Dad Hears Of Son's Jet Death On Football Site

The father of a young British football fan on board the flight shot down over Ukraine said he found out his son was among the victims on the internet.

Barry Sweeney said he was "hurt" to have learned the news from the Newcastle United Fan Club website.

He had spent Thursday night trying to get through to official sources on "emergency lines".

Liam Sweeney, who worked night shifts at Morrisons, was travelling with friend John Alder, in his 60s, to see Newcastle United's pre-season tour in New Zealand when the crash occurred.

The 28-year-old would have been known to many fans during his time volunteering as a steward on supporters' buses to away games.

Barry Sweeney and John Alder were heading to New Zealand

Asked how he found out, his father told Sky News that he found out the NUFC website, which posted condolences.

He said: "I got a text last night off a friend, saying they'd heard something about a flight from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur, not really thinking much about it. Then I put Sky News on and was watching that.

"I rang a couple of numbers, spoke to a Malaysian lady…to be honest with you, a Geordie and a Malaysian lady trying to interact was a little bit difficult, but I gave her my number, hoped somebody would get back to us but they didn't.

"There was a number to text which I tried, nothing there. So basically I found out on NUFC.com this morning.

"It was impossible to believe, even when the police came this morning I thought he might have had too much to drink and he didn't get on the plane but they confirmed that he was on the plane."

Mr Sweeney added that his son was a "big friendly giant" who loved football "probably more than anything" but "was always there if you needed him".

In a separate interview the 52-year-old questioned whether he would want to go to the crash site.

"Is it worth it to see what I don't really want to see?" Mr Sweeney said.

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Tributes To British Students Killed In Crash

Tenth Briton Confirmed Among MH17 Victims

Updated: 9:37am UK, Saturday 19 July 2014

Ten Britons are now confirmed to have been among the 298 people on board flight MH17, which was shot down in Ukraine.

Friends and colleagues today paid tribute to the British victims named, including Leeds University student Richard Mayne, 20, from Leicestershire.

He had recently completed a charity trek to Everest Base Camp.

His former headteacher him described as someone who had a "great thirst for life" and "wanted to make the world a better place".

John Wood, from the Dixie Grammar School in Nuneaton, said: "Richard was an extremely pleasant and thoughtful young man who gave his time generously for everyone."

His sister Scarlett posted a picture of her and Richard on Instagram with the caption: "Always been my hero. Forever loved, never forgotten."

Ben Pocock was flying to Australia to begin a professional placement and study, Loughborough University said.

His family have spoken of their "devastation".

"He was a gifted academic, talented athlete but more importantly a warm, caring, fun-loving son and brother who had an extremely bright future ahead of him," they said.

"Ben is going to be terribly missed not only by his family but by the wider Keynsham community where he made so many long-lasting friends."

The latest British victim to be confirmed is Cameron Dalziel, a 42-year-old helicopter pilot living in South Africa.

His brother Campbell Dalziel said he "couldn't believe" his brother was gone: "It was [Thursday evening] while we were watching Sky News - he had been in Amsterdam at a conference.

"If the reports are credible and true we are saddened by this news. It's not only him that was taken away from us.

"From an early age he always believed in helping people you know and encouraging people from being a lifeguard on the beach to flying helicopters.

"He was part of the sea rescue team. He never ever wanted recognition just you know he enjoyed it. He loved doing it. If he didn't love it he wouldn't do it."

Newcastle United fans, John Alder and Liam Sweeney, who were travelling to see their football team play in New Zealand, also died in the crash, according to NUFC.com and the Newcastle Evening Chronicle.

Newcastle United said the pair were among the club's most loyal supporters.

Managing Director Lee Charnley said: "The loss of John and Liam is truly devastating news.

"Both men were dedicated supporters of our Club and were known to thousands of fans and staff alike."

Glenn Thomas, 49, from Blackpool, was among 100 delegates reportedly on their way to the International Aids Society (IAS) summit in Melbourne, Australia.

Friends spoke of their shock and loss of the media officer at the World Health Organisation (WHO) in Geneva.

WHO spokeswoman Fadela Chaib said: "We have lost a wonderful person and a great professional. Our hearts are broken. We are all in shock."

Stephen Anderson, 44, was reported by the Daily Telegraph to be among the dead.

The former RAF search and rescue co-ordinator, he grew up and worked in Britain before moving to Penang in Malaysia four years with his wife Joanna, 37, where he worked as a technician for Maersk Drilling.

Mr Anderson had spent 23 years with the RAF, including running the search and rescue team at Lossiemouth in Scotland for three years.

Mr Anderson's niece reportedly posted photos on Twitter yesterday with the message: "Rest in Peace Uncle Steve. You didn't deserve to die. No one on that flight did. I love you so much."

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Eighth British Victim On Flight MH17 Named

The eighth British victim on board flight MH17 has been named as 27-year-old Robert Ayley, who was originally from Guildford.

Mr Ayley moved to New Zealand when he was a child and had been in Europe for a month visiting Rottweiler breeders. 

His wife Sharlene wrote on Facebook: "Rob was our everything. We adored him and there was no one else like him. He touched so many hearts and lives.

"We are grateful to forever have him in our hearts."

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Retail Banks Face Competitiveness Probe

The competition watchdog has confirmed it is consulting on a provisional decision to launch an in-depth investigation into the retail banking sector.

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said essential parts of the UK market lack effective competitiveness.

The CMA said the existing structure did not meet the needs of consumers or that required by small and medium-sized enterprises (SME).

It said there will now be a consultation for an in-depth market investigation for personal current accounts and SME banking.

The watchdog said despite claims of competitiveness, customers have not benefited sufficiently from attempts to open up the market.

Recent changes have included a simplification of switching current accounts between providers.

The CMA said it would possibly launch a full-scale market investigation but has told the "big four" banks - Barclays, HSBC, Lloyds Banking Group and Royal Bank of Scotland - to offer an industry solution.

It said a formal decision on the investigation would be made in the autumn.

The current account sector is around £8bn in size, while the SME sector is worth £2bn.

The watchdog commissioned two reports, one into current accounts and the other into SME functionality.

The SME banking market study was a joint project with the City watchdog, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).

It was the first formal collaboration between the organisations since the CMA was formed following a merging of the Office of Fair Trading and the Competition Commission.

The CMA said it was interested in hearing from consumers and companies about their experiences.

It said there appeared to be limited scope for newer and smaller banks and the markets remain concentrated, particularly in Scotland and Northern Ireland.

It added that there was very little movement in the market share of the largest banks - other than as a result of mergers and acquisitions.

The CMA said many customers see little difference between the largest banks in terms of the services they offer.

In addition, it said limited transparency and difficulties for customers in making comparisons between banks, particularly for overdraft charges, are "very complex".

"This makes it hard for customers to choose the cheapest or most appropriate accounts for them, so limiting banks' incentives to compete," the CMA said.

"This may result in higher overdraft charges than would otherwise be the case."

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Health Fears As UK Gets Hotter Than Bahamas

By Nazaneen Ghaffar, Weather Presenter

Temperatures are set to reach 32C (90F) across many southern parts of Britain over the next few days, leading to the chance of severe thunderstorms.

Today, England and Wales will be mainly dry with spells of warm sunshine and it will feel very warm, especially across the southeast.

Scotland, Northern Ireland and the Republic will also have sunny spells, however western Scotland may see some scattered showers.

Temperatures will widely reach the mid to high 20s across England and Wales, and up to 30C (86F) is possible in the southeast.

Enjoying the sun at Gateshead Quayside in Newcastle

However, Scotland and Ireland will be several degrees cooler.

By this evening, thundery showers will spread into Kerry and Cork and move northwards through the night across most of the Republic of Ireland as well as parts of southwest England, Wales, the Midlands and central and southern England.

The heaviest and most torrential downpours are likely over Ireland. It will be a warm and muggy night as well, especially in the south.

Friday will be another very warm day across England and Wales with high humidity.

A warning for heavy rain on Saturday has been issued. Pic: Met Office

The showers and thunderstorms will continue spreading northwards into Northern Ireland, northern England and Scotland.

As the showers clear, long spells of sunshine will develop in the south. Temperatures will be high again, up to 32C (90F) in the south.

However, from Friday night and into Saturday the Met Office has issued a weather warning for heavy thundery showers for England, Wales and southern Scotland

It says frequent lightning, large hail and strong gusts are possible - as well as flooding.

The hot weather has brought health warnings from authorities - especially for the elderly, the young and those with serious illnesses.

Dr Paul Cosford, director for health protection at PHE, said: "Older people and those with long-term illnesses are particularly vulnerable to the effects of very hot weather, so it's important to look out for them and keep indoor areas as cool as possible."

The Met Office has declared a level 2 heat-health alert, which is activated when there is at least a 60% chance of temperatures being high enough on at least two consecutive days and into the night to have an impact on health.

The hottest areas will be in the South East of England. Pic: Met Office Friday will be the hottest day, with temperatures 30C or more in places

The reason for the hot conditions is southerly winds dragging up very warm and humid air, mainly from Iberia where temperatures are close to 40C (104F) in the south of Spain.

Next week's temperatures are likely to be a little lower, however it will still feel very warm and there will still be some thunderstorms.

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UK Couple 'Shaken' After Missing Doomed Flight

A British family scheduled to fly on the downed Malaysia Airlines plane say they have a "second chance" at life after being forced to miss the flight because there were not enough seats.

Barry Sim, from Scotland, his wife Izzy, and the couple's young child were travelling to Amsterdam's Schiphol airport in a taxi on Thursday evening when they heard about the crash.

They had been due to catch flight MH17 to Malaysia earlier in the day, but were told they would have to switch to another plane.

Cradling her baby at the airport, Mrs Sim said: "I'm shaken. I don't even know what to do. I feel physically sick.

"I was coming from the Hilton (hotel) in The Hague to the airport in the taxi and I was just crying.

"I'm just thinking that I feel like I've been given a second chance, so hopefully we will get there (to Malaysia) safely and we will see my family again."

The couple told the Daily Telegraph they were forced to swap to a KLM flight bound for Kuala Lumpur as there were too few seats for them and their baby.

A woman cries as she waits for information in Kuala Lumpur

Mr Sim told the newspaper he also felt "sick" after hearing about his family's lucky escape, but added that he wanted to carry on with his life.

"In my mind lightning never strikes twice in the same place, so I am still philosophical that you get on the flight and you go about your life," Mr Sim told the newspaper.

Flight MH17 was heading from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur at an altitude of 33,000ft (10,000m) when contact was lost yesterday afternoon.

An armed pro-Russian separatist at the crash scene

The plane crashed near the border with Russia. There were nine Britons among the 283 passengers and 15 crew members on board.

An adviser to the Ukrainian interior ministry said the Boeing 777 had been hit by a Buk ground-to-air missile.

US intelligence has also concluded a surface-to-air missile brought the plane down.

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How To Keep Your Cool In The Summer Heatwave

Public Health England and the NHS have given the following guidance to help people during the heatwave.

:: Try to keep out of the sun during the hottest part of the day, usually between 11am to 3pm. If you are outside, stay in the shade where possible.

:: Apply sunscreen of at least SPF15 with UVA protection.

:: Avoid strenuous activity.

:: Wear UV sunglasses, preferably wrap-around, to reduce UV exposure to the eyes.

:: Wear light, loose-fitting cotton clothes, a hat and light scarf.

:: Drink lots of cool non-alcoholic drinks and food with high-water content, such as fruit and salads.

:: Look out for others, especially vulnerable groups such as older people, young children and babies and those with serious illnesses.

:: Never leave anyone in a closed, parked vehicle, especially infants, young children or animals.

:: Keep your house cool - close light-coloured curtains on windows that get direct sun; open windows overnight if safe; turn off non-essential light and electrical items that generate heat.

:: Cool (not cold) showers and baths may help; also try sprinkling water over skin and clothes, or a damp cloth on the back of your neck

:: If observing Ramadan, drink lots of water between fasts. If you feel unwell, confused or disorientated consider breaking your fast. The Muslim Council of Britain says this is allowable under Islamic law.

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Shale Gas Terminal 'Saves' Grangemouth

The owners of the Grangemouth terminal, threatened with closure last year, say its future has been secured by a Goverment loan to help build a shale gas facility.

Ineos says the promise of £230m would allow it to raise funds to invest in a new terminal to import, store and process ethane from shale gas as North Sea supplies dwindle.

The company said it was one of the most important infrastructure projects of recent times in Scotland and would protect thousands of jobs across the UK by ensuring the long-term future of petrochemical manufacture at Grangemouth.

The ethane tank will be the largest in Europe and is central to the company's plans to import shale gas from the US - a product that has helped bring down world gas prices but is controversial because of the use of a process called fracking to extract it.

The prospect of UK-based fracking has faced stiff opposition from environment campaign groups and communities, though ministers argue it is needed to bring prices down and boost gas supplies.

Under its plans, Grangemouth will, by 2016, be a shale gas-based facility, which Ineos said was essential if it is to compete in world markets beyond 2017.

The future of the site was in doubt last year because of an industrial dispute, but Ineos said it had invested £300m as part of a long-term survival plan.

Chief Secretary to the Treasury Danny Alexander said: "Over £1bn of infrastructure projects have now been brought forward as a result of the UK guarantees scheme and £36bn worth of projects are pre-qualified.

"Our action is creating the right conditions for more investment in our infrastructure, helping to build a stronger economy and a fairer society across the country.

"The Grangemouth guarantee is fantastic news for Scotland's economic future, and for the UK's energy security."

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Health Fears As UK Gets Hotter Than Bahamas

By Nazaneen Ghaffar, Weather Presenter

Temperatures are set to reach 32C (90F) across many southern parts of Britain over the next few days, leading to the chance of severe thunderstorms.

Today, England and Wales will be mainly dry with spells of warm sunshine and it will feel very warm, especially across the southeast.

Scotland, Northern Ireland and the Republic will also have sunny spells, however western Scotland may see some scattered showers.

Temperatures will widely reach the mid to high 20s across England and Wales, and up to 30C (86F) is possible in the southeast.

The hottest areas will be in the South East of England. Pic: Met Office

However, Scotland and Ireland will be several degrees cooler.

By this evening, thundery showers will spread into Kerry and Cork and move northwards through the night across most of the Republic of Ireland as well as parts of southwest England, Wales, the Midlands and central and southern England.

The heaviest and most torrential downpours are likely over Ireland. It will be a warm and muggy night as well, especially in the south.

Friday will be another very warm day across England and Wales with high humidity.

The showers and thunderstorms will continue spreading northwards into Northern Ireland, northern England and Scotland.

Friday will be the hottest day, with temperatures 30C or more in places

As the showers clear, long spells of sunshine will develop in the south. Temperatures will be high again, up to 32C (90F) in the south.

The forecast has brought health warnings - especially for the elderly, the young and those with serious illnesses.

Dr Paul Cosford, director for health protection at PHE, said: "Older people and those with long-term illnesses are particularly vulnerable to the effects of very hot weather, so it's important to look out for them and keep indoor areas as cool as possible."

The Met Office has declared a level 2 heat-health alert, which is activated when there is at least a 60% chance of temperatures being high enough on at least two consecutive days and into the night to have an impact on health.

The Met Office has issued severe weather warnings for rain for much of the UK, with "significant" flooding possible.

The reason for the hot conditions is southerly winds dragging up very warm and humid air, mainly from Iberia where temperatures are close to 40C (104F) in the south of Spain.

Next week's temperatures are likely to be a little lower, however it will still feel very warm and there will still be some thunderstorms.

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ISIS Member From Scotland 'Killed' In Iraq

The Foreign Office has said it is trying to verify reports a man brought up in Aberdeen has been killed while fighting for militant group ISIS in Iraq.

Abdul Raqib Amin, 26, was killed during fighting with government forces near Ramadi, according to social media reports.

Mr Amin, who goes by the fighter name Abu Bara al Hindi and is originally from Bangladesh, was filmed with two other UK-based men in a recruitment video for the extremist group.

The reports of his death have not been officially confirmed. It will add to his family's anguish because the ungoverned status of large parts of Iraq makes it difficult to secure confirmation.

Mr Amin appeared with two other British-based men in an ISIS video

A statement from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office said: "We are aware of reports of the death of a British national in Iraq.

"We stand ready to talk to any family who may be affected.

"The UK is deeply concerned by the growth of terrorism in Iraq and Syria, which threatens the people in the entire region and the UK.

"The UK advises against all travel to Syria and much of Iraq and anyone travelling to these areas is exposing themselves to serious risk."

A woman walks past the scene of a bomb attack in Sadr City

In the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) video, posted to YouTube, Mr Amin appeared alongside students Nasser Muthana and Reyaad Khan - both 20 and from Cardiff. They urged Westerners to join the fighting in Iraq and Syria.

It comes as Iraqi forces were forced to withdraw from the northern city of Tikrit after meeting heavy resistance.

Government troops retreated to a base two and a half miles from the city after coming under heavy mortar and sniper fire.

Tikrit was captured by ISIS militants on June 12 and a push to retake it began at the beginning of July.

ISIS leader Abu Bakr al Baghdadi has proclaimed a caliphate, or Islamic state, twice the size of Israel spanning Iraq and Syria.

The group began seizing territory north of Baghdad last month and has killed captured Iraqi soldiers.

Last month, Home Secretary Theresa May said the latest figures suggest the number of UK-linked individuals who have gone to fight in Syria currently stands at around 400.

She added the the Government would "need to exercise every tool that we have" to prevent them returning home and posing a threat to UK citizens.

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More Than 600 Paedophile Suspects Arrested

An operation by the National Crime Agency has seen 660 suspected paedophiles arrested across the UK.

Those held include doctors, teachers, scout leaders, care workers and former police officers.

Thirty-nine of the 660 were registered sex offenders but the vast majority had not come to the authorities' attention before.

As a result of the six-month investigation across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland - which has only now been revealed - more than 400 children have been safeguarded, the NCA said.

None of those arrested in the investigation involving 45 police forces is a serving or former MP or member of the Government, it stressed.

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Economy: Weakest Pay Growth For Five Years

Official figures show pay is growing at its weakest level for five years, heightening renewed concerns over the cost of living.

The Office for National Statistics' (ONS) latest monthly update on jobs and pay showed an improving picture for employment, with the jobless rate falling to 6.5% in May, but highlighted a deteriorating picture on pay growth despite the improving economy.

In the three months to May, total pay including bonuses rose at an annual rate of 0.3% - down from a yearly rise of 0.8% in the three months to April.

The ONS said the figure continued to be affected by comparisons with the same month last year when many companies delayed paying bonus awards to help their employees benefit from a cut in income tax.

When the effect of bonuses was excluded, growth of 0.7% was measured - which the ONS said was the slowest rate under that measure since records began in 2001.

Just 24 hours previously, the ONS charted a steeper-than-expected increase in the headline measure of inflation from an annual rate of 1.5% in May to 1.9% in June confirming that the gulf between rising prices and pay increases was widening further.

The Government admitted there was "more work to do" to help bolster living standards but pointed to the unemployment figures as evidence that progress was being made.

The employment minister Esther McVey told Sky News the recovery had "reached a milestone" in terms of employment, with the total rising by 254,000 in the three months to May.

Much of the increase was attributed to hiring by companies rather than rising self-employment levels which had been credited for rises over previous months.

The unemployment total was calculated at 2.12m - a fall of 121,000 - with the numbers claiming jobseeker's allowance dropping by 36,300 in June.

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Payday Loan Caps To Cut The Cost Of Borrowing

The City regulator is to impose caps on payday loans from January to tackle abuses in the quick-credit market, in a move set to cost the industry £420m of its annual revenue.

The headline measure was a limit in the overall cost of a loan, which the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) said should never exceed 100% of the total amount borrowed.

For example, if a borrower was to take out a loan of £300, the person's liability would not be more than £600.

Fixed default fees were also to be capped at £15, the regulator said, with interest on unpaid balances and default fees not exceeding 0.8% per day of the outstanding amount.

News of the restrictions - reported by Sky News on Monday night ahead of the announcement - prompted the industry body the Consumer Finance Association (CFA) to warn that the limits could force many of its members out of business, driving customers towards loan sharks instead.

The FCA admitted the measures were likely to cost the payday sector £420m annually but its chief executive Martin Wheatley dismissed the industry's claim as a "scare story" - telling Sky News the caps would only take out those firms preying on their customers.

He said: "For the many people that struggle to repay their payday loans every year this is a giant leap forward.

"From January next year, if you borrow £100 for 30 days and pay back on time, you will not pay more than £24 in fees and charges and someone taking the same loan for 14 days will pay no more than £11.20. That's a significant saving.

"For those who struggle with their repayments, we are ensuring that someone borrowing £100 will never pay back more than £200 in any circumstance.

"There have been many strong and competing views to take into account, but I am confident we have found the right balance.

"Alongside our other new rules for payday firms - affordability tests and limits on rollovers and continuous payment authorities - the cap will help drive up standards in a sector that badly needs to improve how it treats its customers."

The measures were announced 24 hours after Wonga - the country's biggest payday lender - confirmed its new chairman was to lead a drive to improve standards in the wake of damaging revelations the firm created fake legal letters to threaten borrowers in arrears.

Citizens Advice chief executive Gillian Guy said of the caps: "Up until now, payday lenders have had the green light to send people into a spiral of unmanageable debt.

"The cap will help limit the scale of debts but its success will depend on enforcement and is part of a raft of measures, including limiting rollovers, that the FCA must make sure lenders are sticking to."

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NHS To Monitor Nurses For 'Red Flag' Errors

By Thomas Moore, Health Correspondent

Hospitals have been issued with a new checklist that should ensure they have enough nurses to provide safe care.

The NHS watchdog the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) said all hospitals in England should monitor for "red flag" events that indicate staff are under too much pressure.

They include forgetting a patient's medication, failing to check patients are eating and drinking enough, and omitting to regularly turn immobile patients to reduce the risk of pressure sores.

Any ward manager should be able to respond to red flag events by calling for immediate back-up from other departments, according to new guidelines.

If it happens too often, managers will have to recruit more staff.

"The point of a red flag is that additional staff are required pretty urgently on the ward to make sure that those key things are delivered," said Professor Gillian Leng, deputy chief executive at Nice.

The watchdog hopes to avoid a repeat of the Stafford Hospital scandal

The watchdog rejected calls to set a national staffing ratio.

It says a target of one nurse to eight patients is too rigid. Some patients - such as the elderly - need far more care than others.

Professor Leng added: "Safe staffing is more complex than setting a single ratio.

"The emphasis should not just be on the available number of staff, it should be on delivering safe patient care and making sure that hospital management and nursing staff are absolutely clear on best practice to do this."

The guidance was welcomed by the Royal College of Nursing.

Chief Executive Dr Peter Carter said: "The needs of patients should be the only thing determining staffing levels - not finances.

RCN chief Peter Carter warned finances should not dictate care levels

"Patient care must not be compromised because of short-term financial cuts and a minimum safe staffing level should not become a default staffing level."

Nice estimates that hiring extra nurses to meet safe staffing levels will cost £200m.

But the better quality care they will provide will save £1bn by reducing pressure sores and another £700m by preventing wound infections.

Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt said: "Recent years have seen a big jump in nursing numbers in hospital wards, with 6,200 more nurses since 2010. Today's guidance will help the NHS use staff as effectively as possible."

Labour's shadow health secretary Andy Burnham said: "Hospitals across England are operating way beyond recommended capacity levels and, because of this, too many do not have enough staff to provide safe care.

"In the last year, inspectors failed one in six hospitals for not having adequate numbers of staff."

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Gove Leaves Education Job As Hague Quits

Michael Gove will leave his job as Education Secretary in a major reshuffle of the top jobs in Government.

The 46-year-old, a controversial figure among many teachers, has been swapped to the role of Commons Chief Whip - a move described as "definitely a demotion" by Sky's Political Editor Adam Boulton.

David Cameron had been expected to promote more women into key posts ahead of next year's General Election.

Nicky Morgan takes over from Michael Gove as Education Secretary

The first to secure a high-profile role was Nicky Morgan, the current Minister for Women and Equalities, who will fill the vacancy left by Mr Gove.

It is a rapid rise for an MP who has only held a seat in the House of Commons for four years.

Liz Truss also secures promotion, moving from Education Minister to Environment Secretary to replace Owen Paterson, who became a familiar face during the flooding crisis over the winter.

Liz Truss is the Government's new Environment Secretary

The wide-ranging reshuffle also sees the shock departure of William Hague as Foreign Secretary.

The 53-year-old will become Leader of the House Of Commons before standing down as an MP at the next General Election in 2015.

He is replaced by Philip Hammond, who moves from the role of Defence Secretary.

Sky's Political Correspondent Sophy Ridge said: "When they said this would be a significant reshuffle, they actually meant it."

Philip Hammond replaces William Hague as Foreign Secretary

A  Downing Street spokesman said Mr Hague will help to coordinate government policy and become a "leading campaigner in key constituencies, particularly in the north of England".

He will also be the Prime Minister's special representative on preventing sexual violence in conflict, following his work with UN special envoy and Hollywood actress Angelina Jolie.

Meanwhile, Ken Clarke is retiring from Government and other high-profile Tory MPs have emerged as casualties of the reshuffle, including Policing Minister Damian Green and Attorney General Dominic Grieve QC.

Ken Clarke pictured arriving at No 10 on Monday

Mr Clarke, 74, is stepping down as minister without portfolio, bringing to an end a front bench career stretching back to 1972.

Speaking shortly after Mr Hague announced his departure, the Prime Minister said: "Mr Hague has been one of the leading lights of the Conservative Party for a generation, leading the party and serving in two cabinets.

"Not only has he been a first class Foreign Secretary, he has also been a close confidante, a wise counsellor and a great friend."

Mr Hague with Angelina Jolie and US Secretary of State John Kerry

Mr Hague said there was a "balance to strike between experience on the one hand and the need for renewal on the other".

"Renewal in politics is good and holding office is not an end in itself," he said.

"After 26 years as an MP, the time will be right for me to move on."

Mr Green has been sacked in a "shock" move and Mr Grieve has also left the Government, Sky sources say.

Welsh Secretary David Jones, Transport Minister Stephen Hammond and Minister for Civil Society Nick Hurd are also out.

International Development Minister Alan Duncan is standing down at his own request, while Universities Minister David Willetts has also stood down and declared his intention to quit as an MP next year.

Mr Jones is set to be replaced by Stephen Crabb, according to Sky sources.

Boulton said: "It's the biggest upheaval in David Cameron's government since he came to power in 2010.

"He is clearly cutting out a lot of, as people are saying, 'pale, male and stale' ministers.

"A lot of them are, frankly, thought to be doing quite good jobs in their ministerial positions."

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'Macho Parliament Putting Women Off Politics'

'Lack Of Women MPs Is A Real Problem'

Updated: 2:31pm UK, Sunday 13 July 2014

Former equalities minister Maria Miller has told Sky News that there is a "real problem" with the lack of women MPs in Parliament.

The Conservative MP for Basingstoke told the Murnaghan programme that Parliament needed to "look at its practices" in order to encourage more women into politics.

And she said she "wouldn't rule out" all-women shortlists if the Tories could not recruit more women.

Her comments came as David Cameron is expected to appoint more women to ministerial posts at a reshuffle this week.

Ms Miller, who was forced to resign earlier this year following an expenses scandal, said: "There is a real problem there.

"We only have 22% of members of Parliament who are female, and at a time when we are seeing young girls come out of university with the best degrees, and choosing to go into areas like law and accountancy in more numbers than their male counterparts, yet in Parliament we are still struggling to attract women either as a first career or even as a second career."

She said that women were not taking up the challenge of trying to improve their communities by going into politics.

She was hopeful that a report that is due to be released on Monday, which aims to address the issue, will help, even though Parliament has been "lagging behind".

She admitted that, as someone who had gone to a Comprehensive in Wales and had not gone to Oxford or Cambridge, becoming an MP was something she had not seen herself doing.

It had only been because of family and friends that she had gone into politics, she added.

She also admitted that she had not realised what it would be like in Parliament, but that MPs needed to "look at the working practices we have and culture that we have" so that Westminster did not lag behind.

In February, Ed Miliband pointed out during Prime Minister's Questions that none of the Conservative front bench seats were occupied by women.

Ms Miller tipped Harriett Baldwin, Margot James and Esther McVey for greater future success.

But Labour's Shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper warned that voters would view a reshuffle that increased the number of women in Cabinet as a "last minute worry" about votes.

The Labour front bencher accused the Prime Minister of having a "real blind spot" over women and said it would be "too little, too late".

She told the Murnaghan programme: "I think if he was serious about having women in his Cabinet, he's had four years to do so.

"There's only three women in the Cabinet of between 20 and 30 people at the moment and I think this is going to look really like a last minute worry about votes because he knows that he's got a real blind spot when it comes to women."

Liberal Democrat Justice Minister Simon Hughes admitted that his party had the fewest number of female MPs out of any of the major parties and admitted that more needed to be done.

Talking about the possibility that Lib Dem leader and Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg might swap Ed Davey for Jo Swinson in the Energy Secretary role, he said: "He's absolutely mindful of making sure that we have more women in government - the fact that we have people like Jo Swinson back from maternity leave firing on all cylinders in the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills is very welcome in the party."

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Abdullah-X Cartoon Aims To Deter Jihadists

By Jason Farrell, Senior Political Correspondent

A former Islamic extremist has become the creator of an innovative campaign to convince young Muslims not to join violent jihad.

In an exclusive interview with Sky News, the creator of an online cartoon character called Abdullah-X explained how his animation aims to unpick the message of radical preachers and dissuade young Muslims from fighting in Syria and Iraq.

In an anonymous interview, he told Sky News: "It hopes to save the lives of young Muslims who believe that jihad has become some call of duty that is mimicked for them through their PlayStation experience that they now think they can do for real in some far-off land, for a cause they don't truly understand."

"Furthermore, it hopefully starts to expel myths and stereotypes and prejudices that non-Muslims may have about Islam because the only Islam they hear about is one they tend to fear nowadays."

At times the cartoon character Abdullah-X is disillusioned and angry. He sings: "You get democracy, we get its hypocrisy. You get the margin for error, we get the label of terror."

But he also asks: "Do you genuinely think that going out there to fight will affect those suffering in a positive way."

The Abdullah-X cartoons feature a disillusioned and angry young Muslim

On his journey he comes to realise violent jihad is not the answer.

The man behind Abdullah-X draws on his own experience having once followed the teachings of preachers such as Abu Hamza and Omar Bakri.

Having been a member of banned extremist groups he describes himself as "someone who's been there, seen it, bought the T-shirt and asked for a refund".

He added: "I have the knowledge, the background and the experience to understand that narratives such as the one driven by extremist groups have beaten mainstream society in access to the internet."

"They have beaten mainstream society in content, in the ability to justify what they stand for and what they believe in, and I felt in 2012 when I started this project that unless we take a proactive step to take some of that ground back online, it will never embed itself in the off-line reality of young people."

The cartoon's creator was once influenced by preachers such as Abu Hamza

Extremists have long known that the internet is a place where mindsets and behaviours can be shaped, but Abdullah-X directly challenges these radical beliefs.

At one point the cartoon asks: "You have to kill others to make your world purer. This is what you think Islam is? Are you for real?"

Its creator said: "I came to that conclusion probably through a mixture of two realisations. One, the people spewing out this message, 90% of them didn't have the heart or conviction to go and do anything like this themselves.

"Certainly individuals who I came into contact with who adopted the mantra of being a Sheikh or a scholar ultimately became the same individuals who were happy to claim government benefits.

"I realised therefore that unless I'm confident that I have the appropriate picture of my faith, I will always be seeing it through the lens of these kind of people. It took me a long time to understand that."

Last week Sky News spoke to a Londoner wanting to fight in Syria - having been influenced by the call to jihad in videos online.

This project sits in the place where these young Muslims might seek answers to questions about jihad - the Google and YouTube search engines.

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Women Bishops: Church Of England Faces Vote

Will Vote Pave Way For A Female Archbishop?

Updated: 9:01am UK, Monday 14 July 2014

By Vicky Beeching, for Sky News

Today, the Church of England will take what could be a historic vote - it's most significant in 20 years.

If the vote passes, women will be able to become Bishops for the first time.

The Church of England has had female priests, or vicars, since 1994, when the first 32 were ordained at Bristol Cathedral.

But they couldn't be promoted to higher levels of leadership; a stained glass ceiling existed for them and it remains today.

You may have a sense of déjà vu about this. Didn't the Church already take this vote? Yes, in November 2012 - and it failed to pass.

So how does all of this work? The Church of England has a governing body called the General Synod.

It's made up of three Houses, a bit like Harry Potter with the Houses of Griffindor, Ravenclaw and Slytherin, the General Synod has the House of Bishops - the senior leaders, the House of Clergy - the priests, and the House of Laity - the churchgoers, known as lay people.

To pass the legislation on women bishops, each House has to vote in favour with a 2/3 majority.

In November 2012, the House of Bishops and the House of Clergy both voted in favour. The reason it failed hinged on a small margin - just six votes in the House of Laity - so it was the churchgoers who voted it down.

The same people who voted in 2012 will sit at this Synod, so there is still a chance it could be a 'no' again. But most are quietly hopeful that it will go through, albeit with close numbers.

The vote happens this afternoon in York. First there will be a debate, then voting is carried out electronically and in total silence. This will take place by 6.15pm at the latest.

If the outcome is a 'no', it's likely that Parliament will want to to step in, as they were keen to do so back in 2012. Since then, the Church has had almost two years to try and fix the issue themselves, so it seems conceivable that the Government might want to push through the legislation themselves.

If the vote is a 'yes' it then has to go through Parliament, and get Royal Assent, but these should happen quickly and would enable the first female bishop to potentially be appointed early next year.

Each Bishop looks after an area known as a See.

To appoint a Bishop, first one of these Sees has to become available. Then, as there are no plans within the Church for "all women shortlists",  a candidate would need to prove they were the best person for the job, regardless of gender.

Once women can become bishops, there's no limit to how far they could progress in church hierarchy.

If the vote passes, it's possible we could even see a female Archbishop in our lifetime. Now that would truly be an achievement for gender equality and the Christian faith.

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Birdman Ron Freeman Breaks His Own Record

A daredevil has beaten his own record for the furthest distance unassisted flight during a "birdman" competition in West Sussex.

Ron Freeman soared 159.8 metres in his adapted hang glider the Geordie Flyer at the Worthing International Birdman competition, which sees people throw themselves off the seaside town's pier in various flying machines.

Mr Freeman beat his 141.5 metre record set last year

He passed the 141.5-metre record he set at the event last year, organisers said.

On its Twitter page, the competition announced: "Ron Freeman got a official score of 159.8m well done another new record for Worthing Birdman."

The reigning champ is hoping to clinch the £10,000 prize

Mr Freeman, the reigning champion, could now land the £10,000 top prize at the event - but to win he needs another good run. 

Competitors in his Condor Class for serious attempts have their final scores based on flights on both days of the weekend event.

Last year, Mr Freeman, from Newbiggin-by-the-Sea in Northumberland, missed out on the winnings after strong winds forced him to take a sideways rather than a forwards route off the pier.

The two-day event sees daredevils launch themselves off Worthing pier

Mr Freeman was not the only flier on Saturday to pass the 100-metre mark that competitors have to pass to be eligible for the prize.

Tony Hughes sits in second after soaring 117.1 metres in X Plane VIII, down on the 132.5-metre best he posted last year.

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Reshuffle: Youngsters Set For Cabinet Roles

David Cameron is this week expected to deliver the biggest changes to his Cabinet since the beginning of the coalition, with women and a younger generation of MPs expected to benefit.

When it comes to reshuffles, there is one simple rule: the only person who knows all the details is the Prime Minister (and even he can't be certain - remember last time, when Iain Duncan Smith refused to agree to David Cameron's wishes?). The rest is speculation.

Theresa Villiers and Nicky Morgan are in line for top jobs in the Cabinet

However, there are a few things we know for certain.

First, sources confirm this will be a significant reshuffle with some big changes. David Cameron is notoriously reluctant to shuffle his pack - he knows the danger of having disgruntled ex-ministers on the backbenches - but time is running out if he wants to refresh his team ahead of the General Election.

All the signs are that this will be a wide-ranging and significant shuffle.

Second, a big curveball has been thrown into the mix. Next week, EU leaders will meet to dole out the top jobs in the European Commission and Mr Cameron needs to work out who he wants to nominate.

One of the favourites is the Conservative peer Michael Howard, but it could also go to a current minister such as Theresa Villiers or David Willetts - freeing up another plum job back at home.

If those are the certainties, what are the probables?

Westminster watchers expect to see several women rising through the ranks. Elizabeth Truss is tipped for promotion, perhaps taking David Willetts' job as minister for universities, after performing well in her education brief.

Esther McVey is also tipped for a top position

Esther McVey is also a decent bet for an upwards move - being Liverpudlian means she also ticks the "northern" box.

Other well thought of female MPs include Nicky Morgan, Priti Patel and Amber Rudd. It's clear why Mr Cameron may feel there isn't enough oestrogen around the Cabinet table: out of 23 full-time Cabinet members, just three are women and none are mothers.

However, the chorus of complaints from some quarters that if you are a male Tory MP you have no chance of promotion is mistaken.

Male MPs from the 2010 intake who have enjoyed a stratospheric rise include Sajid Javid, Matthew Hancock and Greg Hands.

In fact, this week's reshuffle is more about the new generation of MPs replacing the old.

Senior politicians such as Andrew Lansley, Sir George Young and Ken Clarke are expected to make way for ambitious youngsters - male and female - with the same pattern repeating further down the ministerial ranks.

But don't expect that to mean the end of the "Cameron's Cuties" headlines and moaning from overlooked male MPs.

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Ambulance Response Times 'Putting Lives At Risk'

Ambulances are taking longer to reach patients suffering from life-threatening conditions compared to three years ago, according to Labour.

Figures from NHS England suggest that in some areas of the UK, heart attack and stroke victims have to wait almost three minutes more to be seen by a paramedic.

Category A calls where a patient's life is in danger should arrive within eight minutes. But ambulances are taking more than a minute longer to arrive on average and experts warn this is putting lives at risk.

Dr Dale Webb, director of research and information at the Stroke Association, said: "When a stroke strikes, the blood supply to part of your brain is cut off which causes brain cells in the affected area to die.

Paramedic Danny Wroe says increases in traffic are causing longer delays

"So time lost is brain lost. These figures are a concern because stroke patients need to get specialist treatment as soon as possible."

In the East of England, ambulances are taking some 2.8 minutes longer to respond to the most serious calls. In the East Midlands, ambulances are taking 2.3 minutes longer compared to three years ago.

However, East Midlands Ambulance Service spokesperson cast doubt on the data saying the service had hit all of its key performance standards during the first quarter of 2014.

He said: ''The method used nationally to measure response times changed between years so the figures quoted do not compare like with like."

Shadow health secretary Andy Burnham, said: "These figures raise real concerns that lives are being put at risk by the chaos in the NHS.

One trust is recruiting more staff like Danny to help with response times

"Hospital A&E departments have missed the Government's waiting time target for the last 51 weeks running. This crisis in A&E has trapped ambulances in queues outside hospitals - leaving the next caller facing longer, agonising waits. More and more calls are being attended by police cars and even fire engines on David Cameron's watch."

A Department of Health spokesman said: "We know some ambulance trusts are under pressure, carrying out over 850 more journeys every day since 2010, but the NHS continues to respond to the majority of the most life threatening cases in less than eight minutes."

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