Rebels' MH17 Site 'Sabotage Plan' Intercepted

Rebels planned to sabotage the investigation into Malaysian Airlines flight MH17 by scattering parts of other planes at the crash site, according to Sky sources.

UK intelligence officials intercepted communications between pro-Russian separatists, seemingly discussing deliberate attempts to tamper with the scene of the disaster.

Evidence indicates rebels talked about removing victims' remains from the fields of Grabovo, where the plane was shot down.

Sky sources in Whitehall added that the rebels also considered sending the black boxes to Moscow.

Sky's Defence Correspondent Alistair Bunkall said the sources claimed the separatists wanted to confuse the situation further for investigators. 

He said: "I think this will play into the fears that many people have that not all of the bodies will be returned, that parts of the plane have been tampered with in order to try and hide any evidence.

Malaysian air crash investigators at the site in Grabovo

"It has been incredibly difficult for international monitors to gain access to the crash site.

"This is all a part of UK intelligence working with intelligence agencies around the world to try and build up a picture not only of what happened at the point of impact, but also what happened in the hours and days that followed on from that."

The news came as Ukraine said rebels had shot down two of its fighter jets.

A spokesman for the country's military operations said the aircraft were brought down near Savur Mogila in eastern Ukraine.

No information was given about those on board, but it is thought both planes were carrying up to two crew members each.

Fierce fighting between Ukrainian forces and separatists has continued in the Donetsk region since the MH17 disaster.

Wooden coffins are loaded onto an aircraft at Kharkiv Airport

The bodies of some of the victims have started being flown back to the Netherlands from the crash site.

Two military aircraft - one Dutch and the other Australian - left Kharkiv Airport for Eindhoven Airport this morning.

The rest are expected to be repatriated during the course of this week.

Some 200 bodies have been handed over by the rebels but 80 are still missing and are thought to be among the flight debris at the crash site.

All 298 people on board were killed when the jet was brought down in a region where Ukrainian forces have been battling separatists.

Kiev and Moscow have blamed each other for the air disaster.

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Claudia Lawrence Investigation: Man Arrested

Missing Claudia: Timeline Of Events

Updated: 3:28pm UK, Wednesday 23 July 2014

Here is Claudia Lawrence's last known movements and the investigation since her disappearance:

2009

March 18

:: 5.57am - Miss Lawrence is seen on CCTV arriving for work at the University of York's Goodricke College.

:: 2.31pm - The chef leaves work to walk the three miles to her home on Heworth Road.

A female colleague sees her as she drives past in her car and gives her a lift, dropping her off outside her house.

A short time later, Miss Lawrence leaves her house and walks past the Nags Head pub. She has a brief conversation with a woman with a pram.

:: 3.05pm - The last sighting of Miss Lawrence as she walks back to her house.

:: 8.10pm - Miss Lawrence has a telephone conversation with her father, Peter, and then another with her mother, Joan.

:: 8.23pm - She sends a text message to a friend.

:: 9.12pm - Miss Lawrence receives a text on her mobile phone but it is not known if she read the message.

March 19

:: 6am - Miss Lawrence fails to arrive for her shift at work.

:: Later in the evening, Miss Lawrence fails to keep an arrangement to meet her friend, Suzy Cooper, at the Nags Head pub.

Ms Cooper discovers her friend did not attend work and rings Mr Lawrence, who contacts North Yorkshire Police.

March 23

:: Mr Lawrence, a solicitor from Slingsby, North Yorkshire, makes an emotional appeal for information about his daughter at a news conference in York. He describes Miss Lawrence's disappearance as a "living nightmare".

:: Police say they cannot rule out the possibility that the chef has been abducted.

March 25

:: Detective Superintendent Ray Galloway, leading the investigation, says he believes Miss Lawrence may have come to harm after meeting someone she knew.

He confirms around 100 police officers are involved in the search and says North Yorks Police are bringing in officers from other forces to help.

CCTV footage of the chef's last known movements is released.

March 30

:: Detective Superintendent Galloway makes an appeal for information on BBC1's Crimewatch programme.

April 7

:: Mr Lawrence holds his first weekly press conference at his home and appeals for anyone protecting his daughter's possible abductor to come forward.

April 16

:: Police say they are investigating "significant" new lines of inquiry, including a couple seen arguing near a car on Miss Lawrence's route to work the day after she was last seen and two men apparently trying the front door to her house in the week before she disappeared.

April 24

:: Detectives say they are treating Miss Lawrence's disappearance as a suspected murder investigation and Crimestoppers offers a £10,000 reward for information leading to the conviction of those responsible.

Detective Superintendent Galloway also reveals new information received from members of the public. He says one witness reported seeing a man and a woman walking near the University of York between 6am and 6.30am on March 17 and March 19.

Another witness saw a man and a woman, possibly matching Miss Lawrence's description, at 5.35am on March 19 on Melrosegate on the chef's route to work.

April 29

:: Mrs Lawrence releases her first statement through police describing her daughter's disappearance as "every parent's worst nightmare"

May 6

:: Police reveal they have received more than 1,000 calls about Miss Lawrence's disappearance since March 22 and have taken 1,096 statements and reports.

Officers involved in the investigation have visually searched around 1,270 properties, including gardens and outbuildings and student halls of residence at the University of York.

May 15

:: Police release CCTV footage of a man seen near Miss Lawrence's home in the early hours of March 19.

Detective Superintendent Galloway says the number of searching officers has been scaled-down and police are now only carrying out intelligence-led searches.

June 2

:: A reconstruction of Miss Lawrence's last known movements and possible witness sightings is screened on BBC1's Crimewatch programme.

Detective Superintendent Galloway tells the show that Miss Lawrence was involved in relationships of "complexity and mystery" and appeals to anyone who had ever been in a relationship with the chef to come forward.

August 19

:: Police say an external review of the investigation by the National Policing Improvement Agency (NPIA) is "extremely positive" and the force are acting upon a list recommendations.

September 18

:: Detectives reveal they have extended their investigation to Cyprus.

2010

March 18

:: Police reveal Ms Lawrence spent the night with a mystery boyfriend just two days before she went missing. It was "critical" they spoke to the man, a detective adds.

March 24

:: Detectives search an area near York University following new information.

May 25

:: Police confirm they have spent two days searching a house about 10 miles from Claudia's home as a result of a "recent development".

July 29

:: Police confirm they are scaling back the number of officers dedicated to the inquiry.

Assistant Chief Constable Tim Madgwick says 100 officers were dedicated to the investigation at its height.

A year after Miss Lawrence disappeared, this figure had dropped to about 20 to 30 and there were now 16 detectives involved. Mr Madgwick says they will be cut cut to seven officers the following month.

August 8

:: A man arrested on suspicion of burglary has been spoken to about the case, North Yorks police say.

But he is described as  "one of many people spoken to during the course of the investigation" and there still have been no formal suspects identified by the inquiry team.

September 20

:: Mr Lawrence speaks of his "devastation" after it is revealed that a cash reward for information was being dropped.

The decision means the North Yorks Police will remove their appeal posters from fleet vehicles because they refer to the reward.

2011

March 18

:: On the second anniversary of Miss Lawrence's disappearance, Detective Superintendent Galloway reveals that he could have "potentially" spoken to her killer.

December 13

:: Detectives say they are pursuing a new lead which could be "significant".

2012

March 16

:: Peter Lawrence speaks of his daily pain over his daughter's disappearance and makes a plea for anyone who may still harbour a sense of "misguided loyalty" to come forward and help with the police investigation.

July 10

:: Martin Dales, spokesman for Mr Lawrence, says a former private detective has contacted him to say he spotted someone with a striking resemblance to Claudia a week earlier in Amsterdam.

2013

February 27

:: Family and friends of Miss Lawrence make an emotional appeal for help to find her on what would have been her 39th birthday.

October 29

:: Police announce a new forensic search of Miss Lawrence's home is to begin as they launch a fresh review of the case.

2014

March 17

:: Mr Lawrence, speaking ahead of the fifth anniversary of his daughter's disappearance, says not knowing what happened to his daughter five years after she disappeared is like a "cancer" eating away at him.

March 19

:: Police say a new forensic examination of Claudia's house has uncovered the fingerprints of people who still have not come forward five years after she disappeared. They say they are seeking to trace two men and two vehicles seen near her home.

April 17

:: North Yorks Police say 121 people have come forward to help their inquiry since a national appeal was made to coincide with the fifth anniversary of her disappearance. They say taxi drivers may have important information about the case.

May 13

:: A 59-year-old man is arrested on suspicion of murder by detectives investigating the disappearance.

:: A police spokeswoman says Miss Lawrence has not been found and they cannot rule out the possibility of further arrests in the future.

July 23

:: A 46-year-old man from the York area is arrested on suspicion of perverting the course of justice.

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Israel 'Could Be Guilty Of Gaza War Crimes'

There is a "strong possibility" Israel is violating international law in Gaza, the UN's High Commissioner for Human Rights has said.

Opening an emergency debate at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, Navanethem Pillay said Israel's punitive house demolitions and killing of Palestinians raised serious concerns of excessive use of force by the Jewish state.

Ms Pillay also condemned the indiscriminate firing of rockets and mortars by Hamas into Israel.

Ms Pillay: 'Every one of these incidents must be investigated'

"Once again, the principles of distinction and precaution are clearly not being observed during such indiscriminate attacks on civilian areas by Hamas and other armed Palestinian groups," she said.

"Every one of these incidents must be properly and independently investigated." 

More than 650 Palestinians have been killed as well as 29 Israeli soldiers and two civilians as two weeks of airstrikes and rocket attacks were followed by an Israeli ground offensive inside Gaza.

On Wednesday, hundreds of people reportedly fled Khan Younis amid heavy fighting between Israeli troops and members of the armed wing of Hamas.

The Red Crescent said Hamas fighters were using rocket propelled grenades and light weapons, including machine guns, against the Israelis.

The Israeli military was said to be firing tank shells and missiles from drones into the area.

Ms Pillay's comments came as US Secretary of State John Kerry arrived in Tel Aviv to push for ceasefire talks.

Mr Kerry said he was making "some steps forward" in the search for a cessation to the fighting but declined to provide any details.

A Palestinian doctor inspects a shell-damaged hospital in Gaza

Israel's UN representative said the debate was a knee-jerk reaction, adding that Israel's duty to defend itself was enshrined in International law and that it was Hamas that was committing war crimes.

Israel's ambassador also said Israel would destroy Hamas' military infrastructure, but added that Gaza residents themselves were "not our enemy".

Palestinian Foreign Minister Riad al-Malki claimed Israel was committing "a crime against humanity" and he urged world powers to end what he called Israel's impunity, adding: "Israel must be held accountable for its crimes." 

The Geneva rights forum convened the special one-day session at the request of the Palestinians, Egypt and Pakistan.

Israel, which accuses the council of bias, boycotted the Geneva forum for 20 months, resuming co-operation in October.

The United States, a member state, has also said Israel was being unfairly singled out.

Today's debate comes as major airlines from the US, Europe and Canada announced they are refusing to fly to and from Israel after a rocket fired from Gaza landed near Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion international airport.

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Adele's Son Wins Damages For Paparazzi Photos

Singer Adele's son Angelo Adkins is to get a five-figure sum in damages at the High Court over paparazzi photos.

The case was brought against Corbis Images UK Ltd by the singer and her partner, Simon Konecki, over photographs of his "milestone moments".

Adele's lawyer said she was determined her two-year-old son was not and must never be "public property".

"It is a matter of profound sadness that many of his milestone moments, such as his first family outing and his first trip to playgroup, were photographed and published worldwide expressly against his family's wishes," solicitor Jenny Afia told Mr Justice Bean in London.

"Adele and Simon never encourage such photos. Quite the opposite.

"The parents' view is that these images were of routine, everyday family occasions which the paparazzi has no right to intrude upon, profit from and file away in picture libraries for future reference and use."

Corbis will pay damages and legal costs and has agreed it will not use the photos again, Ms Afia added.

The lawyer told the judge that the singer accepted and enjoyed her public profile as a world-famous singer and songwriter.

"She is extremely grateful to the public and press for their support in helping her achieve international acclaim," she said.

As a result of Corbis agreeing the payment, Adele and Mr Konecki have withdrawn a claim against other defendants in connection with photos taken of their little boy.

Ms Afia said: "Adele and Simon are pleased this matter has been resolved. They continue to do all they can to protect Angelo's rights in relation to the paparazzi, including taking legal action where necessary.

"They will be holding the damages on trust on behalf of the claimant for this purpose.

"They will also continue efforts to improve the laws relating to paparazzi and children generally, building on the successful campaign Adele helped fund in California resulting in far stricter harassment laws."

Later, the lawyer said the case showed taking photographs could be as intrusive as publishing them.

"This case also emphasises a dividing line between celebrities who strive to keep their children out of the spotlight and those who make them part of their brand," she said.

"The children of famous parents are not celebrities. The law can, will and should protect them."

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Peaches Geldof May Have Lied About Drug Tests

Peaches Geldof may have lied to her husband about her weekly drug tests being clear, an inquest into her death has heard.

Thomas Cohen found his wife slumped on the bed in the spare room of their Kent home in April after she failed to answer the phone.

The inquest heard the 25-year-old TV presenter was a heroin addict who had been taking the substitute drug methadone in the two-and-a-half years before her death. 

She had been having weekly drugs tests which she told her husband were negative but, even though he had not seen her take drugs, he became concerned that she might be, the hearing in Gravesend was told.

In February, he found texts suggesting she was taking drugs again and after speaking to her about it, she retrieved heroin from the loft of their Wrotham property and flushed it down the toilet.

Peaches Geldof with her husband Thomas Cohen

Police called to the address on the day she died found 6.9g of "importation quality" heroin with a street value of up to £550, along with drugs paraphernalia including syringes and burnt spoons.

Analysis of the brown powder concluded it had a purity of 61%.

Detective Chief Inspector Paul Fotheringham, who led the investigation, said it "far exceeded" the 26% purity usually found at street level.

He told the inquest that forensic scientist Emma Harris found a high level of morphine in Ms Geldof's blood, suggesting she died "shortly after taking heroin" and that it was "likely" the substance played a role in her death.

In her report, Dr Harris said: "Persons taking heroin on a regular basis develop a tolerance to the drug, and such individuals can use doses that would be toxic, or fatal, to people with no tolerance.

"However, tolerance to heroin and other opiate drugs appears to be lost fairly rapidly when users cease to use the drug, and deaths commonly occur in people who have previously been tolerant and have returned to using heroin."

Det Insp Fotheringham also told the inquest there is an ongoing police investigation into who supplied the drugs to the mother-of-two, but so far there had been no arrests.

The coroner Roger Hatch, who found the model's death was drugs-related, said the purity of the heroin had been a factor.

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Boa Constrictor Warning: Snake On The Loose

Parents have been warned to be on the lookout for an 8ft (2.4m) boa constrictor which could pose a risk to small children.

The reptile was reported missing from an address in Skelmersdale, Lancashire, on Tuesday evening.

Heavy-bodied boa constrictors, which kill their prey by wrapping themselves around it, pose a potential risk to children and animals as they might coil around them seeking warmth.

They can also deliver a nasty bite if they feel threatened.

However, they are not venomous or normally aggressive towards humans.

The snake kills its prey by coiling around it. Pic: File

Sky's Becky Johnson, reporting from Skelmersdale, said the snake might have slithered down the toilet and be hiding in the drains.

"The neighbours didn't even know they had an 8ft boa constrictor," she said.

"It could come up the drain at one of the neighbour's houses, it could also be in the attic.

"Lancashire County Council have been out searching drains, but so far there is no sign of it." 

Experts said the boa constrictor was likely to be sleeping somewhere warm.

Inspector Mark Porter, of Skelmersdale Police, said: "While we do not believe the snake is aggressive or would attack anybody, there is the potential for risk to small children or pets from the animal seeking warmth.

"I would urge anyone who sees the snake to get in touch so that it can be recovered safely."

The police warning came a day after two boa constrictors were found near a children's play area in an east London park.

Police officers removed the snakes with a litter grabber and brown bags.

:: Anyone with information about the disappearance in Bearncroft, Skelmersdale, should contact police on 101, quoting log number 1586 of July 22.

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Ian Watkins Loses 'Harsh' Sentence Challenge

Former Lostprophets frontman Ian Watkins has lost a legal challenge to appeal his 35-year sentence for 13 child-sex offences.

The disgraced rock star had claimed he was treated too harshly when he was handed a 29-year jail term and an additional six years on licence.

But judges at Cardiff Crown Court decided the former singer did not have sufficient grounds to appeal.

Sally O'Neill QC: 'A sense of proportion needs to be maintained'

Watkins, 36, originally declared he was innocent of the offences, which included the attempted rape of an 11-month old child and possession of child-abuse videos, some which he made himself, and encouraging a fan to abuse her own child.

But at the last minute he changed his plea, averting the need for a trial.

He later complained he had not realised his guilty plea would make him "look guilty".

At his original trial, judge Mr Justice Royce told Watkins: "Those who have appeared in these courts over many years see a large number of horrific cases. This case, however, breaks new ground.

"I am satisfied that you are a deeply corrupting influence, you are highly manipulative, you are a sexual predator, you are dangerous. The public and, in particular, young females need protection from you."

Watkins was told that he would have to serve two-thirds of the custodial term before he could be considered for release by the Parole Board.

His two accomplices, only identified as Woman A and Woman B, were jailed for 14 years and 16 years respectively.

Watkins' barrister Sally O'Neil said her client was not given enough discount for pleading guilty.

"This case causes a very disturbing reaction for anyone who has has anything to do with it. We accept these matters are very serious.

"But by pleading guilty my client averted the need for a most distressing and unpleasant trial for all those concerned, especially a jury.

"I am not trying to minimise the gravity of these offences, just simply make the observation that a sense of proportion needs to be maintained.

"These offences, however bad, are not the worst."

Woman B also sought leave to appeal and had her bid turned down.

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Fat Guy Number Three Video Teases Kim Jong-Un

A video poking fun at the supreme leader of North Korea has become an internet hit after being watched 55 million times.

The three-minute video titled Fat Guy Number Three satirises Kim Jong-Un by placing his head on a series of animated gifs.

Mr Kim is portrayed as various characters including a performing baseball pitch attendant, a judo-fighter and an overweight breakdancer.

Russia's President Putin and Barack Obama get cameo roles in the film, as does former al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, who is shown hand-in-hand with the North Korean dictator.  

The video was made in China and uploaded to the country's video-sharing site Tencent - YouTube is banned in the country.

Writing on his Weibo page, the creator said the clip was "just for entertainment" and not political.

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Taiwan Plane Crash Leaves 47 Feared Dead

A plane crashed outside an airport in Taiwan as it tried to land in stormy weather, leaving 47 people trapped and feared dead.

The TransAsia aircraft came down near the airport in Xixi village, in the island of Penghu, off the western coast of Taiwan.

Yeh Kuang-shih, the country's transport minister, was quoted by the government's Central News Agency as saying another 11 people were injured after the plane crashed and caught fire while making a second landing attempt.

The agency had earlier reported, citing a local fire brigade chief, that 51 people had been killed.

Flight GE 222 was flying a domestic route in stormy weather from the capital Taipei to the Penghu Islands, halfway between the Chinese mainland and Taiwan.

Reports said the pilot failed to land the ATR-72 aircraft at the first attempt, before he requested another attempt and air-traffic control lost contact with the plane.

Pictures on Taiwan television showed emergency services searching through twisted wreckage at the crash site.

Taiwan was battered by Typhoon Matmo early Tuesday morning, and the Central Weather Bureau was advising of heavy rain through the evening, even though the center of the storm was in mainland China.

Penghu is a lightly populated island that averages around two flights a day from Taiwan's capital, Taipei.

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MH17 Victims' Bodies Arrive In The Netherlands

The bodies of some of the first victims recovered from downed Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 have been brought to the Netherlands from the crash site in eastern Ukraine.

Two military aircraft - one Dutch and the other Australian - left Kharkiv Airport in northeastern Ukraine earlier carrying the bodies of 40 victims between them in wooden coffins.

The jets arrived at Eindhoven airport in the Netherlands where they were met by relatives, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte and members of the Dutch royal family.

Bells were sounded across the country and the Last Post played at the airport as an eerie silence fell across the airbase.

A coffin of one victim is carried from a plane to a hearse

The coffins were carried off the planes by military personnel and each one put in a hearse.

Sky's Ian Woods, at the airport, said: "Around 1,000 relatives are watching from behind a screen, including members of two British families, even though they don't know if their loved ones are on board the planes."

A minute's silence was observed nationwide, and a motorcade took the bodies to the Korporaal Van Oudheusdenkazerne military barracks in Hilversum, where the long process of identifying the remains will begin using DNA, dental records and finger prints.

Jean Fransman, a spokesman for the ministry of security in the Netherlands, told Sky News: "We have chosen this location because these facilities have everything that's needed to carry out the identification process as quickly as possible with respect and discretion."

A total of 40 hearses are at the airbase to take away the wooden coffins

The Dutch Prime Minister has warned it could take weeks or even months to formally identify the victims before their bodies are released for repatriation.

A team of nine disaster victim identification (DVI) personnel from Britain, including six police officers, a crime scene manager and forensic photographer, will assist the Dutch authorities, which are leading the investigation.

There was a national day of mourning in the Netherlands for the 298 people killed, including 193 Dutch, that will include a silent march in Amsterdam this evening.

The bodies are the first of some 200 victims which are expected to be flown out of Ukraine during the course of this week.

A congregation at Eindhoven Airport gather for a sombre ceremony

It is thought more than 80 bodies still remain at the scene.

However, Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott has cast doubt over the numbers that have been recovered and handed over by pro-Russian separatists, and warned it is unclear how many bodies may have arrived in Kharkiv and been left behind.

"It's quite possible that many bodies are still out there in the open, in the European summer, subject to interference and subject to the ravages of heat and animals," he said.

Meanwhile, the black boxes from MH17 have now arrived in the UK, where they will be examined at the headquarters of the Air Accidents Investigation Branch in Farnborough, Hampshire.

Investigators say it will take 24 hours to download the data from each machine before sending it to the Dutch for analysis.

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