Iraq: No Turning Back As Country Is Carved Up

By Sherine Tadros, Middle East Correspondent, in Irbil

It may have taken years to get to this point, but the pace at which Iraq is being carved up is staggering.

Boundaries are being redrawn and alliances are shifting - what is taking days to achieve will take much longer to reverse.

The Kurds are taking advantage of the situation. 

The spokesman for their forces, the Peshmerga, told me they had warned the central government in Baghdad of the growing dissent against them, which allowed the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) to advance this much so fast.

"This is just the beginning of ISIS's plan," said Helgurd Hikmet Mela Ali.

"The problem is not ISIS, if it wasn't for the loss of support for the government in these areas then ISIS would not have been able to get this far."

Government forces and tribal fighters on the outskirts of Diyala

The Kurds are now in de facto control of ethnically mixed Kirkuk, which they have long wanted to stake out as their capital. 

Other gains are also within their sights, some are even talking about pushing for full autonomy.

Meanwhile the government seemingly has no plan to take back lost territory north of Baghdad. 

The governor of Mosul, Iraq's second city that fell to extremists earlier this week, says there is little the army can do because they are so hated by the locals.

The plan, he says, is to use local Sunni militias in Mosul to fight the insurgents. 

But he admits that cannot be done right now. 

People shout slogans backing a Shia cleric's call to arms against ISIS

The extremists have successfully branded their mission as an uprising against Prime Minister Nouri al Maliki and the governor says any attempt to fight them would be seen by locals as an attempt to help Maliki regain control.

"The militias will fight for themselves, for the Sunnis, but they will not fight in the name of Maliki," Atheel al Nujafi told me.

ISIS may be on the frontline and in the headlines, but they are not the only force making this advance.

As they sweep through towns they are recruiting men who are fed up with the prime minister and his American backers. 

There are also reports commanders from former president Saddam Hussein's army are also helping ISIS.

What will happen if their common enemy Maliki falls is another question that will determine the future of Iraq.

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Iraq: Iran Offers To Work With Arch Foe US

Iran's president has said he would consider working with the US to combat Islamist militants in Iraq, as he offered help fight the insurgents.

President Hassan Rouhani suggested he would be willing to co-operate with Iran's traditional enemy to keep the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) from taking control of its Middle East neighbour.

In a televised address on Saturday morning Mr Rouhani said Iran would be willing to go to Iraq's assistance and added: "We all should practically and verbally confront terrorist groups."

A refugee boy fleeing his Iraqi home after militants took control

Asked if Tehran would work with the Americans, he said: "We can think about it if we see America start confronting the terrorist groups in Iraq or elsewhere."

President Barack Obama has ruled out putting American troops on the ground in Iraq, but says the White House is considering all other options for support.

Barack Obama has ruled out troops on the ground

He said he would make a decision "in the days ahead" on the options, amid reports that the Pentagon is drafting plans for possible air strikes against the Islamist rebels.

"The United States will do our part, but ultimately it's up to the Iraqis as a sovereign nation to solve their problems," Mr Obama said. "We can't do it for them."

Iran has already sent a Major General from the Revolutionary Guard to Baghdad to meet leaders of the city.

Hassan Rouhani has offered to help Iraq

Iran is predominately Shia and does not want to see a Sunni caliphate established on its borders by ISIS fighters, who are now thought to be fewer than 50 miles (80km) from Iraq's capital.

Foreign Secretary William Hague has ruled out sending UK troops, but said Britain may offer other support, such as counter-terrorism expertise, which could see the involvement of the SAS, as it did in Libya.

"Work is under way on that now and we will continue to liaise closely with our United States allies in particular on that," he said.

Britain is to provide £3m in emergency aid to help refugees fleeing the violence.

Volunteers waiting to join the Iraqi army to fight ISIS

It comes as the governor of Mosul told Sky News he would welcome US support in ousting Islamist militants from Iraq, but does not want troops on the ground.

Speaking from Irbil in the Kurdish north after fleeing Mosul when it was taken by ISIS, Atheel al Nujaifi said the insurgents' attack on several Iraqi cities came as a complete surprise to Iraqi authorities.

Mr Nujaifi said: "We need to have weapons. We need to have political support.

A comparison of the Iraqi army and ISIS

"(But) we don't like the American army to come into Iraq and to occupy Iraq another time and turn back to the same problem that happened before."

The UN has said the 7,000-strong ISIS force has carried out summary executions and rapes in its bloody takeover of large swathes of the country. It has met with little resistance as 90,000 Iraqi soldiers are said to have deserted their posts.

Some of the areas affected by the fighting

On Saturday morning hundreds of young Iraqis attended volunteer centres across Baghdad to sign up to fight the militants after the country's most senior cleric urged people to take up arms

Sheikh Abdulmehdi al Karbalai, a representative for Grand Ayatollah Ali al Sistani, said: "People who are capable of carrying arms and fighting the terrorists in defence of their country ... should volunteer to join the security forces to achieve this sacred goal."

:: Watch a special report on the conflict in Iraq on our catch up service. Sky's Foreign Affairs Correspondent Lisa Holland asks whether the current crisis means the end of Iraq. It's free for TV customers with Sky HD+ boxes connected to broadband.

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Iraq: Britain To Give £3m In Emergency Aid

Britain will provide an initial £3m of emergency humanitarian assistance to help civilians fleeing the fighting in Iraq.

The support will include clean water, medicine, women-friendly hygiene kits, sanitation and basic household items.

It comes after Department for International Development experts were deployed to Iraq on Thursday to assess the situation.

Now the UK has activated its Rapid Response Facility, which provides support via approved organisations at times of crisis.

International Development Secretary Justine Greening said: "Iraq is facing serious humanitarian need.

"The UK contribution to the international relief response will include initial funding for clean water, medicine and sanitation, as well as support for the UNHCR to provide dedicated safety and welfare teams to protect vulnerable women."

DiFD added in a statement that the UK will continue to monitor the situation and work with the Red Cross/Red Crescent and the UN.

Hundreds of thousands of civilians have fled their homes amid an offensive by Sunni insurgents from the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS).

The fighters have seized a numbers of towns and cities as they make their way south to the capital, Baghdad.

Many civilians have gone to the autonomous Kurdish region in the north, and aid workers said most people are arriving with little more than the clothes on their backs and little money.

Save The Children said it was "working around the clock" with refugees and displaced people.

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Barefoot Boy Found: Appeal To Trace Parents

Police are trying to trace the family of a boy - about four years old - who was found alone and barefoot in a Birmingham street.

The child was discovered in Chesterton Road, Sparkbrook by a member of the public who alerted officers just before 10pm on Thursday.

They went to the scene and took him to a police station. He is now being looked after by social services.

The child is believed to be Somali but has so far been unable to give officers his name or any other details.

West Midlands Police say the child is black, has short black afro hair, and wore a yellow t-shirt and navy tracksuit bottoms.

Officers have carried out local enquiries but his family has not been located.

Acting Inspector Amer Shams, from Birmingham East Police, said: "This is obviously very unusual and worrying.

"We urgently appeal for the parents, or anyone who believes they may know the family of this little boy to contact us.

"Thankfully he did not come to any harm and he is being well looked after. We need to try and get him back to where he should be.

"We thank the members of the public who asked quickly and responsibly in contacting us after finding the child in the street last night."

Anyone with information is urged to contact local police on 101.

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Burglar Jailed For 'Evil' Murder Of Baby In Cot

A burglar who murdered a 10-month-old boy by hitting him more than 30 times in the face and head has been jailed for life in Australia.

Harley Hicks will serve a minimum of 32 years behind bars after the judge said his crime was "utterly evil".

The 21-year-old, who denied the killing, had shown no remorse for the ferocious attack on Zayden Veal-Whitting as he lay in his cot, said Supreme Court Justice Stephen Kaye.

Hicks bludgeoned the baby to death with a homemade baton made of copper wire wrapped in tape in a burglary spree in Bendigo, Victoria state in June 2012.

Zayden's mother found her severely beaten son as she went into his room to wake him and pulled back a blanket covering his face.

He was then taken to hospital where he was pronounced dead.

The Bendigo court heard Hicks told police he was high on drugs at the time, but gave no reason why he attacked the baby.

However, his defence team had suggested it was because he disturbed the infant.

Sentencing Hicks, Mr Kaye said: "He (Zayden) was utterly harmless, defenceless and helpless.

"Any human being with even a shred of decency and humanity could only feel compassion, tenderness and protectiveness towards an infant in those circumstances.

"By contrast, you inflicted a brutal bashing, with a lethal instrument, on that baby. You crushed his skull, you savagely beat him with at least 30 blows."

The judge, who said Hicks had used marijuana and crystal meth before the murder, added: "It is almost unthinkable that any human being could have carried out such a sickening crime that you have committed.

"What you did was totally and utterly evil."

Hicks showed no emotion as the sentence was handed down.

Eleven cars and homes in the Bendigo neighbourhood were broken into the night of the murder and Hicks admitted carrying out some of them.

Items taken from Zayden's home and the baton used in the murder were found in a raid on his house, the court heard.

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Iraqis Told: 'Take Up Arms And Defend Country'

Iraq has implemented an emergency plan to defend Baghdad as a representative for its most senior Shi'ite cleric urged people to take up arms and defend their country.

Sheikh Abdulmehdi al Karbalai, a representative for Grand Ayatollah Ali al Sistani, was delivering a sermon at Friday prayers in Karbala.

Islamist insurgents are edging closer to the country's capital after seizing large swathes of territory as they head south on the road from Mosul to Baghdad.

Along the way the fighters have been parading seized military equipment and flying the black and white flag of the Islamic caliphate, or state, they hope to create.

Security forces are gathering at a base just 20 miles outside Baghdad, ready to protect the city from Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) fighters who have vowed to march on the city.

Brigadier General Saad Maan told the AFP news agency: "The plan consists of intensifying the deployment of forces, and increasing intelligence efforts and the use of technology such as (observation) balloons and cameras and other equipment."

Thousands of refugees have fled the violence. Pic: UNHCR

Insurgents have taken control of the northern cities Mosul and Tikrit, having already seized Fallujah and parts of Ramadi.

The militants have also moved into the towns of Saadiyah and Jalawla in the eastern province of Diyala after security forces abandoned their positions.

A security source and local official have told Reuters that insurgents have clashed with Shi'ite militia at two locations in the province.

A comparison of the Iraqi army and ISIS

As the chaos spreads, Iraqi Kurdish forces have seized control of Kirkuk, an oil hub close to their autonomous enclave, after government troops abandoned their posts.

A spokesman for the UN's High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, said she is "extremely concerned" by summary executions, extrajudicial killings and the displacement of more than 500,000 people.

Rupert Colville said the number of people killed after the militants overran Mosul may run into the hundreds.

Some of the areas affected by the fighting in Iraq

He said his office had reports the killings included the execution of 18 civilians working for the police.

Four women had killed themselves after being raped, while 16 Georgians had been kidnapped, Mr Colville added.

"We've also had reports suggesting that the government forces have also committed excesses, in particular the shelling of civilian areas on 6 and 8 June," he said.

An Iraqi security officer stands guard as Iraqi civilians wait to volunteer

"There are claims that up to 30 civilians may have been killed."

The Iraqi army fired artillery at Saadiyah and Jalawla from Muqdadiya, 50 miles from the Baghdad city limits, sending dozens of families fleeing towards the Iranian border, security sources said.

The Iraqi air force also launched airstrikes on militant fighters' positions around Mosul and Tikrit.

A girl, who fled from the violence in Mosul, carries a case of water

Witnesses say the fighters are preparing a third assault on Samarra, 70 miles north of Baghdad, following two failed attempts to take the city.

Sky's Middle East Correspondent Sherine Tadros, in Irbil, northern Iraq, said: "The army right now is extremely demoralised, it feels like it's lacking in leadership and it's splintering under this pressure.

"Meanwhile, the militants certainly seem like they have the upper hand and all the momentum."

The US has confirmed ground troops will not be sent into Iraq, but President Barack Obama says his administration is looking into "all options".

Hundreds of Americans have also been evacuated from a military base in Balad, 50 miles north of Baghdad.

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Iraq MPs Fail To Agree State Of Emergency

ISIS Vulnerable Despite Seizing Swathes Of Iraq

Updated: 8:29pm UK, Wednesday 11 June 2014

By Sam Kiley, Foreign Affairs Editor

Born in Iraq, toughened and grown in Syria, the Middle East's most violent Islamist group has returned to the motherland with a vengeance.

Known as the Islamic State in Iraq and al Shams, ISIS has stormed Mosul, Iraq's second city, then stampeded south at breathtaking speed threatening the capital, Baghdad.

That, ISIS's leader Abu Bakr al Baghdadi may soon learn, was the easy part.

He may soon be proclaimed the Emir of a new Islamic caliphate - making real the fantasy of a state.

That will be the moment when his movement becomes most vulnerable.

Spreading terror, organising insurrections, undermining governments and guerrilla war are challenges that legitimate rulers could only ever dream of.

Insurgent tactics almost always give the initiative to the insurgent.

Al Baghdadi, who is believed to be Awwad Ibrahim Ali al-Badri, a native of Samarrah, has applied himself with extreme skill to the task of wrecking.

He took over that was then al Qaeda in Iraq after Abu Musab al-Zarqawi and other senior leaders were killed in American and British attacks which were orchestrated with the help of fellow Sunnis who had turned against their extreme view of Islam.

AQI has been almost crippled by 2011.

But the Syrian civil war, which it joined to depose Bashar al Assad, provided a resuscitating boost to a movement - which has so frequently tortured and murdered that the global leaders of al Qaeda have disowned it.

The suicidal daring of its members, many of them volunteers from Europe and Chechnya, at first impressed Syria's other rebel movements.

But by the end of last year the extreme violence of ISIS's methods had alienated even al Qaeda sponsored groups like the al Nusra front.

ISIS has been locked in bitter fighting against other rebel groups inside Syria.

Funded with donations from the Gulf, ISIS began turning its energies back into Iraq  - six months ago it captured the city of Falluja.

It was able to draw on Sunni dismay of what has largely been seen as exclusion from power by the Shia dominated government of Nuri al Maliki.

And translate that into a devastating military campaign as it stormed south from Mosul though Baiji, Tikrit, and Sammarah, about 60 miles from Baghdad.

ISIS is unlikely to attack either Kirkuk or Baghdad, where it would meet resistance from Shia and Kurds.

But it may declare itself the "state" or "caliphate" it has always wanted to be.

If it does that it will mutate from a metastasizing idea of violent jihad to become an entity, a thing in a known place, not an idea with agents in the shadows.

Then it can be attacked, and even destroyed.

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Parklife Reveller Dies After 'Fight Over Doll'

A man who was seriously assaulted at Parklife Weekender music festival in Manchester has died.

Robert Hart, 26, and his girlfriend were in front of the festival's main stage on Saturday evening watching Snoop Dogg when he was attacked by an unknown man.

Mr Hart was reportedly trying to protect his girlfriend who was being hit repeatedly by an inflatable toy.

The victim was punched to the ground and knocked unconscious and, despite being given CPR to try to resuscitate him at the scene by two off-duty medical personnel, he later died in hospital.

The alleged attacker is described as a mixed race male in his late 20s and around 6ft 1in tall.

He is described as muscular with dark hair was shaved at the sides. He was wearing shorts and a blue, bomber-style jacket with the letter "A" in white on the front.

An e-fit picture of the alleged assailant

Detective Inspector Richard Eales of Greater Manchester Police said: "Our immediate thoughts go out to Robert's family and loved ones.

"We are still in the early stages of this investigation, however several witnesses have assisted us with vital information concerning the description of the offender. We believe a confrontation took place following an inflatable doll hitting Robert's girlfriend.

"We are aware other assaults took place in the park that evening, but I am specifically appealing for witnesses who recall seeing the inflatable doll and the attack on Robert immediately thereafter.

"I am keen for those witnesses to come forward and other persons nearby who may have mobile phone footage of the attack or captured an image of the person responsible.

"Finally, if you are the man responsible or were with him that evening, please come forward."

:: Anyone with information can contact the incident room direct on 0161 85 69283 or email the incident room with any relevant footage. Alternatively you can call police on 101 or independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

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McCanns 'Very Pleased' With Renewed Search

Kate and Gerry McCann are "very pleased" that significant activity has taken place in Praia da Luz over the last 10 days.

The couple believe the police digs, which have produced no new evidence, reinforce their belief that Madeleine could still be alive.

More follows...

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Madeleine McCann Police Bring In Sniffer Dogs

Madeleine: Key Events Timeline

Updated: 7:29am UK, Wednesday 11 June 2014

Here is a timeline of the key events since Madeleine McCann's disappearance.

2007

:: May 3 - Kate and Gerry McCann leave their three children asleep in their holiday apartment in Praia da Luz while they dine with friends at a nearby tapas restaurant.

Jane Tanner, one of the friends eating with the McCanns, later reports seeing a man carrying a child away earlier that night.

:: May 5 - Portuguese police reveal they believe Madeleine was abducted but is still alive and in Portugal, and say they have a sketch of a suspect.

:: May 14 - Detectives take Anglo-Portuguese man Robert Murat in for questioning and make him an "arguido", or official suspect.

:: May 25 - Detectives release a description of the man reported by Jane Tanner three weeks earlier after pressure from the McCanns, their legal team and the British Government.

:: May 30 - Mr and Mrs McCann meet the Pope in Rome in the first of a series of trips around Europe and beyond to highlight the search for their daughter.

:: August 6 - A Portuguese newspaper reports that British sniffer dogs have found traces of blood on a wall in the McCanns' holiday apartment.

:: August 11 - Exactly 100 days after Madeleine disappeared, investigating officers publicly acknowledge for the first time that she could be dead.

:: September 7 - During further questioning of Mr and Mrs McCann, detectives make them both "arguidos" in their daughter's disappearance.

:: September 9 - The McCanns fly back to England with their two-year-old twins Sean and Amelie.

:: October 2 - Goncalo Amaral, the detective in charge of the inquiry, is removed from the case after criticising the British police in a Portuguese newspaper interview.

:: October 25 - The McCanns release a new artist's impression drawn by an FBI-trained expert showing the man described by Jane Tanner.

2008

:: March 19 - Mr and Mrs McCann accept £550,000 libel damages and front-page apologies from Express Newspapers over allegations they were responsible for Madeleine's death.

:: April 7 - Three Portuguese detectives, led by Paulo Rebelo, fly to Britain to re-interview the seven friends on holiday with the McCanns when Madeleine vanished.

:: July 17 - Mr Murat receives £600,000 in libel damages from four newspaper groups over "seriously defamatory" articles connecting him with the child's disappearance.

:: July 21 - The Portuguese authorities shelve their investigation and lift the "arguido" status of the McCanns and Mr Murat.

:: August 4 - Thousands of pages of evidence from the Portuguese police files in the exhaustive investigation into Madeleine's disappearance are made public.

2009

:: January 13 - Mr McCann returns to Portugal for the first time since coming back to the UK without his daughter.

:: March 24 - The McCanns launch a localised new appeal for information focused on the area in the Algarve where Madeleine disappeared.

:: April 4 - Mr McCann goes back to Portugal to help film a reconstruction of the events on the night his daughter vanished.

:: April 22 - The McCanns fly to the US to record an interview with chat show host Oprah Winfrey to mark two years since Madeleine's disappearance.

:: June 14 - Dying paedophile Raymond Hewlett says he was in the Algarve when Madeleine disappeared and has an alibi - but has no plans to reveal it.

:: August 6 - Detectives say they are hunting a "Victoria Beckham lookalike" with an Australian or New Zealand accent, reportedly seen in Barcelona three days after the little girl went missing.

2010

:: Feb 18 -  Kate and Gerry McCann say they are "pleased and relieved" at a judge's decision to uphold a ban on a book by former detective Goncalo Amaral.

:: Mar 3 -  A newly-released file from Portugese police on possible sightings is called "gold dust" and could lead to a breakthrough, says a spokesman for the McCanns.

:: May 1 - Kate McCann reveals she had thoughts about being "wiped out" in a motorway crash to end the pain of losing Madeleine - but vows never to give up.

:: November 10 - Madeleine's parents launch an online petition to help force a UK and Portuguese joint review of all evidence in the case.

:: November 15 -  The McCanns sign a deal to write a book about their daughter's disappearance.

2011

:: May 13 - The Prime Minister David Cameron asks London's Metropolitan Police to help investigate the case.

:: November 23 - Kate and Gerry McCann appear at the Leveson Inquiry into media ethics.

They tell how media pressure affected their family life and accuse newspaper editors of hampering the search for their missing daughter.

Kate McCann says she felt "violated" when her diary was published without her permission.

:: December 5 - Scotland Yard detectives spend time in Barcelona as part of their re-examination of the case.

2012

:: March 9 - Portuguese police in Oporto launch a review of the original investigation.

:: April 26 - Scotland Yard says Madeleine McCann may still be alive and release an artist's impression of what she may look like as a nine-year-old.

:: July 6 - British detectives examine a claim that the little girl's body is buried near the apartment from where she vanished. It comes after a self-styled investigator sends police radar scans he claims show a burial site.

2013

:: February 11 - Gerry McCann calls for politicians to implement the conclusions of the Leveson Inquiry in full, backed by legislation.

:: February 13 - Police say the results of DNA tests on a girl in New Zealand who was mistaken for Madeleine reveal that she is not the missing British girl.

:: February 21 - Retired solicitor Tony Bennett who published claims that Madeleine McCann's parents caused her death is given a suspended jail sentence.

:: May 2 - Madeleine McCann's parents tell Sky News a police review into their daughter's disappearance is making "excellent progress" as they mark the sixth anniversary since she went missing.

:: May 17 - Scotland Yard say they have identified a number of "people of interest" they want to speak to. It believes it has found enough evidence to reopen the case but the Portuguese authorities are still resistant. 

:: June 15 - The Home Office agrees to fund a full-scale investigation by the Metropolitan Police.

:: October 13 - UK detectives reviewing the case say key details in the timeline of her disappearance have "significantly changed".

:: October 14 - A fresh appeal is launched in a bid to find a suspect detectives say is of "vital importance", with two new separate e-fits - thought to be of the same man seen on the night Madeleine went missing - released by police.

:: October 17 - Detective Chief Inspector Andy Redwood, who is leading the Scotland Yard team, Assistant Commissioner Mark Rowley, and Mr and Mrs McCann meet officers in Lisbon to be briefed on the Portuguese case.

:: October 23 - Britain's most senior police officer Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe defends the way the Portuguese dealt with the initial investigation into Madeleine's disappearance, saying it would have been "very difficult" to immediately know if they were dealing with a serious crime.

:: October 24 - Detectives in Portugal reopen the investigation into Madeleine McCann's disappearance after an internal review uncovers new lines of inquiry and witnesses who were never questioned during the original Portuguese investigation.

2014

:: January 3 - A family source says Kate and Gerry McCann have been denied permission to give evidence at a Portuguese libel trial over a book about the case by former local police chief Goncalo Amaral.

:: January 13 - British police investigate three burglars who were in the area when Madeleine disappeared, and whose phones were apparently "red hot" after she went missing. A letter is sent to Portuguese police asking for help to track them down.

:: January 29 - Scotland Yard officers, including the detective leading the case, fly to Portugal to meet police there and discuss the latest developments.

:: March 19 - Officers from Operation Grange launch a search for a man who sexually assaulted five British girls in the Algarve between 2004 and 2006.

:: April 23 - Detectives identify five new cases where a lone intruder abused young British girls in holiday apartments in the Algarve.

:: May 1 - Kate and Gerry McCann give an interview to Sky News where they are desperate to find out what happened to Madeleine, even if it is the "worst case scenario" as they back calls for a Child Rescue Alert service similar to the Amber Alert system in the US.

:: May 6 - Scotland Yard plans to dig for evidence in three locations in Praia da Luz are approved, with officers set to use ground penetrating radar.

:: May 8 - British Officers reportedly use a military helicopter to photograph potential excavation sites and hold a four-hour meeting with Portuguese colleagues to agree a timetable for new searches.

:: May 22 - Met Police Assistant Commissioner Mark Rowley says the investigation will enter a "substantial phase of operational activity" in Portugal in the coming weeks. 

:: June 2 - Portuguese police seal off an area of scrubland to the west of Praia da Luz as they prepare to examine the potential excavation site.

:: June 11 - Police begin to search an area between Praia da Luz and the town of Lagos behind a water treatment plant. The search of the scrubland site was wound down on June 9.

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Passport Delay Denied: Emergency Plan In Place

Emergency plans are being put in place to ensure families who want to go on holiday get their passports back in time, the Home Secretary has said.

Theresa May said more staff would be brought in to make sure applications were dealt with in time as an increasing number of people complained about delays.

The Government has insisted there is no pile-up of applications but an extra 250 staff have been redeployed to frontline tasks in the Passport Office to tackle the 12-year high in applications that unions claim has led to a 500,000 backlog.

Mrs May said: "The Passport Office has been putting plan in place since the beginning of this year since they started to see this increase in numbers they have been increasing the number of staff and are now open - passport offices - from 7am to midnight.

"We are seeing them working longer hours, more days of the week but we will continue to look at this issue and the Passport Office will put more staff in place and resources in place to ensure that they can deal with these applications."

The increase in passport applications coincides with the closures of regional application offices across the world in an attempt to cut costs.

Those British citizens living abroad are being hit

British citizens living abroad now have to apply in the UK and many of those are now reporting significant delays with their applications.

Union bosses have claimed the Home Office has a "track record" of denying delays and said the Passport Office was in crisis because of job cuts.

Pictures taken by a disillusioned worker in the Liverpool passport office show tens of thousands of applications waiting to be dealt with.

One MP said thousands of families face having their summer holiday plans ruined because documents were not being prepared in anything like the normal time.

Applications in the Liverpool passport office

Some families who want to make sure their documents are returned in time for them to go on holiday face paying extra for a faster service - up to £55.50 on top of the £72.50 standard fee.

Mr Brokenshire admitted to Sky News that the Passport Office did make a profit from those who elected to use the faster services because they feared their holiday plans could be in jeopardy.

Three million passports have already been issued this year, with officials processing an average of 18,000 applications a day over the last two months.

Mike Jones, from the PCS Union said: "There are half a million applications that are waiting within the Passport Office at the moment.

"That figure is raised steeply over a number of months. The Home Office and the Passport Office used to have strategies in place for when the figure reached 150,000, that they would put contingency plans in to deal with those amounts."

He told Radio 4's Today programme: "Now we have seen the figures are up to 500,000 and rising at the moment. Even all the contingencies that they are trying to put in place, we are still seeing that figure rising, so there is clearly a crisis going on within the Home Office and the Passport Office as well."

Families are frantic for passports to return

Paul Pugh, chief executive of the Passport Office, said more than 97% of straightforward applications were being processed within the target turnaround time of three weeks, with 99% processed within a month.

"We've been experiencing exceptional early summer demand for passports, in part due to the improving economy and a rise in holiday bookings," he said.

Labour's Geoffrey Robinson, the MP for Coventry North West, claimed the Government had left it so late to react to what he called a "burgeoning problem" that there was not enough time to deal with it before the start of the summer getaway.

"The nub of the problem lies in the cuts the Government has made," he said.

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Passport Service Cuts Hit Expat Applications

The backlog and workload problems at the passport office are causing frustration and anger - not just for people based in the UK, but for Britons living all around the world.

Until a few years ago, British citizens living abroad could simply wander down to their embassy and apply for a passport. It would be issued within a day or two. Job done.

The system was then changed largely because passports had become more sophisticated - with biometric technology for security. Embassies didn't have the equipment to produce the new biometric passports.

So, regional offices were set up within certain embassies around the world. For those of us living here in Beijing, Hong Kong became the regional hub.

We could apply via the British Embassy in Beijing, the application would be sent to Hong Kong and the new passport would be issued there. A little more bureaucratic but still entirely workable.

But in December, "cost saving" measures were made to the application system. All regional offices were shut and Britons globally were told they must apply for their replacement passports in the UK.

They now have two options. Either they can travel to the UK and then apply for the "one-day" service. That could cost a huge amount in air fares.

The alternative is to send their application form, together with their old passport, to the UK Passport office in Liverpool - a process that the Passport Office says will take "at least six weeks".

That means that for at least six weeks the applicant is unable to leave wherever it is they live. For many, that's entirely impractical. For some, it will impact on their business.

With a bit of research and a half-hour long distance phone call to the passport office, I have discovered that it is possible to send a copy of your old passport rather than the original, but only in "exceptional circumstances" determined on a "case-by-case basis".

However, this leads to its own problems - the moment the new passport is issued (back in the UK) the old one (still in the hands of the applicant) is cancelled.

So in the time it takes to send the new one to the applicant overseas - several weeks - they are unable to travel because the passport they hold will be flagged as 'cancelled' at immigration.

Confusing? Frustrating? Certainly.

The stories we're hearing are mounting up - a British bride-to-be, living in Hong Kong, has been waiting for her replacement passport for eight weeks. She still doesn't have it. Her wedding, in Bali, is in two weeks.

A Briton living in South Africa who's taking a group of South African children to the World Cup, had been waiting 15 weeks.

A British businessman living in Hong Kong told us he'd waited 10 weeks. His new passport has just arrived but the passport office forgot to send back his old one which contained his visas. He is therefore still unable to travel.

The bottom line is this - not all that long ago, Britons living abroad could get a replacement passport in a day or two.

Now they are being grounded for "at least six weeks" and in many cases, far longer.

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Pakistan's Karachi Airport Hit By Fresh Attack

Taliban See Airport Attack As Job Well Done

Updated: 11:46am UK, Tuesday 10 June 2014

By Sam Kiley, Foreign Affairs Editor

A protracted gun battle. Buildings ablaze. Three dozen dead. An international airport shut down. In the morbid calculus of the Taliban - a job well done.

The scenes recalled the humiliating attack on a Navy base, also in Karachi, three years ago in which 11 died.

On both occasions the Pakistani Taliban, Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, claimed responsibility and that the blood letting was revenge.

This time the Taliban used Twitter to boast of worse to come.

"We have yet to take revenge for the deaths of hundreds of innocent tribal women and children in Pakistani air strikes. It's just the beginning, we have taken revenge for one, we have to take revenge for hundreds," the militant group said.

'The one' referred to is Hakimullah Mehsud, who was killed in a US drone strike last November.

His predecessor, Baitullah Mehsud, died the same way.

Barack Obama said recently that in counter terror operations "we must not create more enemies than we take off the battlefield".

The campaign of extra-judicial killing by remote control in the ungoverned regions of Pakistan has left an estimated 500 dead, many of them civilians.

Mostly drawn from Pashto communities, survivors will inevitably see an obligation to attack the US or her allies in a blood feud.

This is the interpretation that the Taliban want commentators to reach.

It is also largely a statement of the obvious.

But the Taliban threats of yet more bloody retribution cannot be seen as entirely US-driven.

The radical Islamist movement has been trying to take over the country and impose it's own interpretation of Sharia law for decades.

Its weekend attack on Karachi's airport was followed with another on Tuesday in which two groups on motorcycles conducted a hit-and-run against the Airport Security Force Academy on the northern perimeter.

The gunmen escaped but not before they had, for a few hours, once again shut the airport, dealing another body blow to Pakistan's commercial capital.

The movement came close to the gates of the Pakistani capital, Islamabad, a few years ago when it launched a ground offensive.

The failure of talks with the government, which collapsed earlier this year, meant that a spectacular "listen to us" attack was almost inevitable.

But Pakistan's military has also been planning an all out offensive against the Taliban for several months.

It had been held back to give talks a chance.

The generals will see the attack on Karachi's international airport as a signal for their campaign to begin.

This may give the Taliban the 'victory' of more 'martyrs' – but both sides know neither can truly win.

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Rik Mayall: Comedian 'May Have Died After Fit'

Stars Mourn 'Funniest Man Of Generation'

Updated: 8:00am UK, Tuesday 10 June 2014

Comedian Adrian Edmondson has led tributes to his long-time friend and collaborator Rik Mayall, who has died aged 56.

The pair worked together on hit shows such as The Young Ones and Bottom after meeting at Manchester University.

"There were times when Rik and I were writing together when we almost died laughing," said Edmondson. "They were some of the most carefree stupid days I ever had, and I feel privileged to have shared them with him. And now he's died for real. Without me. Selfish b*****d."

Mayall's CV stands alongside anyone in sitcom, rising to fame in the 1980s as Cliff Richard superfan Rick in The Young Ones.

Sir Cliff said: "I became a fan of his when he was in The Young Ones show and was always thrilled when he used my name during his series. I am so sad at his passing."

Shows like Blackadder and The New Statesman contributed to Mayall becoming one of the most recognisable comics of the modern era.

Blackadder writer Ben Elton and co-star Stephen Fry were quick to pay their respects.

"I met Rik when I was 18 and his friendship and extraordinary comic talent have been an inspiration to me ever since," said Elton.

"I owe him so much, he changed my life utterly when he asked me to co-write The Young Ones with him and he was with me on the day I met my wife. He always made me cry with laughter, now he's just made me cry."

Fry added: "Simply distraught to hear of the death of Rik Mayall. An authentic comedy genius and a prince among men."

Comic Bob Mortimer was one of the first to respond to news of Mayall's death.

He wrote on Twitter: "Last time I saw him he grabbed my crotch and said 'Not eaten yet then?' So sad … Funniest man of his generation."

Mortimer was joined by a host of fellow comedians.

"Very sad to hear of the passing of Rik Mayall," said Monty Python star Eric Idle.

"Far too young. A very funny and talented man."

Impressionist Rory Bremner too: "Oh no. Awful news about Rik Mayall - a fireball of creative comic energy and inspiration. Such brilliant raw talent."

Here are some of the other tributes made:

:: DJ Chris Moyles: "RIP Rik Mayall. Thank you for making me laugh a million times. Woof."

:: Actress Helen Lederer: "Rik Mayall, I loved you. Gutted. The man who taught me not to crash laughs, has crashed. Real love to wife, children. Massive loss."

:: DJ Chris Evans: "RIP Rik Mayall. I'm off to hit the gasman with a frying pan. It's the least I can do."

:: Comedian Jack Dee: "So shocked to hear about Rik Mayall. A wonderfully funny icon of British comedy."

:: Satirist Charlie Brooker: "Rik Mayall was just pure wiry, energetic, unpredictable humour poured into the shape of a human. You couldn't not watch him."

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Cameron Sets Out 'British Values' For Schools

David Cameron has set out the values he believes should be taught in British schools in the wake of allegations of a "Trojan Horse" extremism plot.

Following a damning Ofsted investigation in Birmingham, which saw five schools placed in special measures, Education Secretary Michael Gove said all schools would in future be required to promote "British values".

And speaking during a visit to Sweden, the PM said he believed the proposal would win widespread support.

Asked which values he would like to see taught in schools, he said: "I would say freedom, tolerance, respect for the rule of law, belief in personal and social responsibility and respect for British institutions.

"Those are the sorts of things I would hope would be inculcated into the curriculum in any school in Britain, whether it was a private school, state school, faith-based school, free school, academy or anything else.

"I think what Michael Gove has said is important and I think it will have the overwhelming support of everyone, including people who have come to settle in Britain and make their home in Britain."

The Ofsted inspections carried out after claims of a takeover plot by hardline Muslims found that a "culture of fear and intimidation" had developed in some Birmingham schools and, in several, governors exerted "inappropriate influence" over how they are being run.

Speaking in the House of Commons on Monday, Mr Gove blamed "a failure in the past" to address concerns about extremism.

He added: "We will put the promotion of British values at the heart of what every school has to deliver for children."

Mr Gove also put forward plans for snap Ofsted checks, which are set to face opposition from headteachers.

Ofsted chief inspector Sir Michael Wilshaw has said he called for unannounced inspections when he first took up his post and indicated the proposal had been blocked by Mr Gove, because of concerns from school leaders.

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Scottish Voters 'Not Getting Full Picture'

By Jon Craig, Chief Political Correspondent

Gordon Brown has told Sky News an independent Scotland would be a "more unequal country", despite the SNP's claims to the contrary.

In an exclusive interview with Eamonn Holmes marking 100 days to go until the referendum vote, he warned of serious economic consequences if the country splits from the rest of the UK.

The former prime minister said: "The SNP claims Scotland would be more equal - a fairer, more socially-just place - but actually, when you look at the policies, they're so keen to appease so many different people, they would end up making Scotland a more unequal country.

"The idea that oil is the solution to our problems is simply fantasy.

"We should not be led into this belief that somehow, the day after independence, everything is going to be wonderful when there are quite painful decisions that have to be made."

Asked by Holmes whether Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond had been telling "porky pies" about the true cost of independence, he replied: "I don't believe we're getting the full picture about what the consequences of independence are."

Mr Brown says Mr Salmond should apologise for a "terrible mistake"

In a wide-ranging interview, Mr Brown said he felt embarrassed when Mr Salmond staged his controversial Saltire stunt after Andy Murray's Wimbledon triumph.

He said the gesture was a "terrible mistake", "cheap" and "made Scotland look small".

But he also hit out at the Coalition Government's tactics in the battle over Scottish independence in the run-up to the referendum in September.

He claimed the tone of claims by the Liberal Democrat Treasury Chief Secretary Danny Alexander that Scots would be £1,400 a year better off by staying in the UK was "patronising".

"Last week when the Scottish Office and the UK Government put out that statement that Scotland would be £1,400 better off without independence, and they gave the example of (the amount of) fish and chips you could buy ... I thought that was patronising," Mr Brown said.

Asked by Holmes whether David Cameron had lectured Scots during a visit to his home country last month, Mr Brown said: "It was done for the right reasons but it looked like Britain versus Scotland.

"We've always been a nation. We've always had our institutions, we've always had our Parliament.

"The only issue that remains to be decided is if you want to break every link that remains with Britain."

Asked why he had stepped up his own efforts for the "no" campaign, Mr Brown said: "I'm a proud Scot. I want to put the case. I believe we have a strong sense of national pride.

"We're making a decision for my children's future. I'm not complacent but once I and others within Scotland make the case, I think we'll win this argument."

He was then asked: "What if you lose?"

"People will have to accept it," he admitted.

"The problem is this vote is almost irreversible.

"I think people will want to end the divisiveness and work together. We're adults with a vote (that) will affect generations."

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'Trojan Horse' Schools In Special Measures

'Trojan Horse': Full Statement

Updated: 10:45am UK, Monday 09 June 2014

The full statement from Park View Educational Trust on a damning Ofsted inspection of its schools as part of the checks sparked by alleged Islamist infiltration plot.

"On behalf of the staff, students and parents who have worked so hard to improve their schools, we're extremely disappointed to confirm that Ofsted has graded Park View, Golden Hillock and Nansen schools as inadequate and put them into special measures.

"We support the role of Ofsted in holding schools to account in a fair and transparent way. But we wholeheartedly dispute the validity of these gradings.

"Park View, Golden Hillock and Nansen are categorically not inadequate schools.

"Our Ofsted inspections were ordered in a climate of suspicion, created by the hoax Trojan letter and by the anonymous unproven allegations about our schools in the media.

"Ofsted inspectors came to our schools looking for extremism, looking for segregation, looking for proof that our children have religion forced upon them as part of an Islamic plot.

"The Ofsted reports find absolutely no evidence of this because this is categorically not what is happening at our schools. Our schools do not tolerate or promote extremism of any kind. We have made a major commitment to raising all students' awareness of extremism, people who know and have worked with our schools are appalled at the way we have been misrepresented.

"Our schools serve some of the most disadvantaged communities in Britain. In spite of this, 75% of students at Park View achieved at least five good GCSEs last year including English and maths. This makes it the best school of its type in England.

"Golden Hillock and Nansen are on course to get their best results ever.

"Quite simply this is because we believe our role is to break the link between demographics, deprivation and destiny. We refuse to let our students' backgrounds limit what they can achieve and who they can become.

"The speed and the ferocity with which Park View school in particular has been condemned is truly shocking.

"Park View School, where we are standing today, has helped to transform the lives of local families by realising their hope and ambition for educational success. School communities in Park View, Golden Hillock and Nansen, that have worked hard to turn round failing schools, are being condemned when they should be being celebrated.

"The problem here is not extremism, or segregation, or religious indoctrination, all the things that Ofsted looked for but failed to find in our schools. The problem here is the knee-jerk actions of some politicians that have undermined the great work we do here and undermined community cohesion across Birmingham and across many of our cities.

"They have put Muslim children from these communities at substantial risk of not being accepted as equal, legitimate and valued members of British society.

"And they have allowed suspicion to be cast on the aspirations of their parents and anyone else who believes that these children deserve the same rights and excellent standards of education as any other child.

"It is important you know that we will now be challenging all these reports through the appropriate legal channels."

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May Did Not Know About Gove Letter Leak

The Home Secretary "did not know" about the release of the letter she wrote to Michael Gove about Islamist extremism in schools.

Downing Street has said Theresa May was in the dark about the publication of a letter she had written to the Education Secretary on the Home Office website overnight on Tuesday.

In the letter she questions why the Department of Education did nothing about allegations of Islamist infiltration in Birmingham schools when the claims had been raised with them in 2010.

The leak of the letter - a link in a tweet put out on the official Home Office Twitter account - was seen as a response to a newspaper article in The Times, which suggested Mr Gove thought the Home Office had failed to properly deal with extremism.

The spat between the two senior ministers overshadowed the Queen's Speech on Wednesday and angered David Cameron, who ordered an inquiry to find out "who had said what to whom".

Mrs May's aide Fiona Cunningham has resigned

On Saturday, Mr Gove was made to apologise and Mrs May's aide, Fiona Cunningham, who briefed newspapers in response to the story about the Education Secretary's views, was forced to resign.

Her comments, reported as a Home Office source, were reported as: "Why is the DfE wanting to blame other people for information they had in 2010? Lord knows what more they have overlooked on the subject of the protection of kids in state schools? It scares me."

Speaking on Monday, a Dowing Street spokesman said: "The Home Secretary did not know about the publication of correspondence with Michael Gove on a Government website late last Tuesday."

Mr Gove is expected to give a further statement on the matter to the House of Commons later on Monday.

The two Cabinet colleagues issued three statements last Wednesday insisting they were "working well together" in an attempt to limit the damage to the Government over the affair.

Labour said the Government should be focused on dealing with the problems in Birmingham, rather than infighting.

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MH370 Families Offer Whistleblower Reward

What Next In Search For Missing Flight MH370?

Updated: 10:50am UK, Friday 30 May 2014

By Jonathan Samuels, Australia Correspondent

The news that teams searching for missing flight MH370 have finished combing the patch of Indian Ocean 1,000 miles off the coast of Western Australia is a huge setback.

The search focused on that area because four pings - or acoustic signals - were detected almost two months ago which were thought to have come from the plane's two flight recorders.

Nothing has been found and now it appears the noises did not come from the black box recorders at all.

It has been rumoured for some time they could have been caused by the search vessels themselves.

Now the US Navy's deputy director of ocean engineering has said much the same.

"Our best theory at this point is that (the pings were) likely some sound produced by the ship ... or within the electronics of the towed pinger locator," Michael Dean told CNN.

"Always your fear any time you put electronic equipment in the water is that if any water gets in and grounds or shorts something out, you could start producing sound."

The pings may have come from another source - sound plays strange tricks that deep in the ocean - and the US Navy has officially said the comments are "speculative".

Either way, it looks like the search is back to square one.

So now it moves to a new stage. 

All existing information and data will be re-examined and the whole of the 23,000 square mile 'southern arc' will again be in the frame.

A bathymetric survey will be carried out, essentially mapping out the sea floor.

It is work already partly underway by the crew of the Chinese ship Zhu Kezhen.

Commercial contractors will then be brought in to carry out the new deep sea search.

It's possible they won't start for a couple of months, and the job will be both long and expensive.

Australia has previously said this work could cost around £40m. It is not clear how expensive the search operation has been so far.

Scott Hamilton, managing director of US-based aerospace consultancy Leeham, said all the data will have to be re-examined "from start to finish".

However, he does not believe the search will be called off any time soon.

"I think it will be some time, perhaps years, before they completely throw in the towel," he said.

And for some, news the search has ended in the area which has been the focus so far is, in a way, welcome.

Sara Bacj, whose partner Philip Wood is among the missing passengers, told Sky News: "If they'd found the hull of the plane under the water then our loved ones would be dead for sure ... (but) most family members are not willing to accept that.

"They believe something else has happened to the plane so this is validation for them that keeping their hopes alive is not crazy."

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Fifa Feels Heat Amid Fresh World Cup Claims

By Paul Kelso, Sports Correspondent, in Sao Paulo

Qatar deployed its political connections and natural gas wealth to help win the 2022 World Cup, according to allegations published by the Sunday Times.

For the second week running the newspaper has published details of meetings and deals that it claims demonstrate former Fifa executive committee member Mohamed Bin Hammam broke bid rules as he lobbied on behalf of his country's bid.

The Qatar bid deny that Mr Bin Hammam, since banned for life from football, was directly linked to the bid or worked on their behalf.

Fifa sponsor Sony has called on world football's governing body to investigate the allegations thoroughly.

Qatar deny Bin Hammam was linked to the bid or worked on their behalf

"As a Fifa partner, we expect these allegations to be investigated appropriately," the company said in a statement to The Sunday Times.

"We continue to expect Fifa to adhere to its principles of integrity, ethics and fair play across all aspects of its operations."

In a statement on Sunday, the Qatar Supreme Committee said: "Consistent with Fifa's rules we have been asked to refrain from commenting on the investigation and we will comply with that request.

"Qatar has won the bid on its merits and we are confident that at the end of the appropriate process, the award of the 2022 World Cup to Qatar will stand."

The latest allegations, gleaned from millions of documents in the possession of the newspaper, suggest Mr Bin Hammam was in contact with bid officials as he brokered meetings between senior Fifa officials and the Emir of Qatar.

Fifa's Sepp Blatter declined to comment on the matter on Saturday

The newspaper alleges Mr Bin Hammam met Vladimir Putin, then the Russian prime minister, weeks before the vote in December 2010, to discuss "bilateral sporting relations".

Putin was backing Russia's 2018 World Cup bid, which beat England on the way to winning the right to host the tournament.

It also alleges Mr Bin Hammam helped broker a natural gas deal between his country and Thailand.

It reports that an advisor to Fifa executive committee member Worawi Makudi met senior Qatari energy officials to discuss a deal.

Asked by Sky News if he was concerned about the allegation Mr Makudi said: "No, not at all."

The Sunday Times also claims Mr Bin Hammam brokered meetings between the Emir and nine senior Fifa executive committee members, and distributed £1.7m from a slush-fund to Asian football officials.

Qatar won the right to host the World Cup in 2010

It says its latest disclosures prove that Mr Bin Hammam was actively working for the Qatar bid.

Qatar re-stated the denial issued last week after the newspaper alleged that Mr Bin Hammam paid around £3m in bribes to African football officials.

"The Qatar 2022 Bid Committee always upheld the highest standard of ethics and integrity in its successful bid to host the 2022 Fifa World Cup.

"In regard to the latest allegations from The Sunday Times, we say again that Mohamed Bin Hammam played no official or unofficial role in Qatar's 2022 Bid Committee."

Fifa President Sepp Blatter declined to comment on the matter as a meeting of the executive committee concluded in Sao Paulo on Saturday evening.

The governing body has charged US attorney Michael Garcia with investigating the allegations, and he will not report until after the World Cup.

Mr Garcia will be in Sao Paulo this week to discuss his investigation with Fifa officials.

He is also expected to attend the Fifa Congress starting on Tuesday.

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Extremism Row: 'Firm Discipline' In Tory Ranks

Foreign Secretary William Hague has said a public feud between two senior cabinet ministers has been firmly dealt with by the prime minister.

The Education Secretary Michael Gove and Home Secretary Theresa May have been embroiled in a tit-for-tat spat over the handling of alleged extremism in schools in Birmingham.

Mr Hague told Sky's Murnaghan Programme Prime Minister David Cameron has "insisted quite rightly on firm discipline" which had led to an apology from Mr Gove and the resignation of one of Mrs May's top aides.

Fiona Cunningham has resigned after an investigation into the row

He said the matter had been dealt with "extremely firmly and directly," and the focus now must be on the results of an investigation into the extremism allegations.

Twenty-one Birmingham schools have been the subject of an Ofsted investigation after a letter referred to an alleged plot by hardline Muslims to seize control of governing boards in the city.

Ofsted will publish the findings of its investigation on Monday, with one of the schools expected to be found as "inadequate", with its management strongly criticised by inspectors.

Mr Gove is also to make a statement in the Commons, where he is set to face some uncomfortable questions from Labour which has seized on the spat, and accused the Government of "gross negligence" for failing to tackle the issue of extremism in schools.

The allegations led to an exchange of blame between the Department for Education and the Home Office.

The rift between the two ministers became public after quotes attributed to a Department for Education source in The Times detailed Mr Gove's concerns about the Home Office's approach to tackling extremism.

In response, a letter was released from the Home Secretary to the Education Secretary which questioned his department's handling of the Islamist "Trojan horse" allegations in Birmingham schools, despite warnings dating back to 2010.

A source said: "Why is the DfE wanting to blame other people for information they had in 2010? Lord knows what more they have overlooked on the subject of the protection of kids in state schools? It scares me."

Mr Cameron was said to be "deeply frustrated" at the dispute, particularly the way it broke on the day of the Queen's Speech.

Theresa May's aide Fiona Cunningham resigned following the investigation ordered by Prime Minister David Cameron.

Mr Gove has written to apologise to Charles Farr, the director general of the Office for Security and Counter-Terrorism, and the Prime Minister "in acknowledgement of his role" in the row.

Shadow education secretary Tristram Hunt has said: "Michael Gove should be apologising to pupils and parents, not David Cameron. He was warned of the problems in Birmingham four years ago.

"Michael Gove can no longer seek to distance himself from the mess that he has created. He must explain in full what he knew about the warnings he was given in 2010."

Mr Gove had earlier denied the row with Mrs May had damaged the Government, or that he was considering his position over his department's handling of the Birmingham allegations.

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