Missing Plane Hunt: Three More Objects Spotted

Learning Lessons From Missing Flight MH370

Updated: 9:23am UK, Saturday 29 March 2014

By Ian Woods, Senior Correspondent

The small consolation that should come with every airline crash is that the knowledge gained from the tragedy should help prevent it happening again.

But if that were true, we might already know more about what happened to flight MH370.

After the Air France accident of 2009, in which 228 people died when their flight from Brazil plunged into the Atlantic, 120 representatives of the international aviation industry got together to recommend ways to make it easier to find aircraft which crash into the sea. 

None has been implemented.

They suggested that the flight data recorders - the black boxes - should have larger batteries so they would carry on transmitting a beacon for 90 rather than 30 days. 

But bigger batteries mean extra weight and extra cost for the airlines to install them.

They also suggested the recorders should be designed to break away and float to the surface, rather than sink to the sea floor along with the rest of the fuselage.

And that the frequency of the transmission should be altered to boost how far away it can be heard, beyond its current 2,000 metre maximum.

Salvage expert David Mearns, from Blue Water Recoveries, told Sky News: "If you reduce that frequency, the lower the frequency, the greater the range. 

"You go from 37.5khz , to say, 8.8khz as recommended, I think that would increase the range to over 10,000 metres.

"So that's a five times increase in your detectable range and that would help the teams out there now looking for these black boxes."

As for why the recommendations weren't acted upon? 

"It's a very big industry. It's an international industry," said Mr Mears.

"It takes a lot of time for these things to work themselves through the regulations; how they would operate, how the pilots would be trained to use them; they have to be implemented on the aircraft, so it takes years for these things to be done."

In an age when we can all track most passenger aircraft on our smartphones and computers, how can a plane still go missing? 

Most, but not all, areas of the world are now covered by the Acars ADS-B system, allowing them to be constantly tracked. Although smaller, older aircraft are not equipped.

There are new regulations being introduced around the world compelling airlines to fit them in all passenger aircraft. 

But in some places the deadline is 2020.  

Mikael Robertsson, the founder of Flightradar24.com, told Sky: "Maybe authorities in these countries don't want to rush or I guess it costs quite a lot of money for airlines to upgrade their equipment on board."

In any case, it appears the system on MH370 was switched off. 

One current 777 pilot told Sky he could not think of a good reason why he would do such a thing. 

And with so many flights criss-crossing vast expanses of water, knowing the plane's last position is crucial to a swift recovery. 

Mr Robertsson said: "I think this is something that should be discussed: How much pilots should be able to turn off, and how easy it should be to turn some systems off?"

The backgrounds of the pilots have been scrutinised to assess the likelihood of criminal or suicidal behaviour. 

Professor Robert Bor is a clinical psychologist who has studied those who fly, and was specifically asked to review an incident involving an American Jet Blue pilot who had a psychotic episode while flying from New York to Las Vegas.

Captain Clayton Osbon left the cockpit and screamed at passengers before being subdued by some of those on board. 

His co-pilot landed the plane safely in Texas. 

Prof Bor and others concluded there were no warning signs beforehand which could have prevented the incident.     

"Every year an airline pilot will have at least two formal medical checks which address not just their physical health but their mental health. Every time they are doing the job they are scrutinised by people."

Pilot suicide is not unheard of, and is considered the most likely explanation for the crash of an Indonesian SilkAir flight in 1997. 

The pilot was heavily in debt - 104 passengers and crew were killed.

Airlines may also be studying how Malaysia Airlines has handled the disaster from a public relations perspective. 

The families of the passengers have gone from grieving to protesting, angry at being kept waiting for news, furious about misinformation, and the final indignity - some of them were told the plane had crashed by text message. 

Crisis management expert Raine Marcus told Sky News: "The communications with the families didn't inspire trust from the beginning.

"If you don't build up trust and goodwill right from the beginning, that has a direct impact afterwards on communications with the families and also directly on your business."

In the months and years ahead, as details emerge of what happened to MH370, there will undoubtedly be calls for lessons to be learned.

And in the meantime millions of us will continue to fly, hoping that our flight will not be one of the very rare ones, which does not have a safe landing.

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Missing Jet: Learning Lessons From Tragedy

By Ian Woods, Senior Correspondent

The small consolation that should come with every airline crash is that the knowledge gained from the tragedy should help prevent it happening again.

But if that were true, we might already know more about what happened to flight MH370.

After the Air France accident of 2009, in which 228 people died when their flight from Brazil plunged into the Atlantic, 120 representatives of the international aviation industry got together to recommend ways to make it easier to find aircraft which crash into the sea. 

None has been implemented.

They suggested that the flight data recorders - the black boxes - should have larger batteries so they would carry on transmitting a beacon for 90 rather than 30 days. 

Some have said black boxes should be made to float to the surface

But bigger batteries mean extra weight and extra cost for the airlines to install them.

They also suggested the recorders should be designed to break away and float to the surface, rather than sink to the sea floor along with the rest of the fuselage.

And that the frequency of the transmission should be altered to boost how far away it can be heard, beyond its current 2,000 metre maximum.

A new area is being searched after analysis of MH370 data

Salvage expert David Mearns, from Blue Water Recoveries, told Sky News: "If you reduce that frequency, the lower the frequency, the greater the range. 

"You go from 37.5khz , to say, 8.8khz as recommended, I think that would increase the range to over 10,000 metres.

"So that's a five times increase in your detectable range and that would help the teams out there now looking for these black boxes."

Change takes 'years' in the airline industry, says David Mears

As for why the recommendations weren't acted upon? 

"It's a very big industry. It's an international industry," said Mr Mears.

"It takes a lot of time for these things to work themselves through the regulations; how they would operate, how the pilots would be trained to use them; they have to be implemented on the aircraft, so it takes years for these things to be done."

In an age when we can all track most passenger aircraft on our smartphones and computers, how can a plane still go missing? 

Most, but not all, areas of the world are now covered by the Acars ADS-B system, allowing them to be constantly tracked. Although smaller, older aircraft are not equipped.

There are new regulations being introduced around the world compelling airlines to fit them in all passenger aircraft. 

Planes spotted two objects in the new search area

But in some places the deadline is 2020.  

Mikael Robertsson, the founder of Flightradar24.com, told Sky: "Maybe authorities in these countries don't want to rush or I guess it costs quite a lot of money for airlines to upgrade their equipment on board."

In any case, it appears the system on MH370 was switched off. 

One current 777 pilot told Sky he could not think of a good reason why he would do such a thing. 

And with so many flights criss-crossing vast expanses of water, knowing the plane's last position is crucial to a swift recovery. 

The backgrounds of the Malaysia Airlines pilots have been scrutinised

Mr Robertsson said: "I think this is something that should be discussed: How much pilots should be able to turn off, and how easy it should be to turn some systems off?"

The backgrounds of the pilots have been scrutinised to assess the likelihood of criminal or suicidal behaviour. 

Professor Robert Bor is a clinical psychologist who has studied those who fly, and was specifically asked to review an incident involving an American Jet Blue pilot who had a psychotic episode while flying from New York to Las Vegas.

Captain Clayton Osbon left the cockpit and screamed at passengers before being subdued by some of those on board. 

His co-pilot landed the plane safely in Texas. 

Prof Bor and others concluded there were no warning signs beforehand which could have prevented the incident.     

Captain Clayton Osbon had a psychotic episode in the cockpit

"Every year an airline pilot will have at least two formal medical checks which address not just their physical health but their mental health. Every time they are doing the job they are scrutinised by people."

Pilot suicide is not unheard of, and is considered the most likely explanation for the crash of an Indonesian SilkAir flight in 1997. 

The pilot was heavily in debt - 104 passengers and crew were killed.

Airlines may also be studying how Malaysia Airlines has handled the disaster from a public relations perspective. 

The families of the passengers have gone from grieving to protesting, angry at being kept waiting for news, furious about misinformation, and the final indignity - some of them were told the plane had crashed by text message. 

Pilot suicide is the suspected cause of the 1997 SilkAir flight crash

Crisis management expert Raine Marcus told Sky News: "The communications with the families didn't inspire trust from the beginning.

"If you don't build up trust and goodwill right from the beginning, that has a direct impact afterwards on communications with the families and also directly on your business."

In the months and years ahead, as details emerge of what happened to MH370, there will undoubtedly be calls for lessons to be learned.

And in the meantime millions of us will continue to fly, hoping that our flight will not be one of the very rare ones, which does not have a safe landing.

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Putin Calls Obama Over Ukraine Diplomacy

Russia Feeling The Pinch Of Western Sanctions

Updated: 11:11pm UK, Friday 28 March 2014

By Sam Kiley, Foreign Affairs Editor

Russia's foreign minister came close to quoting Marx, not Karl, Groucho, in his reaction to the blackballing of Russia from the G8 community of rich nations by the remaining members of the G7.

"The G8 is an informal club, with no formal membership, so no one can be expelled from it. If our western partners believe that such format is no longer needed, so be it," said Sergei Lavrov.

"We aren't clinging to that format and we won't see a big problem if there are no such meetings for a year, or a year-and-half."

So there.

Well, not quite.

Russia may be trying to shrug off the limited sanctions the international community imposed in response to the Crimean annexation – but the cat-like claws of asset freezes and visa bans are already digging into the Russian economic body.

Andrei Klepach, Russia's deputy economics minister, has been an Eeyore ever since the Crimean adventure got under way.

This week he warned that capital flows out of Russia for the first quarter of this year were likely to soar to $70 billion (£42.4bn) - that's $7bn more than the total outflow from Russia last year.

He had already warned of declining growth, pressure on the Rouble and growing inflation.

"Capital outflow was already significant before this, and, of course, growing tensions and cooling relations make it even worse," said Klepach.

He hasn't joined the triumphalist parades and Soviet-style Putin praise parties which have gummed up local TV channels since the Crimea was taken from Ukraine.

Putin's move on the Peninsula might have been a strategic plan. Or a visceral response to the revolution in Kiev which seemed to drag the country, finally, away from the Russian sphere of influence.

He may have calculated on the loyalty of the oligarchs closest to him. Some of whom have, indeed, said they see the sanctions imposed on them as a badge of honour.

But investors want money, not medals.

So already, according to the Financial Times, companies which left profits in Russia to be used for future investment are now repatriating them fast.

They are fearful that their assets could be confined to Russia if a trade war breaks out in earnest.

Russia's economic position has also been weakened with China.

Putin has been looking to expand trade with the Asian giant - and especially to secure a deal to supply it with more oil and gas.

He's expecting, perhaps, to ink such an agreement in May.

But it had been negotiated before the West decided to start seeking alternatives to Russian gas, which supplies around a third of Europe's needs.

Now the Chinese can drive a harder bargain because they are not an additional buyer - but an alternative one of Russian fossil fuels.

Vladimir Putin's foreign minister may agree with Groucho's principal that "I don't care to belong to any club that will have me as a member".

But in the long term, Russia's economy will cool as it presses its face against the G7 club window.

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Ukraine: Crimea Bases Under Russian Control

Russia has announced all military bases in Crimea are under its control and Ukrainian troops have left the region.

Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu added the country's president, Vladimir Putin, would hand over the military vessels and airplanes of Ukrainian forces that have changed sides and joined Moscow.

The region voted overwhelmingly to join Russia in a hastily-arranged referendum earlier this month.

Vladimir Putin signs a bill confirming the annexation of Crimea

US President Barack Obama has urged Russia to pull its forces back from Ukraine's border amid the biggest crisis in relations between the West and Russia since the end of the Cold War.

"You've seen a range of troops massing along that border under the guise of military exercises. But these are not what Russia would normally be doing," he told US television network CBS.

Russia was accused of invading Crimea in the aftermath of the removal of President Viktor Yanukovych, but Mr Putin called the soldiers who took over Ukrainian bases there "self-defence forces".

US President Barack Obama

However, on Friday the Russian leader said the action in Crimea had showed the new capacities of the Russian army.

"The recent events in Crimea were a serious test," he said at a televised military ceremony.

"They demonstrated the new capacities of our armed forces in terms of quality and the high moral spirit of the personnel."

Ukraine shares a vast border with Russia

It is the first time Mr Putin has confirmed the direct involvement of the Russian army in the seizure.

He went on to thank the "commanders and servicemen of the Black Sea Fleet and other units deployed in Crimea for their restraint and personal courage".

On Friday Mr Yanukovych said every region of Ukraine should hold a vote to decide whether to break away like Crimea.

Armed men, believed to be Russian, sit in an armoured vehicle in Crimea

He said he would not recognise a presidential election planned for May 25 and called instead for nationwide referendums.

"As president who is with you in thought and soul, I ask every single sensible citizen of Ukraine not to let yourselves be used by the imposters.

"Demand a referendum on determining the status of every region in Ukraine," he added in a statement quoted by Russia's ITAR-TASS news agency.

Mr Yanukovych faced months of mass protests over his decision to spurn a European Union trade deal in favour of closer ties with Moscow.

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Pistorius Murder Trial Adjourned Over Illness

The trial of Oscar Pistorius has been adjourned until April after one of the judge's assessors was taken ill.

The courtroom in Pretoria had been packed in anticipation of the athlete's first day in the witness box but proceedings will now continue on April 7.

Pistorius' brother Carl and his sister Aimee were both in the public gallery expecting to hear their brother give evidence when news of the adjournment was announced.

Judge Thokozile Masipa told the court: "We cannot proceed this morning and we're also not sitting next week.

"One of my assessors is unwell, so this court is not properly constituted. I suggest we postpone this matter until April 7."

South Africa does not have a jury system, and two assessors help the judge reach a decision.

The prosecution has wrapped up its case and both sides have agreed to an extension of the trial until mid-May.

Just 18 of 107 possible witnesses were heard during the first three weeks of the trial, which is being held in Pretoria.

During the prosecution's case, the court heard about text messages Ms Steenkamp sent to Pistorius, in which she wrote: "I am sometimes scared of you."

An emotional message from Ms Steenkamp sent on January 27 last year accused Pistorius of picking on her "incessantly".

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Missing Plane: Objects Seen In New Search Area

Australian authorities have said a plane involved in the search for the missing MH370 flight has spotted objects in a new search area in the Indian Ocean.

A tweet from the Australian Marine Safety Authority (AMSA) said a Royal New Zealand Air Force Orion aircraft spotted the objects on Friday.

The sightings will need to be confirmed by ship, which is not expected to take place until Saturday.

It comes after the search for the missing Malaysia Airlines plane has shifted after data suggested it was travelling faster than previously thought.

A helicopter is unloaded from a transport plane at the air base near Perth

Analysis of radar from before contact with flight MH370 was lost indicated the plane was burning up fuel more quickly and may not have travelled as far south over the Indian Ocean.

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau described the data, which came from analysis by Boeing, as the "most credible lead to where debris may be located".

Search teams have been relocated to scour an area 685 miles northeast of the zone they had been operating in.

Some 10 aircraft, including nine military planes, are involved and six ships are being sent to the region.

Experts will also trawl through satellite images of the new search zone to identify any possible crash sites.

During a news conference on Friday in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysian authorities said the search in the Indian Ocean could shift to a deep sea search and salvage if no sign of the missing plane was discovered before the 30-day life of its black box battery.

The search is now nearly three weeks old and the operation has had to be called off twice due to bad weather.

Ahmad Jauhari Yahya, chief executive of Malaysia Airlines, was asked about the psychological testing of pilots employed by the airline.

He said: "They do psychological tests when they take new pilots on. That is something we check yearly and six-monthly, depending on how old they are, through an interview with aviation doctors."

Hishammuddin Hussein, acting minister of transport for Malaysia, added the new search area "could still be consistent with the potential objects identified by various satellite images" because of ocean drift.

Search teams are using 10 planes in an attempt to find missing flight MH370

Professor Chris Bellamy, maritime security expert at the University of Greenwich, said it was not surprising that the search area continues to change.

He told Sky News: "In that time (since satellite images), with a current of approximately three knots the debris could have drifted that distance.

"We may be talking about a load of debris floating in the area that they have been searching just before they moved the area and an impact in the new area.

"It doesn't totally surprise me that it's taken them so long to refine the search and decide that the plane probably went in further north."

The development comes after images from a Thai satellite showed 300 objects ranging from two to 15 metres in size scattered in the sea about 1,700 miles southwest of Perth.

Prayers and messages of support left on a wall at Kuala Lumpur airport

A French satellite spotted more than 120 objects floating in the ocean, while Japan is also reported to have captured aerial images of 10 items.

It is not known whether any of the objects are from the missing Boeing 777, which disappeared on March 8 as it flew from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing.

The plane is thought to have crashed with the loss of all 239 people on board after flying thousands of miles off course.

The search for the missing plane resumed after it was suspended earlier this week because of poor weather off the coast of Australia.

Heavy rain, strong winds and low cloud caused reduced visibility and forced aircraft to turn back.

Distraught relatives of the 150 Chinese passengers on board the plane continue to voice their anger and frustration at the speed of the investigation.

Some Chinese insurance companies have started paying compensation to the families, according to the state news agency.

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'Sharp Spike' In People Put To Death Worldwide

There has been a "sharp global spike" in the number of people put to death, according to Amnesty International.

Almost 100 more people were executed in 2013 compared with the previous year - a rise of almost 15%.

There were at least 778 executions carried out in 22 countries, according to the London-based rights group.

Amnesty secretary general Salil Shetty said: "Only a small number of countries carried out the vast majority of these senseless state-sponsored killings.

"We urge all governments who still kill in the name of justice to impose a moratorium on the death penalty immediately, with a view to abolishing it."

Iran (369 executions), Iraq (169), Saudi Arabia (79), the United States (39) and Somalia (34) are top of the list.

However, the figures do not include the thousands of people who are put to death in China, where such information is a state secret.

The report follows a decision this week by a court in Egypt to sentence 529 alleged supporters of the Muslim Brotherhood to death, a decision Amnesty called "grotesque".

The global increase is partly down to more executions in Iran, Iraq and Saudi Arabia - which account for 80% of the total.

"Credible sources" have reported an additional 335 executions in Iran, Amnesty said.

The rights group said it could not confirm the number of executions in Syria and Egypt.

Reasons for executions included adultery in Saudi Arabia, blasphemy in Pakistan, economic crimes in China, North Korea and Vietnam, and reportedly in North Korea for pornography, escaping to China and watching banned videos from South Korea.

Methods of execution included beheading in Saudi Arabia, electrocution in the US, and lethal injection in China, Vietnam and the US.

Other countries were listed as using hanging and shooting, although there were no reported executions by stoning.

According to Amnesty, more than 23,000 people were recorded as being on death row in 2013, and at least 1,925 people were sentenced to death in 57 countries.

But amid the high numbers, the rights group pointed out that only around one in 10 countries carry out executions and 140 are against the death penalty.

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Ukraine Crisis: IMF Agrees $18bn Bailout Fund

The International Monetary Fund has agreed rescue funds of up to $18bn (£10.8bn) for Ukraine in return for strict economic reforms.

Under the conditions of the proposed deal, Ukraine's interim government has announced a 50% increase in the price of domestic gas from May 1.

The IMF has pushed for a cut in energy subsidies which accounted for 7.5% of Ukraine's GDP in 2012.

Ukraine has said it needs the bailout to avoid a possible debt default.

The so-called Stand-By Arrangement (SBA) with the IMF will not be ratified until the executive board meets next month.

If it is agreed, it could open Ukraine up to further financial support from the US, EU and Japan amounting to a total of $27bn (£16.3bn) over the next two years.

Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk said on Thursday the price for Russian gas could reach $480 (£290) per 1,000 cubic metres from April 1. The current level is $268.5 (£162).

He added that if the reforms required by the IMF were not adopted, GDP could fall 10% in 2014 and the economy could default.

The country's finance minister had predicted Ukraine's economy will contract 3% this year after years of mismanagement and political turmoil.

A statement from the IMF said: "Following the intense economic and political turbulence of recent months, Ukraine has achieved some stability, but faces difficult challenges.

"The mission has reached a staff-level agreement with the authorities of Ukraine on an economic reform programme that can be supported by a two-year Stand-By Agreement (SBA) with the IMF.

"The financial support from the broader international community that the programme will unlock amounts to $27bn over the next two years.

"Of this, assistance from the IMF will range between $14-18bn, with the precise amount to be determined once all bilateral and multilateral support is accounted for."

The agreement will help Ukraine to meet debt payments after months of anti-government protests which saw President Viktor Yanukovych flee the country and Russian troops enter the Crimea region.

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MH370 Search: Satellite Spots '300 Objects'

Thailand says satellite images show 300 objects floating in the ocean in the hunt for wreckage from flight MH370, which has been scaled back due to bad weather.

The items, ranging from two to 15 metres (6.5 to 50 feet) in size, were scattered over an area about 1,700 miles southwest of Perth, according to the country's space agency.

The latest satellite evidence comes as search aircraft were recalled to Perth due to poor weather conditions, which are expected to last 24 hours.

But eight ships will stay in the area and attempt to continue scouring the remote southern Indian Ocean where previous satellite images showed what could be a debris field.

The operation has already been suspended once this week because of the weather.

Another weather system is moving in to the search zone. Pic: bom.gov.au

International teams set off early on Thursday morning local time to continue the search, but by early afternoon the Australian Maritime Safety Authority, which is coordinating the hunt, said all planes had been forced to leave the search zone due to heavy rains, strong winds, low clouds and reduced visibility.

On returning to Perth, Captain Mike MacSween, who is on attachment with the Royal Australian Air Force, said poor visibility meant he had to fly as low as 200 feet to keep the ocean surface in sight.

He told a news conference: "The conditions are definitely difficult.

"With the rain showers and reduced visibility, and the concentration required to try and pick up something visually made it difficult for the crew."

It took four hours to reach the search area and the crew had up to two-and-a-half hours search time before having to head back.

New satellite images continue to provide clues in the hunt for MH370

He added: "The crew are still motivated and hopefully we are going to be able to find something soon."

Before the weather deteriorated, crews were trying to find signs of the Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 in an area around 1,550 miles (2,500 km) southwest of Perth, Western Australia, after a French satellite spotted 122 objects, suspected to be debris.

Malaysian officials said the items, between one metre and 23 metres in length, were in an area measuring around 155 square miles (400 square kilometres).

There have been five separate satellite leads - from Australia, China, France, and now Thailand - showing what could be debris.

But it is not currently known if any of the objects are connected to MH370, which disappeared on March 8 on its way from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing with 239 people on board.

The plane is thought to have crashed with the loss of all 239 people aboard after flying thousands of miles off course.

Search aircraft have been grounded in Perth because of severe weather

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) said crews had seen objects while they were searching on Wednesday, but the items were later lost.

"Three objects were spotted on Wednesday by two aircraft but were not able to be relocated despite several passes," it said.

"They were unrelated to the credible satellite imagery provided to AMSA."

The failure to zero in on any possible debris despite the visuals from crews and numerous satellite images highlights the logistical difficulties of the search area.

It has some of the deepest and roughest waters in the world, battered by the "roaring forties" winds that sweep across the sea.

The winds are named for the area between latitude 40 degrees and 50 degrees where there is no land mass to slow down gusts which create waves higher than six metres (19ft).

"It's a nasty part of the world simply because there's no land to break up any of this swell and waves - it's uncomfortable to be there any time," marine scientist Dr Rob Beaman told Sky News.

"You really need a strong stomach to work in that area, so I really feel for the people who are out there doing the search."

Meanwhile, Chinese insurance companies have started paying compensation to the families of passengers aboard the missing plane, according to the state news agency.

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US Mudslide: A Community Left Devastated

Dayn Brunner says he does not hold out much hope of finding his sister alive - but he can't give up the search.

"If it were me in there, she would do the same thing," he says.

Summer Raffo, 36, was driving along Route 530 in Oso on Saturday morning when the giant landslide swept through. No-one has heard from her since.

Dayn has joined rescue crews picking their way through the debris in the foothills if the Cascade Mountains.

He told Sky News: "It is important to me to get in there and get her out. Knowing this is no longer a rescue mission, it is hard."

His story is similar to dozens in this breathtakingly beautiful corner of America.

Around 30 homes were destroyed and dozens more damaged by the mudslide

While some may still hold out hope for loved ones missing or unaccounted for, the number of people thought to have been in Oso at the time of the slide means the death toll is certain to rise significantly.

I spoke to another man who had just heard from his son, searching in the wreckage of the family home. "He's found my wife and my other son. They're dead," he told me.

They had moved to their home on Steelhead Drive, the road that took the brunt of the slide, just two years ago.

"It was beautiful. My wife had never been happier," he said.

Residents attended a candlelight vigil as the death toll rose further

Everyone here knows someone who is missing.

Names and faces on Facebook pages and messages of hope are a mere indication of the pain being felt.

If talk of a 'tight-knit community' can sometimes seem clichéd, here in the wilds of the Pacific North West it is very real.

The towns either side of Oso have rallied to support those caught up in this disaster. Meals and comfort are being offered as hopes of anyone being found alive are dwindling.

Messages for victims' families have been left at a nearby Community Centre

A few miles away, the scene greeting rescue teams in Oso has been described as "unimaginable".

"It is unfathomable what kind of devastation there is. You have mounds of dirt 70ft tall by 100ft wide and 200ft long sitting in what used to be somebody's yard," said Dayn Brunner.

At the roadblock on Route 530, one can just about make out the edge of the slide between the flashing lights of rescue teams.

A sketch artist from the local newspaper stands on the banks of the River Stillaguamish and captures the scene. It is a peaceful and slightly surreal counterpoint to the devastation nearby.

People here are used to living alongside the beauty of nature. They are now living with the horror of its power.

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US Mudslide Death Toll Rises As Bodies Found

Mudslide: 911 Calls Of Scared Witnesses

Updated: 10:15pm UK, Tuesday 25 March 2014

Terrified residents of a town swept away by a devastating mudslide called 911 to report falling trees, buried cars and neighbours screaming for help.

One caller reported a house being pushed on to the road by a wall of mud and rock, while another shouted: "Houses are gone!"

The calls were released as rescue efforts continued after the mudslide north of Seattle, which has killed at least 14 people.

Another 176 people remain unaccounted for, though officials hope that at least some might have been double-counted or been slow to alert family and officials about their whereabouts.

In one of the calls, a woman is heard reporting a "big emergency".

"There has been a huge landslide, and it has pushed the house all the way across the road," she said, adding she was speaking of a house next door.

The woman said power lines were being cut, and called for help to be sent.

"I can't believe this, oh my God," she said.

"Tell them to come on up, there's a lot of work."

The mudslide smashed through the small community of Oso, around 55 miles (90km) north of Seattle, on Saturday morning.

Around 30 homes were destroyed and dozens more damaged as much of the riverside village was swept away.

Workers continued the search but hopes of finding survivors were fading. Earlier, they pulled out a four-year-old boy, but his father and siblings are missing.

In the 911 calls, a man spoke on behalf of his wife.

"She said it sounded like an earthquake was happening," the man reported.

"There is a mudslide or something, hundreds of trees have fallen right  by my house."

He added he had not been able to extract more information from his wife as she was "in a panic".

An agitated woman screamed into the phone as she called 911.

"Houses are gone!" she shouted, adding people were calling for help as they were being flooded.

"Oh my gosh," she said, breaking into tears.

Summer Raffo, 36, was driving along Route 530 in Oso when the giant landslide swept through. No-one has heard from her since.

Her brother, Dayn Brunner, doesn't hold out much hope of finding his sister alive - but he can't give up the search.

"If it were me in there, she would do the same thing," he told Sky News.

Mr Brunner has joined rescue crews picking their way through the debris in the foothills of the Cascade Mountains.

"It is important to me to get in there and get her out," he said. "Knowing this is no longer a rescue mission, it is hard."

Another man, who asked not to be named, had just spoken with his son, who was searching the wreckage of the family home.

"He's found my wife and my other son. They're dead," the man told Sky News.

The family had moved to their home on Steelhead Drive, the road that took the brunt of the slide, just two years ago.

"It was beautiful. My wife had never been happier," the man added.

The towns either side of Oso have rallied to support those caught in the disaster.

The scene greeting rescue teams in Oso has been described as "unimaginable".

"It is unfathomable what kind of devastation there is. You have mounds of dirt 70ft tall by 100ft wide and 200ft long sitting in what used to be somebody's yard," said Dayn Brunner.

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Disgraced Secret Service Agents Sent Home

Three Secret Service agents due to protect the US president on his trip to the Netherlands have been sent home.

President Barack Obama arrived in the country on Monday but the agents were sent home on Sunday after one agent was found drunk in a hotel in Amsterdam, the Secret Service said

Secret Service spokesman Ed Donovan said the three agents were "benched" for "disciplinary reasons".

He said the incident had not compromised the president's security in any way.

The agents sent home from Amsterdam were put on administrative leave, according to The Washington Post, which first reported the disciplinary action.

The newspaper said all three were on the Counter Assault Team - with one being a "team leader". The team defends the president if he comes under attack.

Secret Service staff travel with the president wherever he goes

While the drunk agent was discovered by staff at the hotel, who reported it to the US Embassy, the other two agents were considered complicit because they did not intervene despite being in a position to assist the drunken agent or curb his behaviour, an anonymous source said.

The latest incident with the Secret Service represents a fresh blemish for an elite agency struggling to restore its reputation following a high-profile prostitution scandal and other allegations of misconduct.

An inspector general's report in December concluded there was no evidence of widespread misconduct, in line with the service's longstanding assertion that it has no tolerance for inappropriate behaviour.

Before the president travels anywhere abroad, a number of Secret Service and other government officials are dispatched in advance to prepare the intense security operation needed to protect the president in unfamiliar territory.

Prostitute Dania Suarez was involved in the Columbia incident

Typically, counter assault teams travel with the president in his motorcade and, if he came under fire, the team would be called upon to engage any attackers while the president was hustled to safety.

Stricter rules implemented in the wake of a prostitution scandal involving secret service agents in Colombia in 2012 bar agents from drinking alcohol within 10 hours of starting a shift.

It is unclear whether the other two agents were drinking heavily or what time any of them would have been expected to show up for a shift.

Mr Obama was in the Netherlands on the first leg of a week-long, four-country European trip to include talks on Ukraine.

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Ukraine: West Looks To Tighten Screw On Russia

The West is expected to further ramp up pressure on Russia, after leaders of the G7 united to exclude Moscow from planned G8 talks.

The Cold War-style showdown looks set to dominate international talks in The Hague for a second day, as Western leaders seek to isolate Russia over its actions in Ukraine.

David Cameron is scheduled to discuss the crisis with United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, while US President Barack Obama will hold his first news conference since Russia's annexation of Crimea.

The president's press conference, in which he will be joined by Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, will take place on the sidelines of an international nuclear security summit in The Hague.

The first day of the nuclear summit was largely overshadowed by news that the G7 - the US, UK, France, Germany, Canada, Italy and Japan - had agreed to pull out of a scheduled G8 meeting in Russia and hold its own meeting in Brussels.

Mr Cameron will meet the UN Secretary-General later on Tuesday

The move effectively suspends two decades of cooperation with Moscow in the G8 "until Russia changes course".

In a statement, the G7 leaders said: "This group came together because of shared beliefs and shared responsibilities. Russia's actions in recent weeks are not consistent with them."

British Foreign Secretary William Hague described the move as a "huge blow" for the G8. 

He also indicated that the West was considering tougher sanctions against Russia.

The US and European Union have already targeted some Russian individuals, but are yet to impose broader economic sanctions.

Western leaders are working to put forward a united front on the crisis

Mr Hague acknowledged that measures targeting Russia's economy could carry a negative impact in Europe, but said "we have to be prepared to do that."

"Every country would have to do what is necessary if more far-reaching sanctions were applied, accepting that that would affect different economies in different ways," he said.

"The United Kingdom is fully prepared to play its full part."

Russian representatives, also in the Hague, largely shrugged off the G7's comments.

Russia's Foreign Minister, Sergei Lavrov, said the G8 had been useful to discuss issues such as the nuclear tensions with Iran and the civil war in Syria, but that it was not a vital tool.

Mr Lavrov said: "If our Western partners believe the format has exhausted itself, we don't cling to this format.

"We don't believe it will be a big problem if it doesn't convene."

Sergei Lavrov meets with Ukraine's Andriy Deshchystsya. Pic: @mfa_russia

Mr Lavrov held his own meeting with his Ukrainian counterpart Andriy Deshchytsia on the sidelines of the nuclear talks. 

It was the first time the pair had met since Ukrainian President and Kremlin ally Viktor Yanukovych was ousted last month following mass protests in Kiev.

Speaking ahead of the talks, Mr Deshchytsia warned that Ukraine would never give up Crimea.

He also warned Russia against making further attempts to seize Ukrainian territory, amid reports that Russian troops are assembling along its borders.

Mr Deshchytsia told reporters: "Our military and civilians living in Eastern Ukraine, Ukrainians, Russians, other nationalities, they are ready to defend their homeland."

Ukrainian troops have been withdrawn from Crimea

Earlier in the day, Ukraine announced it was pulling all its forces from Crimea, after losing another military base to Russian troops in the early hours of the morning. 

Russian forces have gradually seized control of the region, since voters in Crimea agreed to join the Russian Federation in a swiftly-arranged referendum following Mr Yanukovych's removal.

Since then, Nato's top commander in Europe, General Philip Breedlove, has warned that Russia's military force massing on Ukraine's border was "very, very sizeable and very, very ready".

He said he was worried the Russian military could make a move for Moldova's breakaway Transdniestria region.

Transdniestria, a narrow strip of land to Ukraine's southwest, already has a Russian military presence and most people there favour a union with the country.

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World Trade Center Jump Leads To Four Arrests

New York police have arrested four men in connection with a jump stunt from One World Trade Center tower.

Those held are three extreme-skydiving enthusiasts who jumped from the uncompleted tower last autumn, and another man accused of being an accomplice.

They all face charges including burglary, reckless endangerment and misdemeanour jumping from a structure.

One of the accused jumpers, Andrew Rossig, described the September 30 experience as "very exhilarating".

"It's a fair amount of free-fall time," he said of the jump from the 1,776-ft-tall tower, America's tallest skyscraper.

One World Trade Center tower is the country's tallest building

"You really get to enjoy the view of the city and see it from a different perspective," said Rossig, an avid BASE jumper. The acronym stands for "building, antenna, span, earth".

His co-defendants are James Brady, an ironworker who formerly worked at the site in Lower Manhattan; skydiving instructor Marko Markovich; and Kyle Hartwell, accused of being their cohort on the ground.

A five-minute video of their stunt was posted online. 

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which owns the site, has condemned the stunt as a "lawless and selfish act that clearly endangered the public".

The incident has raised questions over security at a site that is supposed to be one of the most tightly protected in the country.

In March, a teen slipped through a gap in a fence, eluded an inattentive security guard and spent about two hours atop the tower.

A Defence lawyer for Rossig, Timothy Parlatore, said pulling off the stunt was easy.

"One of the first things my client said to me was that how surprised he was at how there was no security whatsoever, how easy it was to just walk right up in something that the mayor has just recently described as the No 1 terrorist target in the world," he said.

One World Trade Center is expected to open later this year, and will include a $40m (£24.2m) security system.

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Pistorius Used Internet Hour Before Reeva Death

Oscar Pistorius was using the internet on his phone an hour before he shot and killed girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, the athlete's murder trial has heard.

In his bail application, Pistorius said the pair had gone to sleep around 10pm.

However, the court in Pretoria heard communications data extracted from his phone showed activity an hour before the Valentine's Day shooting.

A picture Ms Steenkamp sent to Oscar Pistorius

Pistorius' lawyer Barry Roux started Tuesday's session cross-examining police IT expert Captain Francois Moller, who extracted texts and WhatsApp messages from the runner and his girlfriend's phones.

There was activity on Ms Steenkamp's phone 11 hours after she died, records show.

But the hearing was told incoming emails, updates or open websites could all give the impression of internet activity.

Phone records show Pistorius made a flurry of calls after the shooting. The first was to estate manager Johan Stander at 3.19am, followed by the ambulance service a minute later. He then rang security.

Texts exchanged between the pair

The court heard there were five calls between Pistorius and Ms Steenkamp on the afternoon before she died - February 13. All of the conversations lasted less than five minutes.

Mr Roux highlighted the fact that out of a large number of messages sent between the couple - more than 1,700 - police only found four where they were arguing.

He said in spite of their arguments, the couple were exchanging "crosses, baby, things like that". In one message, he referred to her as "Baba", while she called him "Ozzy".

In another, Ms Steenkamp said to her boyfriend: "You are a very special person. You deserve to be looked after."

Throughout Tuesday's hearing Mr Roux has been trying to portray the image of a loving couple.

One of the messages between the lovers shown in court on Monday

Sky's Special Correspondent Alex Crawford said: "Roux is working very hard at painting this picture of South Africa's Romeo and Juliet, the star-crossed lovers in a WhatsApp age."

Under questioning from chief prosecutor Gerrie Nel, Mr Moller said there were no long, loving messages. This was a contrast Mr Nel tried to make with the texts when they argued.

Mr Roux said he did not want to read out one message, although he did not say what this related to. The judge, Thokozile Masipa, agreed.

Emotional exchanges between the pair were read out on Monday. In one of them Ms Steenkamp texted Pistorius to say "I am sometimes scared of you". This was sent just weeks before she died.

The focus of proceedings also turned to crime levels where Pistorius lived.

Ms Steenkamp enjoyed a successful modelling career

Police officer Adriaan Maritz told the court he had no evidence Pistorius ever reported a crime.

Between January 2011 and April 2013 there were less than a dozen reported crimes on the estate.

Mr Roux said Pistorius was a victim of crime "on many occasions", to which the officer replied under cross-examination: "It is possible."

Mr Maritz said if Pistorius had complained, his name would have been on the police computer, unless a mistake was made.

Pistorius is accused of the premeditated murder of Ms Steenkamp, but says he shot her by mistake after mistaking her for an intruder.

He is also accused of illegally possessing ammunition and two further counts related to shooting a gun in public in two separate incidents before the killing. He denies all of the charges.

The trial is expected to last until the middle of May.

More follows...

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Egypt Sentences 529 Morsi Supporters To Death

More than 500 Muslim Brotherhood supporters have been sentenced to death during a mass trial at a court in southern Egypt.

The sentence was delivered after only two days of evidence, with the defendants' lawyers complaining they had no chance to present their case.

"The court has decided to sentence to death 529 defendants and 16 were acquitted," lawyer Ahmed al Sharif said.

Of those sentenced, only 153 are in detention. The rest are on the run and have been sentenced in absentia.

The harsh sentences have been criticised by human rights lawyers, who say the execution orders are likely to be overturned on appeal.

"This is way over the top and unacceptable," said attorney Mohammed Zarie, who heads a rights centre in Cairo.

Brotherhood supreme guide Mohamed Badie is among those on trial in Minya

"It turns the judiciary in Egypt from a tool for achieving justice to an instrument for taking revenge.

"This verdict could be a precedent both in the history of Egyptian courts and perhaps, tribunals elsewhere in the world."

The defendants are among more than 1,200 supporters of ousted President Mohamed Morsi on trial in Minya.

They are accused of attacking both police and public property after security forces broke up two Cairo protest camps set up by supporters of Mr Morsi in August.

They were also accused of committing acts of violence that led to the deaths of two policemen in Minya, judicial sources said.

The accused include several leaders of Mr Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood, including its supreme guide Mohamed Badie.

The former president is also on trial in three separate cases, including one for inciting the killing of protesters outside a presidential palace during his time in office.

Mr Morsi's supporters have faced a violent crackdown since he was forced from power in July.

Hundreds of people have been killed and thousands arrested since the Muslim Brotherhood was banned.

The government has declared the Muslim Brotherhood to be a "terrorist" organisation, a claim the group denies.

More follows...

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Obama: US And Europe United Behind Ukraine

Barack Obama has said Europe and America are united in support of the Ukrainian government and its people.

The US president spoke shortly after he arrived in Europe on a trip that will be dominated by efforts by Western leaders to forge a common response to Russia's annexation of Crimea.

Mr Obama said his message to European leaders is that Russian President Vladimir Putin needs to understand the economic and political consequences of his actions in Ukraine.

"If Russia continues to escalate the situation we need to be prepared to impose a greater cost," he told the Dutch newspaper de Volkskrant published ahead of his arrival in Amsterdam.

Defying Western sanctions, Vladimir Putin signs the annexation of Crimea

Washington has imposed sanctions on 31 people in a campaign carefully crafted to target Russian officials with links to Mr Putin without creating a backlash against US businesses.

The US president added: "The United States does not view Europe as a battleground between East and West, nor do we see the situation in Ukraine as a zero-sum game.

"That's the kind of thinking that should have ended with the Cold War."

During his meetings in Europe, Mr Obama will seek to isolate Russia while gauging how far the still economically shaky European Union is willing to go in punishing Russia, one of its largest trading partners.

Russian troops massing along the Ukrainian border

Russia has defied Western sanctions, consolidating its grip of the Crimean peninsula and raising fears of further incursions into Ukraine.

The week-long trip will take Mr Obama to four countries.

In the Netherlands, he will join world leaders at the Nuclear Security Summit and head a hastily arranged meeting of the G7 - the US, Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy and Japan.

Mr Obama's focus on Ukraine will continue in Brussels, the headquarters for the EU and NATO.

The nuclear summit in The Hague is held under tight security

A Rome stop will feature a highly anticipated meeting with Pope Francis.

Then the president will travel to Saudi Arabia for a fence-mending visit with the important Gulf ally.

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Ukrainian Forces Ordered To Leave Crimea

The Ukrainian Defence Ministry has been told to pull all its forces from Crimea, as Russian troops extend their control over the disputed territory.

Ukraine's acting president said the defence ministry was given the order on Monday as Russian troops cemented their control over one of Kiev's last remaining bases in the region.

Speaking in parliament Oleksander Turchinov said the decision was taken in the face of "threats to the lives and health of our service personnel."

He said: "The National Defence and Security Council has instructed the Defence Ministry to carry out a re-deployment of military units in Crimea and carry out the evacuation of their families."

Russian troops, backed by helicopters and armoured personnel carriers, forced their way into the base in Feodosia in the early hours of Monday morning.

Ukrainian defence ministry spokesman Vladislav Seleznyov said: "The invading troops were using stun grenades and also firing automatic weapons ... The interior of the compound is full of Russian troops."

Monday's seizure came two days after Russian troops stormed the Belbek base

In a statement on his Facebook page, Mr Seleznyov added that paratroopers descended into the base from four helicopters hovering above. 

He said three Russian vehicles were then seen leaving the base with Ukrainian marines whose hands had been tied up. 

Ukrainian army officer, First Lieutenant Anatoly Mozgovoy, confirmed shots were fired at unarmed Ukrainian soldiers during the seizure, however there are currently no reports of any injuries.

The Feodosia base had been one of the last few military facilities still flying Ukrainian flags after Russia's annexation of Crimea. 

Those flags have now reportedly been removed.

Russian troops violently flushed out other remaining pockets of Ukrainian military influence in Crimea on Saturday, smashing armoured vehicles through the walls of Belbek air force base in a swift takeover.

President Obama will hold crisis talks with G7 leaders later on Monday

Speaking in Amsterdam on Monday US President Barack Obama said Europe and the United States are united in their support for the Ukrainian interim government. 

He said both the EU and US were prepared to "impose a cost" on Russia for its actions so far.

Later on Monday the president will head a crisis meeting on the sidelines of a nuclear security summit in The Hague, attended by G7 leaders.

The meeting will likely discuss concerns that Russia could be looking to extend its control beyond Crimea.

Nato's top commander in Europe, General Philip Breedlove, has warned that Russia's military force massing on Ukraine's border was "very, very sizeable and very, very ready".

He said he was worried the Russian military could make a move for Moldova's breakaway Transdniestria region.

General Breedlove is concerned about the size of Russia's troop build-up

"There is absolutely sufficient force postured on the eastern border of Ukraine to run to Transdniestria if the decision was made to do that and that is very worrisome," he said.

Transdniestria, a narrow strip of land to Ukraine's southwest, already has a Russian military presence and most people there favour a union with the country.

White House deputy national security adviser Tony Blinken echoed the suggestion that President Putin could be plotting further action.

"It's deeply concerning to see the Russian troop build-up on the border," he told CNN.

"It creates the potential for incidents, for instability. It's likely that what they're trying to do is intimidate the Ukrainians. It's possible that they're preparing to move in."

Russian President Vladimir Putin last week signed papers making Crimea part of Russia, saying it was complying with international agreements and had no plans to invade.

There are fears Russian forces are eyeing Ukraine's Transdniestria region

It has also called the soldiers who took over Ukrainian bases in Crimea "self-defence forces".

Most experts agree there is no way of winning back Crimea from Russia.

The US and European Union have already targeted some of Mr Putin's closest political and business allies with personal sanctions and have threatened broader economic sanctions if his forces encroach on other parts of Ukraine with large Russian-speaking populations.

Germany, which has close trade ties with Moscow, said the EU was united in its readiness to impose sanctions on Russia if necessary.

"None of us wants to escalate, but if Russia changes things unilaterally, then it must know that we won't accept it and that relations will be bad," German finance minister Wolfgang Schaeuble said.

Crimea landgrab 'cannot be won back', say experts

Prime Minister David Cameron has even suggested that Russia could be expelled from the G8 bloc of nations.

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, a close ally of Russia, accepted that Crimea was now "de facto" a part of Russia, but said the annexation set a "bad precedent".

Speaking to Sky News, Ukraine's Ambassador to the UK, Volodymyr Khandogiy, said European powers had not done enough to help his country.

"The US is more resolute in their actions and words. We appreciate what Europe is doing (but) we would have liked a more aggressive approach," said Mr Khandogiy.

"If I'm asked if Europe has done enough, I would say no."

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Frantic Search For Mudslide Survivors

Rescue crews have been frantically searching for survivors of a mudslide which killed three people after hearing shouts for help from under the debris.

The 41m (135ft) wide and 55m (180ft) deep slide of mud, rock and trees bulldozed six homes in its path and blocked the highway and river in Oso, 17 miles east of Arlington in Washington State.

The slide flattened six homes

Eight people were injured, including a six-month-old boy who is critically ill in the Harborview Medical Center in Seattle.

A number of people are still missing and 100 rescuers are desperately trying to get to victims whose voices were heard under the wreckage.

The river was blocked causing fears of flooding

Snohomish County Fire District 21 Chief Travis Hots said searchers aren't giving up on finding people alive.

He said: "We have people who are yelling for our help, and we are going to take extreme risks."

Rescue teams gather to search for the missing

Rescuers have been warned of the threat of flooding because the slide blocked the river.

Hospital spokeswoman Susan Gregg said two other victims - an 81-year-old man and a 58-year-old man - are in a critical condition, while a 37-year-old man is seriously hurt.

The slip blocked the highway

Eyewitness Paulo Falcao told the Daily Herald newspaper he was driving and had to brake to avoid the mudslide.

He said: "I just saw the darkness coming across the road. Everything was gone in three seconds."

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Chaos As Russians Smash Their Way Into Air Base

Ukraine Monitoring Mission Will Stop 'Bandits'

Updated: 12:52pm UK, Saturday 22 March 2014

Russia has agreed to civilian observers monitoring the political and security situation in Ukraine, claiming it will help stamp out "ultra-radical tendencies" in the country.

However, Russia said it was barring them from the recently-annexed region of Crimea.

The country also hit back at the widening of sanctions, calling them "divorced from reality" and said it reserved the right to impose sanctions of its own.

The 57 member countries of the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) have agreed an initial deployment of 100 monitors to regions in the east, south and west of Ukraine.

They will spend six months in the country and 400 more could be added "as necessary and according to the situation", diplomats said.

Western countries have been pushing hard for an observer mission as a way of preventing an escalation of tensions in Ukraine following Russia's annexation of the Crimean peninsula.

Russia had blocked the plan on previous occasions.

OSCE vice-chairperson Thomas Greminger welcomed the decision as a "very meaningful contribution to de-escalate the situation in Ukraine".

But, in a statement on Saturday, Russia's Foreign Ministry made it clear Crimea is a 'no-go area' for the observers.

It said: "The mission's mandate reflects the new political and legal realities and does not apply to Crimea and Sevastopol, which became a part of Russia."

"Russia hopes that the objective and impartial work of the international observers will help to overcome the internal Ukrainian crisis, stop rampant nationalist banditry, eradicate ultra-radical tendencies."

US ambassador to the OSCE, Daniel Baer, said he remained optimistic that the mission would have access throughout Ukraine, including Crimea.

Mr Baer said OSCE teams would start deploying within 24 hours.

Prime Minister David Cameron and other EU leaders have imposed sanctions on 12 more people to punish Moscow for its takeover of the Ukrainian territory.

There are now 33 Ukrainians and Russians on the list.

"It's a pity that the European Council made a decision that is divorced from reality," said Russia's Foreign Ministry in a statement on its website.

"We believe it is time to return to the platform of pragmatic cooperation that reflects the interests of our countries.

"However, of course, the Russian side reserves itself the right to give a comparable answer to the actions taken."

The EU also agreed to step up moves to reduce the bloc's reliance on Russian energy.

Mr Cameron said EU members needed to do more to develop their own reserves, as well as their ability to use gas from overseas producers, including the US.

The Prime Minister said: "Our message to Russia is clear: choose the path to diplomacy and de-escalation or face increasing isolation and tighter and tighter sanctions."

Labour's Shadow Foreign Secretary Douglas Alexander also said Russia must realise there are "costs and consequences" in order to deter President Putin from any repeat of what has happened in Crimea.

David Cameron also refused to rule out further sanctions against several oligarchs, including Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich.

Meanwhile, Ukraine's foreign affairs minister said that a political association agreement signed between the European Union and Ukraine was the choice of the Ukrainian people.

Andrii Deshchytsia said the agreement had been on the table for years.

The highly symbolic piece of paper is part of the same EU deal that sparked Ukraine's political crisis when then-President Viktor Yanukovych rejected it in November and chose a bailout from Russia instead.

At the Kremlin on Friday, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed parliamentary legislation incorporating Crimea into Russia and hailed it as a "remarkable event".

As the crisis goes on, US President Barack Obama heads to Europe on Monday for a six-day trip.

He will visit The Hague for a nuclear security summit and a meeting of the G7, then to Brussels for a summit of European leaders and a meeting with the Nato secretary general.

He will also be going to Rome and the Vatican to meet Pope Francis, before leaving the continent to head to Saudi Arabia.

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Russia Troops 'Sizeable And Ready', Warns Nato

The Russian military force on Ukraine's eastern border is "very, very sizeable and very, very ready", according to Nato's top military commander.

General Philip Breedlove said he was worried they could to make a move for Moldova's breakaway Transdniestria region,

"There is absolutely sufficient force postured on the eastern border of Ukraine to run to Transdniestria if the decision was made to do that and that is very worrisome," said Nato's Supreme Allied Commander in Europe.

Transdniestria, a narrow strip of land to Ukraine's west, already has a Russian military presence and many people there favour a union with the country.

Russian troops violently flushed out the last remaining pockets of Ukrainian military influence in Crimea on Saturday, smashing armoured vehicles through the walls of Belbek airforce base in a swift takeover.

President Putin signed papers making Crimea part of Russia at a ceremony in Moscow, and most experts agree there is no way of winning back the region.

Armed men seized the navy ship Slavutich

Speaking to Sky News, Ukraine's Ambassador to the UK, Volodymyr Khandogiy, said European powers had not done enough to deal to help his country.

"The US is more resolute in their actions and words. We appreciate what Europe is doing (but) we would have liked a more aggressive approach.

Armoured carriers smashed their way into the airbase near Sevastopol

"If I'm asked if Europe has done enough I would say no."

Foreign Secretary William Hague has also warned Russia it is not simply facing "short-term pain" of limited sanctions, but long-term "isolation and stagnation" following its landgrab in Crimea.

In an article for the Sunday Telegraph, he wrote: "The European Commission are working now on more far-reaching economic measures that will be imposed if Russia takes further steps to undermine Ukraine."

The base is in a key strategic position on Crimea's Black Sea coast

He said Britain and its allies had "never given up on diplomacy or sought a path of permanent confrontation with Russia".

"But nor should European nations run scared before bullying behaviour," he added.

Mr Hague said it was now necessary to "contemplate a new state of relations with Russia that is very different to the last 20 years".

Russia took control of several Ukrainian military bases on Saturday, in a territory which it now firmly considers its own.

The Ukrainian troops were 'outnumbered'

Several hundred protesters raised the Russian flag after storming an airforce base in the western Crimean town of Novofedorivka while pro-Kremlin forces watched.

In the city of Sevastopol, armed men seized control of the Slavutich, one of the last navy ships in Crimea still flying Ukraine's flag.

But the most dramatic episode saw Russian special forces break into the nearby Belbek air base, which has long been the pride of Ukraine's air force.

Sky News Chief Correspondent Stuart Ramsay was inside the sprawling compound as the attack took place.

"They came through the walls in armoured personnel carriers," he said, adding that the forces were "all balaclaved" and wore "slightly different uniforms to regular Russian soldiers".

Ramsay also heard "big explosions" which he said were probably blast bombs to disorientate the Ukrainian troops, who were then made to line up on a parade ground.

He said the Ukrainians were "massively outnumbered and outgunned" by the Russians, with just small arms and a few machine guns.

Ukraine's defence ministry later confirmed its men had left the base and said a journalist and a Ukrainian soldier had been wounded during the takeover.

Sky's Foreign Affairs Editor Sam Kiley said the base was an important capture for the Russians.

"It is a base that is home to a significant number, possibly a third, of the main combat aircraft of the Ukrainian air force - the MIG-29s - and their support aircraft and the structures that go with them," he said.

"If you look at that and the blockage of the Ukrainian Navy in the shared port of Sevastopol in Crimea, what you see here is the Russians doing two things.

"The first is to seize territory that they now lay claim to and the second is to cripple the Ukrainian armed forces.

"That is extremely important to them if they want to move into the Ukrainian eastern provinces where there are a predominance of Russian speakers."

The Foreign Office has extended its travel warnings and is advising against all but essential travel to Kharkiv, Donetsk and Lugansk due to increased tension in eastern Ukraine.

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