Mini-Sub To Be Used As Plane Search Narrows

The commander of the Royal Navy ship searching for flight MH370 has told Sky News they are getting close to sending down a mini-submarine to hunt for wreckage.

HMS Echo is working with Australian vessel Ocean Shield to locate the Boeing 777-200's black box before it runs out of power.

The plane carrying 239 people vanished from radar on March 8 and is thought to have crashed in the southern Indian Ocean, around 1,500 miles off Australia's west coast.

Ocean Shield, towing a US Navy device to detect signals from the plane's fading beacons, first picked up two underwater "pings" consistent with those from a black box on April 5.

This was followed by two more in the same area three days later.

HMS Echo is searching the southern Indian Ocean for the missing jet

The crew of HMS Echo are analysing the signals by looking at the currents and ocean depth of around 2.8 miles (4.5km) to try to pin-point the plane's wreckage.

The underwater search zone has been narrowed to around 500 square miles (1,300 square km) - roughly the size of Los Angeles.

Phillip Newell, commanding officer of HMS Echo, told Sky News: "We believe we have come close to that point now where we can move to the next stage and deploy a remote vehicle which can go down to the correct depth and search the sea bed."

The Bluefin-21 can search between 20 and 40 square miles a day

The crew will use Bluefin-21, a mini-submarine used to find the Air France plane that crashed into the Atlantic in 2009, to search the sea bed for debris.

But major hindrances still remain, and it could be years before the Malaysia Airlines jet is found, radar expert Professor David Stupples told Sky News.

The search is also set to be hampered by bad weather this week.

Sunday's planned search area

Eleven military aircraft, one civil aircraft and 14 ships are taking part in today's search, said the Joint Agency Coordination Centre, the international body leading the hunt.

It said there have been no confirmed acoustic detections over the past 24 hours.

The batteries that power signals from the plane's flight data and cockpit voice recorders last only about a month and it has been more than five weeks since the plane disappeared.

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Cyclone Batters Australia As Homes Destroyed

Cyclone Ita has struck northern Queensland in Australia, bringing torrential rain and gale force winds that destroyed four buildings and damaged many others.

But it was claimed the storm was not as destructive as it could have been with no reports of deaths or serious injuries.

On Friday, state premier Campbell Newman warned the region was "staring down quite a destructive cyclonic event".

Tens of thousands of people had been told to leave their homes as Ita approached coastal towns along the Great Barrier Reef.

Locals were put in rescue shelters and shops were boarded up with winds predicted to be up to 230kph (143mph) near the core.

Ita made landfall as a category four cyclone but hit with less force than first feared. It was later downgraded to a category one event.  

The storm brought down trees

Mr Newman said: "I am very relieved and greatly heartened that this time we've had no reports of any loss of life or any serious injuries."

Trees were brought down and some communities lost power as Ita crossed the far northern Queensland coast on Friday night near Cape Flattery.

It was expected to head back out to sea later near Townsville, dumping as much as 40cm of rain as it moved.

Emergency services helped with the clean-up operation

But Mr Newman urged residents to stay at home or in shelters as wind gusts of up to 120kph (75mph) and heavy rain were still forecast for some areas.

And the Australian Bureau of Meteorology warned there was a chance conditions could still deteriorate.

Cooktown resident Richard Anderson, whose house was hit by the storm, said the damage could have been a lot worse.

"It wasn't as bad as I thought it could've been. It could have been really horrific.

"A lot more places might have been totally destroyed but I'm amazed how little damage there is but in certain spots it's pretty bad."

A satellite image of the cyclone

The storm was the strongest to approach the Queensland coast in three years.

It was classified as a tropical depression when it moved across the Solomon Islands late last week, killing at least 23 people, according to the United Nations.

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Christie's To Auction Dazzling Blue Diamond

The world's largest flawless fancy vivid blue diamond is expected to fetch up to £15m when it goes on sale at Christie's next month.

Christie's New York has proudly displayed 'The Blue', the magnificent 13.22 carat diamond which will headline the upcoming sale in Geneva.

Experts predict it will fetch an eyebrow-raising sale price of between $21m (£12.5m) and $25m (£15m).

Rahul Kadakia, Head of Jewellery for Christie's Americas & Switzerland, said: "To have a stone that weighs 13 carats is near impossible.

"The stone is internally and externally bereft of any imperfections... in simple terms, it's the best blue diamond in the world."

Blue diamonds are extremely rare and make up less than two per cent of the world's diamond production. 

Like most blue diamonds, 'The Blue' is thought to have been mined in South Africa. 

Christie's would not reveal the owner of the jewel, but said it had been in the owner's possession for a long time.

The auction house said the owner approached them after seeing several coloured diamonds fetch record prices in recent sales.

'The Blue' and 'The Ocean Dream' are set to steal the show next month

In November Sotheby's auction house sold a plum-sized diamond, known as the Pink Star, for a record £51.7m.

A month earlier Sotheby's sold a "flawless" white diamond for a record £19m.

'The Blue' will be auctioned at the Geneva Magnificent Jewels Sale on May 14 alongside the 'The Ocean Dream' diamond.

According to Christie's 'The Ocean Dream' is the largest fancy vivid blue-green diamond in the world. At 5.5 carat, it is expected to fetch between £4.5m and £6m.

Also on sale is the exotic 'The Rajah' diamond, which is thought to have purchased from India by Tiffany & Co in the 19th Century. It is estimated to sell for between £1.8m and £3m.

Christie's has said it hopes the sale will raise in excess of £60m.

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World Cup: Riots As Favela Cleared In Rio

Heavily-armed police have stormed a favela in Rio de Janeiro to oust squatters who are occupying buildings just two months before the the World Cup.

At least seven people were injured as officers dragged them from an abandoned building and shacks surrounding it just steps from Rio's iconic Maracana stadium - the venue for the tournament's final.

Some residents fought with police, throwing rocks, Molotov cocktails and setting parts of the building and vehicles on fire.

Violent protests later erupted in surrounding neighbourhoods where a police car, buses and trucks were torched, and banks and supermarkets looted.

Squatters square up to riot police preparing to evict them

It comes after Brazil stepped up security efforts in the city where tens of thousands of football fans will watch seven matches.

In the last few weeks, thousands of government police and troops have been sent into the favelas - sprawling slums that have grown up on Rio's fringes.

Authorities in Brazil have been determined to bring down the city's high crime rate ahead of the football competition but there has been criticism of their heavy-handed approach.

The latest operation started at dawn on Friday when more than 1,600 police arrived at the building brandishing an eviction order from the its owner, a telephone company.

A woman cries as she has to leave home

Cranes and tractors were used to demolish wooden huts built around the building - many still full of belongings residents had no time to pack.

Hundreds of desperate and angry residents and neighbours poured into the street protesting about the loss of their homes.

Scuffles broke out and dozens of furious youths threw stones and bottles at police, who responded with tear gas and rubber bullets.

Most of the residents dispersed quickly, but about a hundred protesters resisted police orders to leave the building for several hours.

A line of riot police prepare to take part in the eviction of the squatters

Brazilian newspaper O Globo also reported that suspected drug traffickers from neighbouring favelas fired guns at the police.

Media reports said 19 had been injured, of whom 12 were police.

In all, police said 22 people were arrested, including 10 who did not live in the favela but participated in the later destruction.

The shantytown emerged on March 31 when about 5,000 people who were homeless or tired of paying high rents in other slums decided to commandeer the building, which had been empty for years.

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Pakistan Baby Attempted Murder Charge Dropped

Charges of attempted murder against a nine-month-old boy in Pakistan for allegedly throwing rocks at gas workers have been thrown out by a judge.

Musa Khan appeared in court in the city of Lahore, sitting on his grandfather's lap and drinking from a bottle of milk.

Police had accused the youngster and other members of his family of attacking officers, bailiffs, and gas company staff when they arrived to disconnect supplies of households who had not paid their bills.

However, the boy's grandfather, Muhammad Yassen, said: "He does not even know how to pick up his milk bottle properly. How can he stone the police?"

Speaking at the hearing, defence lawyer Irfan Sadiq said: "Police told the court that the nomination of Musa in the case of attacking police and gas company officials was a human error and Musa is not required."

The baby's grandfather and his three sons are still charged.

Pictures taken at an earlier court hearing of Musa screaming as he was being fingerprinted provoked a public outcry and prompted calls for an inquiry.

Critics claimed it exposed the "incompetence" of the police force.

The charges against Musa were in contradiction with Pakistan's minimum age of criminal responsibility, which is 12 except for terrorism cases.

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Russia Slams Boston Bomb Claims As 'Low Blow'

Russia has dismissed claims it failed to provide intelligence about one of the Boston Marathon bombing suspects.

Moscow called the allegations a "low blow" aimed at shifting the blame for not preventing the twin attacks last April.

It was reported this week a US government review had found Russia turned down FBI requests for more information on suspect Tamerlan Tsarnaev.

Tamerlan Tsarnaev was killed shortly after the bombings

The review appeared to exonerate the FBI, the New York Times reported.

But Russia has hit back and in a statement the foreign ministry said: "It seems that they are trying to push responsibility onto us. If that's true, it's a low blow.

"Given the anti-Russia campaign being waged in the US, due to the events in Ukraine and Crimea, we do not rule out that someone is trying to exonerate the American special services, which did not see that a terrorist attack was in preparation."

Dzhokhar Tsarnaev faces the death penalty for his alleged role

The statement added the Russian authorities "transmitted their conclusions" on Tsarnaev "well ahead" of the attack, but claimed these were "not studied in the correct way".

The Tsarnaev family is from Dagestan, a Russian republic.

Tamerlan Tsarnaev was shot dead in a gun battle with police shortly after two bombs exploded near the finish line of the Boston Marathon.

Three people were killed and more than 250 injured.

Authorities are pursuing the death penalty for his brother Dzhokhar for his alleged role in the blasts.

His trial begins in November, and he has pleaded not guilty to 30 charges relating to the bombings.

Seventeen of these can carry sentences of death or life in prison.

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Interrogation Pokes Holes In Pistorius Defence

By Emma Hurd, Sky Correspondent, in Pretoria

After a weekend of respite, Oscar Pistorius will return to the witness box on Monday to face more questions under cross-examination in his murder trial.

His account of the shooting that left his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp dead has already been challenged in three days of tough interrogation.

This has exposed some of the weaknesses in his defence and posed questions that could prove crucial to judge Thokozile Masipa's eventual verdict.

:: Where was Reeva?

The crucial issue of why the athlete failed to realise his girlfriend was not in the bed when he went with his gun to investigate a noise coming from the bathroom was the focus of many of prosecutor Gerrie Nel's questions.

Oscar Pistorius said he had spoken to Reeva Steenkamp in the bedroom and asked her to call the police when he heard what he thought was an intruder.

Gerrie Nel has appeared incredulous at some of Pistorius' evidence

He said he was "fixated on the noise" and did not think it was strange that she had not replied.

Mr Nel insisted that it was "unreasonable" to believe that, given that Ms Steenkamp was in the toilet, she would not have shouted out to the runner who had been screaming "at intruders" just metres away.

The prosecution also pressed the athlete on whether he had heard Ms Steenkamp screaming when he fired shots into the toilet door.

The runner said he was sure she had not screamed but was forced to admit that he might not have heard her because of the sound of the shots.

:: Did he intend to shoot?

The issue of intent is vital in a murder trial and the prosecution has attempted to show Oscar Pistorius shot to kill that night - whoever he thought he was firing at.

The athlete insisted he "fired out of fear" after hearing a noise from the toilet. His said he did not have time to think and that it was "a mistake".

The prosecution repeatedly stressed that Pistorius approached the toilet with his gun held out and the safety catch off ready to shoot, even "wanting to shoot".

He knew someone might be in the small, enclosed space of the toilet, Mr Nel claimed, and the shooting was a deliberate act.

:: Why did he go towards the threat?

Another difficult moment for Oscar Pistorius came when Gerrie Nel asked him why he went towards the danger of the noise in the bathroom.

The athlete could not explain why - if he thought there was an intruder - he had not taken Reeva Steenkamp and escaped out into the safety of the rest of the house through the bedroom door.

Pistorius admitted he had to walk right past the exit from the bedroom to get to the bathroom.

"It is my personality not to run away," he insisted, while re-iterating that he wanted to protect Ms Steenkamp.

The prosecution has declared his whole defence "a lie".

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Royal Tour Baby Rumours Spark Media Frenzy

A white-knuckle boat ride, a vineyard visit, and a rugby game provided a hectic itinerary for William and Kate on their tour of New Zealand, as rumours swirled there could be a new addition to the royal household.

Speculation there may be another baby on the way was sparked after the Duke of Cambridge apparently told a woman who knitted a shawl for Prince George she "might have to make another one soon".

But the hype was dampened down somewhat after the couple went on a jet boat ride which passengers are advised to avoid if they are pregnant.

The Duchess had also sipped wine during a visit to a vineyard, suggesting the pitter patter of more tiny feet was not imminent.

William was able to even the score with his wife at a "Rippa Rugby" game

The jet boat's captain Wayne Paton told Sky News: "It is in our safety brief that we have to ask if anyone is pregnant, back injuries, anything else medically that they think they should tell us, and I asked that and there was no answer from anyone, so I took it that would be a no."

The royal couple, who had flown to Queenstown on New Zealand's South Island, had the full tourist experience during the hair-raising trip on the fast flowing Shotover River, which is one of the country's most popular attractions.

Mr Paton, who drove the boat designed to be able to speed along in water just a few inches deep, said: "They loved it. There were some screams but not from them."

The pair sampled a pinot noir at a winery near Queenstown

Earlier, the Duke and Duchess had toured a winery.

The pair sampled the pinot noir made at the Amisfield Winery near Queenstown.

Prince William joked that he and his wife should "probably stop talking and start drinking", as they began the tasting.

The Duke was also able to level the score with his wife after coaching a children's "Rippa Rugby" team to victory over opponents led by Kate.

It followed a drubbing he had received last week at the hands of the the Duchess, after she comprehensively beat him in a yachting challenge.

He could not help teasing his wife and looked in her direction and said: "Next time, next time."

Following a church service in Dunedin the couple went on a walkabout

The royal couple were casually dressed for the event with Kate in a cream jumper by Jonathan Saunders, white blouse, dark leggings and pumps, while William had a similar outfit of sweater, shirt and trousers.

Their day's schedule had also seen them do a walkabout following a Palm Sunday church service at St Paul's Cathedral in Dunedin.

They are undertaking a 19-day official visit to New Zealand and Australia with Prince George.

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Solomon Islands Hit By Second Major Earthquake

Two major earthquakes have struck the Solomon Islands in less than 24 hours.

Residents on the Pacific island chain were woken on Sunday morning to a strong tremor with a magnitude of 7.6, leading to a tsunami warning to be issued.

Although this was later cancelled, people on nearby islands reported seeing three large waves.

Then on Sunday night, a second quake of 7.5 magnitude hit in the same area, triggering a further tsunami alert which lasted for several hours.

There are no immediate reports of injuries or damage.

The Solomon Islands was already reeling from flash floods that struck on April 3, killing 23 people and leaving 9,000 homeless.

Government spokesman George Herming said: "It has been a really tough time."

The US Geological Survey says the area of the earthquake "is one of the most seismically active areas of the world due to high rates of convergence between the Australia and Pacific plates".

The epicentre of the first quake was 200 miles (323km) southeast of the capital Honiara, at a depth of 18 miles.

The second, initially reported as 7.7 magnitude, struck at a depth of 22 miles.

Following the morning quake, Andrew Catford, the Solomon Islands country director for the international children's charity World Vision, said staff on Makira had reported heavy waves and strong currents.

Workers had evacuated to higher ground as a precaution.

He said: "We felt this one strongly in Honiara. It was close to 30 seconds long."

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Ukraine: Fatal Clashes As Protests Spread

Kiev Faces 'Difficult Decisions' Over Protests

Updated: 11:04pm UK, Thursday 10 April 2014

By Katie Stallard, Moscow Correspondent, in Donetsk

Support for the protests in Donetsk, Ukraine, depends largely on the question you ask.

This may seem like a blindingly obvious point, but the immediate demands are not quite what they seemed.

The self-appointed People's Council of Deputies, in session inside the occupied administration building, told Sky News they want a referendum on the region's sovereignty, not on joining Russia.

The council's leader insisted they have had no official contact with the Russian government so far, although they have just voted unanimously to create a foreign affairs committee, to make exactly that possible.

And he did go on to say Russian peacekeeping troops could help to secure a referendum here.

Another deputy told us joining Russia would be "like coming home", but it would not be on the ballot paper.

Outside, we were surrounded by a crowd of people, demanding to know which channel we were working for (there are deep suspicions here about Western media, and even more so Ukrainian TV).

Satisfied that we were from the Moscow bureau, and that our producer and cameraman are Russian and therefore apparently not susceptible to 'Western lies', they started showing us their passports - to prove that they are Ukrainian, not hired Russian stooges as has been claimed.

Many feel passionately about what is happening here, but by no means all dream of joining Russia.

Over and over they told us they want sovereignty and federalisation - they see Russia as potential guarantors, and protection from the fascists and extremists they believe control the government in Kiev.

Forced to choose, one woman told us, between Russia and the EU, she would of course vote for Russia, but she would prefer an autonomous region in Eastern Ukraine.

In the city centre, away from the protests around the administration building and the watchful eyes of the "self-defence" volunteers patrolling outside, we spoke to a variety of people to try to gauge opinion.

Of 20 people asked, all but one supported federalisation. Support for joining Russia is less emphatic, but still preferable to the majority over the new government in Kiev.

The Kremlin strategists seem to have assessed the mood astutely - protesters shown on state-controlled TV channels in Russia are being described as "supporters of federalism" now, not separatists or pro-Russian.

Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov has talked several times about the appetite for federalism in Ukraine.

Of course, an autonomous, sovereign eastern Ukraine, would also be open to overtures from Moscow, and likely easily persuaded to remain within its sphere of influence.

If that region went on to join the Russian Federation in time, so be it, but if at least then would not move towards the EU, that would still be a form of victory for the Kremlin.

It's a precarious situation for the government in Kiev and there are difficult decisions ahead.

Crack down on the protests in the east and risk galvanising a broader uprising against an administration many already associate with extremists and fascists, and give Russia the pretext it needs to show Russian lives are in danger and it must act to protect them.

Accede to demands for a referendum and risk losing the east, and the country's economic backbone, to Russia's influence, and perhaps ultimately to Russia itself.

Refuse to recognise any referendum that does take place (not a successful tactic in Crimea) or hope that turnout is too low to validate it, or the self-appointed people's councils are unable to organise it - none of which are really much of a plan.

Meanwhile Russia's military continues to mass on the border - nothing for the US or Ukraine to worry about, they insisted earlier this week, which will have reassured no-one.

The protests here are not huge, but the emotions that sparked them run deep, and it is difficult to see an easy way out.

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