Missing Malaysia Plane Search Shifts Over Speed

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

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 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.

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.

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.

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

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

Ahmad Jauhari Yahya, chief executive of Malaysia Airlines, said events of the past week, which included telling passengers' relatives the jet had crashed in the Indian Ocean, had been "difficult for everyone".

"Ever since the disappearance of flight MH370, our focus has been to comfort and support the families of those involved and support the multi-national search effort," he said.

"We will continue to do this, while we also continue to support the work of the investigating authorities."

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

He added: "Whilst we understand there will inevitably be speculation during this period, we do ask people to bear in mind the effect this has on the families of all those on board.

"Their anguish and distress increases with each passing day, with each fresh rumour and with each false or misleading report."

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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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 7th.

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 7 April."

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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Ousted Yanukovych Calls For Ukraine Referendums

Every region of Ukraine should hold a vote to decide whether to break away, according to the country's ousted president.

Viktor Yanukovych said: "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.

The region of Crimea voted to become part of Russia in a hastily-arranged vote earlier this month that has been condemned as a breach of international law.

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Missing Plane: Scanning The Seas For MH370

By James Matthews, Sky News Correspondent

"Unfortunately, we don't have a scoop for you" - those were the parting words from Australia's Air Force 11 squadron, crew 3, as we stepped off their P3 Orion aircraft following a search for MH370.

Every crew operating out of the Pearce air base north of Perth, Western Australia, wants to be the crew that finally locates the missing Malaysian airliner.

11 Squadron are more used to hunting for submarines on behalf of the Royal Australian Air Force. 

As part of Australia's contribution to the multinational search for MH370, we accompanied them on a mission 1300 miles off the coast of Western Australia.  

The open seas are relayed onto monitors as the plane flies over

It was a four hour flight to the 'crash site', where the aircraft's crew searched for three and a half hours. 

We knew we had arrived at the scene when Captain Peter Moore switched off one of his plane's four propeller engines, a move that saved fuel and prolonged the searching time by half an hour.

The advantages of technology in the hunt for MH370 are obvious. 

Satellite imagery, in particular, has guided the search. Close-up, however, technology's limits are equally clear.

Take some of the information fed onto a bank of monitors, the so-called "tech-bar", inside the aircraft.

Infrared cameras stream footage of the sea onto screens, as does the plane's radar. 

Airforce spotters work in shifts of 20 minutes and scan side to side

Both systems are effective in the aircraft's usual role of hunting for submarines but in the circumstances surrounding the search for MH370 they are not ideal.

Radar cannot penetrate water and so is relying on chancing upon debris protruding above the surface.

Infrared cameras pick out sources of heat; the only trouble is that any piece of debris will be as cold as the sea around it.

So among all the sophisticated kit involved in this multinational search effort it comes down to the human eye as much as anything else. 

Trained spotters rotate in 20 minute shifts, the time deemed as an appropriate limit for extreme concentration. 

They are taught to scan the scene before them from side to side, according to the direction in which they read and write. 

Our trip with 11 Squadron was the fourth made by the crew on this job and they have modified their approach over time. 

The search area is four hours from Australia

They scan the sea from a height 700 metres - some aircraft have gone lower but 11 Squadron have found that 700m increases the area they can scan at any one time.

It also presents the opportunity for the spotters to get a view straight down - important, they say, for debris they believe is probably resting just beneath the ocean's surface.

Looking out of the window of the P3 Orion you gain a clear sense of the challenge facing search teams. 

When you look out of the domed portholes in the aircraft skin you see a vast expanse of ocean extending far into the horizon. 

11 Squadron did make a couple of sightings during their search of 900 square miles - but sadly not of the missing aircraft. 

The crew spotted some dolphins and a killer whale.

Pearce airforce base near Perth is the hub for the air search operation

Since the announcement that MH370 had crashed, there is - perhaps - less emotional investment in the search and recovery operation. 

No longer are search crews mindful of a miracle - the possibility that someone, somewhere, might be found alive. 

Crews are now wholly focused on a job that is about recovery and the gathering of evidence.

It is also about the bereaved families. In the words of 11 Squadron's Captain Peter Moore, for the victim's loved ones "closure matters". And that is what drives the search of strangers.

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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.

Ukraine soldiers patrol near the Russia border in Kharkiv

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

But 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.

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 now 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.

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

The plane is thought to have crashed on March 8, with the loss of all 239 people aboard after flying thousands of miles off course.

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.

A Japanese P-3 Orion has been out searching for debris

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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Suspect Package Found As Obama Visits Brussels

Belgian police say they have found a suspicious package in Brussels on the morning of President Obama's visit.

Police say they have called the bomb squad to investigate the package.

It was found on a public bus in the north of the city, roughly two miles from the headquarters of Nato.

A spokesman for Brussels police said: "We have closed off the surrounding area, which is our standard procedure in such cases." 

President Obama was due to hold talks with Nato Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen later on Wednesday. 

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Russian Troops Forcibly Seize Crimea Base

Russian troops have forcibly seized one of the last remaining Ukrainian-run military bases in Crimea amid fears Moscow has enough manpower on the ground to take another region.

The 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."

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

Armoured carriers smashed their way into the Belbek air base

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.

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

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.

As G7 leaders prepare to discuss the crisis at a summit, headed by US President Barack Obama, Nato's top commander in Europe has warned that Russia's military force massing on Ukraine's border was "very, very sizeable and very, very ready".

General Philip Breedlove said he was worried the Russian military could 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," he said.

There are fears Russian forces are eyeing Ukraine's 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.

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.

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

Crimea landgrab 'cannot be won back', say experts

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

Today leaders of the G7 nations will hold emergency talks on the crisis on the sidelines of a nuclear security summit in The Hague.

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.

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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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 two only court sessions in which the defendants' lawyers complained 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.

Only 123 of the defendants were present for the ruling. The rest were either released, out on bail or on the run.

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

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 last August.

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

Supporters of ousted president Mr Morsi have faced a 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.

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Malaysia Jet: 'White And Square Objects Seen'

A Chinese plane looking for missing Malaysian flight MH370 has reportedly spotted several "suspicious" floating objects.

The crew of the military Ilyushin-76 aircraft saw "white and square" objects dispersed over several kilometres in the southern Indian Ocean, according to China's official news agency.

They included two "relatively big" objects and several smaller ones, and they were seen near an area identified by satellite imagery as containing possible debris from the missing airliner.

The Chinese military plane lands after spotting the 'suspicious' objects

"The crew has reported the co-ordinates - 95.1113 degrees east and 42.5453 south - to the Australian command centre as well as Chinese icebreaker Xuelong, which is en route to the sea area," Xinhua said.

Australia said it will use other aircraft scheduled to search the area on Monday to try to also spot the objects.

There have been several sightings by planes and satellites of objects

But the Chinese foreign ministry said it was unable to confirm what they were.

Sky's Mark Stone in the city of Perth said: "It could be that those two large objects are bits of fuselage and the smaller objects are perhaps seat covers which would obviously float.

"But it could also be something entirely different - pallets that have fallen off the back of a fishing trawler or something else."

A Chinese mother writes a message to her son who was on flight MH370

A Chinese military plane had earlier set off from Perth to find "suspicious debris" captured by satellite imagery in the remote waters.

It comes as a Malaysia Airlines flight carrying 271 people from Kuala Lumpur to Seoul, South Korea was forced to make an unscheduled landing in Hong Kong this morning after a technical fault.

The southern corridor and the area of ocean being searched

Flight MH066 was diverted "due to an inoperative aircraft generator which supplies normal electrical power" on the Airbus A330-300, the airline said in a statement.

"However, electrical power continued to be supplied by the auxiliary power unit," the company added, giving no further details on the technical problem.

The US Navy has announced it is sending one of its high-tech black box detectors to the southern Indian Ocean being scoured for the missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370.

The towed pinger locator, which is pulled behind a vessel at slow speeds, has highly sensitive listening capability so that if the wreck site is located, it can hear the black box pinger down to a depth of about 20,000ft (6,100 metres).

The navy called the move a "precautionary measure" in case those sightings confirm the location of the aircraft which disappeared on March 8 with 239 people on board.

A Chinese satellite spotted this potential debris on Saturday

US Seventh Fleet Operations Officer Commander Chris Budde said in a statement: "If debris is found we will be able to respond as quickly as possible since the battery life of the black box's pinger is limited."

Meanwhile, Australian authorities are continuing to analyse French satellite images showing potential floating debris in the southern search area around 1,500 miles (2,500km) southwest of Perth.

It was the third possible sighting of debris in the area and occurred almost 600 miles north of an object reported by the Chinese at the weekend.

Speaking about the French sighting, Australian deputy prime minister Warren Truss said: "That's not in the area that had been identified as the most likely place where the aircraft may have entered the sea. But having said all that we've got to check out all the options."

On Saturday, the Chinese government released a satellite image showing a large floating object.

That object, measuring 74ft (22.5 metres) by 43ft (13 metres), was photographed on Tuesday just 75 miles from where two other potential pieces of debris were spotted by an Australian satellite.

None of the objects have yet been retrieved to determine if they are from MH370.

Ten aircraft and the Australian Navy ship HMAS Success are now involved in a fifth day of searching for debris.

Heavy rain is expected to hamper efforts and a cyclone bearing down on Australia's northwest coast could also stir up severe weather.

Mr Truss said "nothing of note" was found on Sunday, which he described as a "fruitless day".

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UK Warning As Russia Tightens Grip On Crimea

Foreign Secretary William Hague has warned Russia it is not simply facing "short-term pain" of limited sanctions, but long-term "isolation and stagnation" following its decision to claim Crimea from Ukraine.

Mr Hague's comments come amid continuing tensions in Crimea, where pro-Russian forces have seized control of more Ukrainian military sites.

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."

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".

Armed men seized the navy ship Slavutich

On Saturday, several hundred protesters raised the Russian flag after storming a Ukrainian airforce base in the western Crimean town Novofedorivka while pro-Kremlin forces watched.

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

Armoured carriers smashed their way into the airbase near Sevastopol

But the most dramatic episode saw Russian special forces break into the Belbek air base, near Simferopol, 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".

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

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.

The Ukrainian troops were 'outnumbered'

"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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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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Frantic Search For Mudslide Survivors

Rescue crews were frantically searching for survivors of a mudslide which killed three people after hearing people "yelling" 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 in a critical condition at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle.

A number of people are still missing and 100 rescuers were desperately trying to get to people whose voices had been heard under the wreckage left by the giant slip.

The river was blocked causing fears of flooding

Snohomish County Fire District 21 Chief Travis Hots said searchers weren'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

As rescuers carried out their search they were warned of the threat of flooding because the slide had blocked the river.

Hospital spokeswoman Susan Gregg said two other victims were in critical condition - an 81-year-old man and a 58-year-old man - while a 37-year-old man was in serious condition.

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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