesday.

US service members prepare humanitarian aid for the Yazidis in Iraq

General Sir Mike Jackson, who was the professional head of the army during the Iraq War, told the Daily Telegraph: "I would have no difficulty at all in saying that we should be alongside the United States and up the British ante to the use of airpower, on humanitarian grounds."

Former Conservative Defence Secretary Liam Fox also said it was time RAF jets were sent in to join US airstrikes. Writing in the Daily Mail, he said sending in aid was not enough.

The US has sent another 130 military advisers to northern Iraq to assess the scope of the humanitarian mission.

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'Horrible Stories' Of Iraqis Fleeing Extremists

The US has sent 130 more military advisers to northern Iraq to assess the scope of the humanitarian mission, as the plight of families displaced by Islamist extremists deepens.

Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel said the soldiers had been sent to northern Iraq to develop additional humanitarian assistance options beyond the current airdrop effort.

The move is in support of displaced Iraqi civilians, including Christian and Yazidi minority groups, trapped in the Sinjar mountains by Sunni militants of the Islamic State (IS), formerly known as the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL).

Sky's Middle East Correspondent Sherine Tadros, in northern Iraq, said the situation was also getting "ever more desperate" for those fleeing the violence and who had managed to escape.

A map detailing the Sinjar mountains

"Horrible stories of how they've had to walk days to get this area. Help can't come fast enough for these people," she said.

"Many have friends and relatives still stuck in the areas taken over by the militants, with no idea if they will make it out alive.

"We are talking about thousands of people that are now taking refuge wherever they can.

"A lot of them are injured, some of them from gunshots, some of them from the difficult conditions of the long journey."

Areas the Islamic State has launched offensives and wants to make one state

What began as a small number of families squatting on a piece of land owned by a Kurdish businessman, has been transformed into a makeshift refugee camp in Dohuk province which has attracted between 6,000 and 8,000 men, women and children.

Tadros said: "There's not much in terms of facilities, we are talking about three or four showers and toilets.

"There is no electricity and not much food either. They eat when the locals come to feed to them.

"There aren't enough tents. There are only about 230 actual tents that have been donated by the local mayor, and so most of them are actually on the floor, without any shelter, and are using bits of metal, anything they can, to shelter from the blistering heat.

Iraqi Christians receive food at Ainkawa's Saint Joseph church, near Irbil

"And these of course, are considered the lucky ones, the ones who did manage to escape."

Since June, the US has sent about 700 military personnel to Iraq to protect diplomats there and take stock of the country's military capacity.

Western powers and international aid agencies are considering further help for the thousands of refugees driven from their homes by IS fighters near the Syrian border.

US Secretary John Kerry said the US would consider requests for military and other assistance once Iraq's new prime minister-designate forms a government to unite the country.

Haider al Abadi has received support from the US and Iran, and Sunni neighbours Turkey and Saudi Arabia.

However, his Shi'ite party colleague, Nuri al Maliki, has refused to quit his eight-year premiership, and on Wednesday said it would take a federal court ruling for him to leave power.

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Baby Born In Austrian Alps Meadow At 7,400ft

A doctor, gynaecologist and mountain rescuers were forced to climb 2,500m (8,200ft) above sea level to help a woman give birth in the Austrian Alps.

The 30-year-old mother went into labour in a mountain hut in Tyrol on Tuesday morning.

However, due to bad weather conditions she could not be moved by helicopter.

Instead, the medics and rescuers had to make their way up 8,200ft of mountain terrain - almost twice the height of Ben Nevis in the Scottish Highlands which stands at 4,409ft above sea level - to aid the mother.

"The team managed to bring her down to 2,250m (7,381ft) where the baby was delivered in a meadow," a police spokesman said.

"The weather then cleared and a helicopter was able to take them to hospital," he added.

Elsewhere, five climbers have died and a sixth is still missing on France's Mont Blanc - Europe's tallest mountain.

They disappeared overnight while trying to reach the Aiguille d'Argentiere, a major peak, which stands at around 3,900 metres (12,800ft).

The bodies of the deceased were recovered on Wednesday as rescue teams continued their search of the area.

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Derailed Train Carriages 'Plunge Into Ravine'

A train carrying 200 passengers has been derailed by a landslide causing some carriages to plunge into a ravine in Switzerland.

One of the carriages hanging off a steep ravine. Pic: Blick.ch

Pictures from the scene showed at least one carriage in a ravine and another hanging precariously from the tracks winding through mountains in the east of the country.

Rescue helicopters were seen hovering over the train in the mountainous region of Graubuenden.

Some passengers were rescued by helicopter. Pic: Blick.ch

Scores of passengers on board the carriages which managed to remain upright scrambled to safety and could be seen standing at the side of the tracks.

A number of injured passengers were airlifted to hospital, while several others were treated for shock by paramedics.

A section of the train was derailed by a landslide. Pic: Blick.ch

"Part of the train was derailed by a landslide," a spokesman for Rhaetische Bahn said,  but he was unable to give further details immediately.

The train was travelling from St Moritz to Chur when it was caught in the landslide.

Reports suggested some three carriages came off the tracks and plunged into the ravine after hours of rainfall in the area, earlier.

One eyewitness, who was travelling with his wife and granddaughter on the train, told Swiss website Blick.ch they were sitting behind one of the carriages that plunged into the ravine which had passengers on board it.

"There was an announcement that we should move into the rear car," he said.

Afterwards, all of those on board the train were told to get off it, he added.

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Robin Williams: A Crowd-Pleaser Suffering Inside

By Steve Hargrave, Entertainment Reporter

The dark, the light, the happy and the sad. Never have I interviewed such a fascinating man who trod such a public tightrope as Robin Williams.

But then for all the sadness that lurked behind the manic performer, and for all the fantastically disturbing characters he masterfully portrayed, here was a man who would never let his feelings get in the way of making everyone else smile around him.

I interviewed him twice. The first time was in 2006, the year his family intervened and sent him back to rehab for substance abuse and alcoholism.

But here in front of me was a man who knew what people wanted him to be as he promoted the family animation Happy Feet - a film where once again he was encouraged to wander off-script and be himself.

Williams struggled to deal with his depression and addiction

You always feel like with many of his films he would probably open the screenplay and it would simply say "Just be Robin Williams" rather than give him actual lines.

And boy did he perform. In my four-minute slot he crammed in some singing, some talk about chocolate bars and naturally, a small slip into his Mrs Doubtfire voice, a sure-fire crowd-pleaser.

But he was also happy to talk about himself. Never one to shy away from personal enquiries, he offered comforting words that he was "getting better" and he always seemed genuinely pleased that you'd asked.

Our second encounter, four years later, was longer, warmer, and, due to the film he was promoting, steeped in darkness of "the other Robin Williams".

Williams with his friends Billy Crystal and Whoopi Goldberg

I decided I loved the film World's Greatest Dad within minutes of the opening credits (if it passed you by, I implore you to go and seek it out).

Deliciously dark, playful and unnerving. A return to the Williams of Insomnia and One Hour Photo. You could tell Williams was proud of it too, a labour of love created by his friend and Police Academy star Bobcat Goldthwait.

I was running a few minutes late for my interview. Williams found this amusing and told me off himself.

I pointed out that anyone going to see this film expecting the man they'd loved in Mrs Doubtfire might be a little disturbed. He smiled and seemed to relish that opportunity as an actor to not always be the person people were expecting you to be.

Unusually for a Hollywood interview, we were issued no guidelines on "personal questions" which left a revealing pathway for Williams to talk openly about his recent heart surgery, and ongoing problems battling his addiction problems. That film dealt with family suicide.

Williams voiced a penguin in Happy Feet

A clip with Williams reading the line, "Suicide is a permanent solution to a temporary problem" has now taken on new heartbreaking pathos.

He was a warm man to speak to, quiet, humble and overflowing with ideas. Ideas that didn't always pay off, with some less than memorable efforts like Toys or Being Human. But as much as this job takes you close to these icons, it is impossible to fathom what is really lurking behind those engaging eyes.

His agent's revelation that Williams had recently returned to his 12-step rehab programme and was suffering from severe depression only drives home the point that celebrities are only people like you or I, mental illness doesn't distinguish between the successful, the rich or the poor.

The person I spent 15 minutes with in total is just that - a person with all the weight that goes hand in hairy hand.

But Williams knew life was about entertaining. And he leaves a performance for everybody.

The man-boy genius of Mork And Mindy, the big budget effects of family adventure Jumanji, the emotive Oscar-winning introspection of Good Will Hunting, or that damaged loneliness of World's Greatest Dad - plus thousands of stand-up shows and interviews where he would literally challenge himself to never shut-up.

It's that silence now that will make us all miss him the most.  

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Spanish Priest With Ebola Dies In Hospital

A Spanish priest who contracted ebola while working in Liberia has died in hospital, health authorities in Madrid have confirmed.

Father Miguel Pajares was the first European infected by a strain of the virus that has killed more than 1,000 people in West Africa.

He was airlifted from Liberia on August 7 after becoming infected while working for a non-governmental organisation there.

The 75-year-old was flown to Spain for treatment with his co-worker Juliana Bohi, a nun who has since tested negative for the disease.

Fr Parajes had been in quarantine in Madrid's Carlos III Hospital

Spain's Health Ministry said Fr Pajares was being treated with the experimental drug ZMapp, manufactured by U.S. company Mapp Biopharmaceutical. 

Two US aid workers infected by the disease have shown some signs of improvements since being given the drug, which had only previously been tested on monkeys.

Fr Pajares was part of a Catholic order at St Joseph's Hospital in Liberia's capital, Monrovia.

A Congolese nun died at the hospital over the weekend, days after its director also passed away.

The hospital has since been closed because of the outbreak.

Authorities in affected countries are spreading the word about the disease

Medics Zukunis Ireland and Abraham Borbor are expected to be the first Africans to be treated with ZMapp and have given written consent, Liberia's Information Minister Lewis Brown said.

Mr Brown told Reuters the Liberian government received approval from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the pair to be treated before the drug could be exported - and that supplies should arrive in the next 48 hours.

Meanwhile, a panel of medical experts has ruled that it is ethical for infected patients to be treated with experimental drugs such as ZMapp, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said.

The UN health agency said in a statement: "In the particular circumstances of this outbreak, and provided certain conditions are met, the panel reached consensus that it is ethical to offer unproven interventions with as yet unknown efficacy and adverse effects, as potential treatment or prevention." 

Treatment with experimental drugs requires informed consent, freedom of choice, confidentiality, respect for the person, preservation of dignity and involvement of the community, the WHO said.

The virus has spread to four African countries - Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone and Nigeria - infecting a total 1,848
people, according to the WHO, which has branded the outbreak an international health emergency.

The latest outbreak has killed around 55-60% of those infected.

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Robin Williams: Tributes For Actor Dead At 63

Relatives, showbiz personalities and politicians have expressed their sadness at the death of Robin Williams, who has died at the age of 63 in a suspected suicide.

The Oscar-winning actor was found dead at his home in northern California, according to the Marin County Sheriff's Office.

Williams' wife Susan Schneider said in a statement: "This morning, I lost my husband and my best friend, while the world lost one of its most beloved and beautiful human beings. I am utterly heartbroken."

His daughter Zelda Williams posted an excerpt from the French poet and aviator Antoine de Saint-Exupery, which read: "You - you alone will have the stars as no one else has them ... In one of the stars I shall be living."

She added: "I love you. I miss you. I'll try to keep looking up."

Dawber and Williams together in 1995

The star of much-loved films including Mrs Doubtfire and Good Morning, Vietnam had been struggling with severe depression in recent weeks, according to Williams' press agent Mara Buxbaum.

A statement from President Barack Obama described the actor as "one of a kind".

"Robin Williams was an airman, a doctor, a genie, a nanny, a president, a professor, a bangarang Peter Pan, and everything in between. But he was one of a kind," he said.

"He arrived in our lives as an alien - but he ended up touching every element of the human spirit. He made us laugh. He made us cry.

Matt Damon, Williams and Ben Affleck celebrate their Oscar wins in 1998

"He gave his immeasurable talent freely and generously to those who needed it most - from our troops stationed abroad to the marginalised on our own streets.

"The Obama family offers our condolences to Robin's family, his friends, and everyone who found their voice and their verse thanks to Robin Williams."

Many celebrity colleagues and admirers took to Twitter to express their shock at the actor's death, and to pay tribute to Williams' large and well-respected body of work.

Billy Connolly and Williams in 2000

Pam Dawber, his co-star in Mork and Mindy, said: "I am completely and totally devastated. What more can be said?"

Film director Ron Howard recalled that he saw Mork's genesis as they worked together on the US series Happy Days.

In a message posted online, he said: "We lost Robin - first witnessed his genius as he created Mork before our eyes in two hours on set. A Force. A Sweet Soul. A Brilliant Artist."

Comedian and actor Billy Connolly, a close friend of Williams, said: "Robin was both my friend and my hero, a unique talent and a kind and generous man; the world will be a much poorer place without him."

Williams receives an award in New York in 2012

Billy Crystal, who starred in a number of films with  Williams and joined him for a cameo in the sitcom Friends, said: "No words."

Steven Spielberg, who worked with Williams on Hook, said: "Robin was a lightning storm of comic genius and our laughter was the thunder that sustained him.  He was a pal and I can't believe he's gone."

Spielberg famously regularly phoned Williams to cheer himself up during filming of his harrowing 1994 Holocaust drama Schindler's List.

Ellen DeGeneres expresses her sadness at the death of Robin Williams

Actor and comedian Steve Martin, his co-star in Waiting For Godot, said: "I could not be more stunned by the loss of Robin Williams, mensch, great talent, acting partner, genuine soul."

Williams' Mrs Doubtfire co-star Sally Field said: "He always lit up when he was able to make people laugh, and he made them laugh his whole life long - tirelessly. He was one of a kind. There will not be another."

The Birdcage co-star Nathan Lane said: "What I will always remember about Robin, perhaps even more than his comic genius, extraordinary talent and astounding intellect, was his huge heart - his tremendous kindness, generosity, and compassion as an acting partner, colleague and fellow traveler in a difficult world."

His Good Will Hunting co-star Minnie Driver said: "My heart's broken. Robin was a beautiful, kind soul. Can't bear that he's gone. So incredibly sorry for his family."

Ben Stiller, who starred in the Night At The Museum films with Williams, said: "A tweet cannot begin to describe the hugeness of Robin Williams heart and soul and talent. This is so sad."

The third installment of the franchise is due for release at Christmas.

Comedian Eddie Izzard pays tribute to Williams on Twitter

Ricky Gervais, who also stars in the films, said: "I am deeply saddened. He was a lovely man who would keep everyone laughing even if he wasn't feeling good himself. RIP Robin Williams."

Johnny Depp said: "The world lost a legend of an actor and an extraordinary man today. Rest In Peace Robin Williams."

The US actor and director Henry Winkler wrote on Twitter: "Robin Williams was like no other .. To watch him create on the spot was a privilege to behold.

"Robin you are an angel now!!! REST IN PEACE," he added.

The Prince of Wales, who met Williams several times, also paid tribute, saying: "He was a remarkable man, whose wonderful frenetic humour brought a special kind of laughter into people's lives."

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, in reference to his performance as the Genie in Aladdin, said: "Genie, you're free."

Comedian Eddie Izzard said: "Robin Williams has died and I am very sad. From every comedian here at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, we salute him & we say goodbye."

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