Peaches Geldof: From Wild Child To Doting Mum

Peaches Honeyblossom Geldof was just 11 when she lost her 41-year-old mother Paula Yates in an accidental heroin overdose in 2000.

As the second daughter of Bob Geldof and Yates, much of her life was lived in the public eye as the family coped with the tragedy and she started to make a name for herself as a model and journalist.

She left home aged 16 and began a career which included writing for UK newspapers, Elle magazine and presenting TV shows including OMG!

Ms Geldof received constant attention from the paparazzi, and tabloids often compared her to other troubled young celebrities Amy Winehouse and Pete Doherty.

Ms Geldof with her father and sisters in 2005

She admitted to experimenting with drugs and was often labelled as a "wild child".

In August 2008 Ms Geldof married rock musician Max Drummey in Las Vegas but the pair separated in 2009.

But it was meeting second husband Tom Cohen and the birth of their first son, Astala Dylan Willow, which triggered her transformation from a partying socialite to doting mother.

The couple married in 2012 at St Mary Magdalene and St Lawrence Church in Kent, where Ms Geldof's parents got married and her mother's funeral was held.

Ms Geldof was often seen at fashion shows and parties

She said she felt Yates was "watching over" her that day.

She told Hello magazine: "I feel her presence all the time but especially today.

"Mum loved family celebrations and she would adore Tom and the fact that we've married here.

"I know that she is watching over me and feeling so happy for us."

The couple's second son, Phaedra Bloom Forever, was born last year and will turn one on April 24.

Ms Geldof spent a lot of time discussing parenting techniques and was an avid believer in attachment parenting, appearing on This Morning in a head-to-head debate with Apprentice star Katie Hopkins.

In the front row at London Fashion Week with Tom Cohen in February 2013

Midge Ure, Scottish musician and co-organiser of Band Aid with Bob Geldof, told Sky News Ms Geldof had become an "earth mother" figure, like her own mother Paula Yates.

"They embraced this whole motherhood thing so incredibly well, after what had maybe been ropey beginnings. They had completely found their niche in life."

Mother & Baby magazine announced in February that Ms Geldof was to be their new columnist.

A spokesman said it was after she had completed what they called, a "mama metamorphosis" from party girl to working mother. The magazine was to feature her attempts to juggle parenting, work and family.

A tribute posted online by the magazine reads: "We are extremely saddened at the tragic news that Peaches Geldof has died. Our hearts and sympathies are with her family and two little boys."

Ms Geldof with her late mother Paula Yates as a young child

Ms Geldof's Twitter and Instagram accounts were full of photos of her sons, dogs and husband.

Her last tweet, posted on Sunday at 10.17am, was a photograph of her and her late mother with the message "Me and my mum."

But her tweets also got her into some trouble.

Last year she apologised for breaking a court order and tweeting the names of the two women whose babies were abused by rock star Ian Watkins.

She tried to explain her actions by saying she had assumed the names were already "public knowledge".

The women's names were tweeted to her 160,000 followers after she reportedly read them on a US-based website. She later said: "I deleted my tweets, however, and apologise for any offence caused."

Ms Geldof's last public appearance was at a fashion show in London on April 3.

A statement from Ms Geldof's father and sisters - Fifi Trixibelle and Pixie and half-sister Heavenly Hiraani Tiger Lily - said they were "beyond pain" following her death on Monday.

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Peaches Geldof 'Gone But Never Forgotten'

Peaches Geldof's older sister Fifi has paid tribute to her "beautiful baby sister" by posting a photo online of the pair of them as children.

 said they were continuing to investigate

her death, adding that a post-mortem examination will be carried out "in the

next few days".

The message on Instagram said: "My beautiful baby sister ... Gone but never forgotten. I love you, Peaches x" and was accompanied by a picture of the girls posing in summer dresses.

It comes as Fifi and her family must come to terms with the sudden death of Ms Geldof at her home in Kent on Monday.

The death of the mother-of-two, who had worked as a DJ, model and television personality, is being treated as unexplained, but not suspicious.

Police were called to her house in the village of Wrotham, Kent, at 1.35pm after receiving a report of concern for the welfare of a woman.

Fifi and Peaches (L) as children. Pic: fifigeldof Instagram

Officers said Ms Geldof was pronounced dead at the scene and they are continuing to investigate her death, adding that a post-mortem examination will be carried out on Wednesday.

Ms Geldof had previously admitted drug use as a teenager but said in 2009 that she was "sober now".

In her last message on Twitter, she posted a picture of her as a child with her mother, Paula Yates, who died of a heroin overdose in 2000 when Peaches was 11.

Lily Allen is among a host of celebrities to pay tribute following the sudden and tragic death of the 25-year-old.

The singer Lily Allen was among the stars to pay tribute

The singer said: "My thoughts are with Peaches' family at this awful time. I hope they get to grieve in peace. Peaches, rest in peace gorgeous girl."

Scottish musician Midge Ure, who co-organised Band Aid with Bob Geldof, told Sky News the news was "astounding" and "hideous".

"It's just unbelievable that any one family can have so much tragedy and loss in their lives, it's just horrible."

As news of her death emerged, Kelly Osborne, a childhood friend of Peaches, tweeted: "Words seem inadequate 2 express the sadness I feel about @peaches_g death We are here 2 support U @pixiegeldof1 stay strong my little Pepsi!"

TV and radio presenter Dermot O'Leary said: "Met Peaches several times. Really sweet girl. So so sad for the Geldof family. Thoughts and prayers..."

The Hollywood actress Susan Sarandon said: "No words can express any comfort at the loss of a child and mother as beautiful as Peaches Geldof. God bless."

Coleen Rooney, wife of England footballer Wayne, tweeted: "Can't believe what I have just heard. RIP Peaches Geldof, such sad news."

X Factor creator Simon Cowell tweeted: "So sad to hear about Peaches. Rest in peace."

He said later: "The few times I met Peaches she was a sweet, funny warm person. Much love to her family she has left behind."

A private ambulance drives away the body of Peaches Geldof

Sharon Osborne wrote: "Devastated about @peaches--g. Sending condolences & respect to the Geldof family. It's unimaginable what they must be going through right now."

Presenter Myleene Klass tweeted: "The news of beautiful Peaches is utterly devastating, God bless her babies. RIP mama xxx"

This Morning host Phillip Schofield, who appeared with Ms Geldof on the ITV show, wrote: "Utterly stunned at the terrible news of the death of Peaches Geldof! The dreadful loss of a really lovely woman."

His co-host Holly Willoughby said: "Just heard about Peaches, so unbelievably tragic. So shocked and sad. Sending my thoughts and love to her family".

Police at the address where the 25-year-old was found dead

Coronation Street star Antony Cotton said: "May flights of angels sing thee to thy rest".

In a post on Twitter, rapper Professor Green said: "never knew Peaches but the loss of a life so young is a horrible thing, especially leaving behind two children".

Singer Ellie Goulding said: "Even if you think you've got it all figured out, some things still can't be explained or understood. Two beautiful children. RIP Peaches".

Her friend the model Daisy Lowe posted a picture of a broken heart on Twitter.

Author Irvine Welsh said: "Very sad to hear of the tragic, untimely death of Peaches Geldof. Thoughts with Bob G and the family."

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Hunt For MH370 'Pings' Delays Sub Launch

China Trying To Scoop Malaysia In MH370 Search

Updated: 3:31pm UK, Monday 07 April 2014

By Alistair Bunkall, Sky News Defence Correspondent

The authorities are, quite rightly, not publicly concluding that they've found the plane; but reading between the lines, there are clear signs that they believe this is it.

Tony Abbott, the Australian PM, phoned his Malaysian counterpart Najib Razak this morning to tell him what ADV Ocean Shield had heard overnight.

That is a sign of how significant this development is. The two leaders wouldn't speak in person were it being treated as a routine update.

And the wheels are now fully in motion to fly the relatives to Perth, maybe in the coming days. The Malaysians are compiling a list of the next of kin. Again, a demonstration of how seriously this news is being treated.

No-one has mentioned the Chinese. At least not voluntarily. It was a tweet from Chinese state-run media that got everyone's hopes up on Saturday evening. Much was made of their find. Pictures from Chinese journalists on board showed Chinese sailors listening to a signal with the correct frequency.

The news took all of us by surprise.

The head of the search operation Angus Houston kept his nerve. By rights China's news should have been relayed to the world by him or the Malaysians. That would have been the protocol.

A mea culpa: I accused the Australians of losing control of the media strategy.

In some respects I was right, this was not how they wanted the news to break.  The Chinese had gone rogue.

But I should have given Angus Houston the benefit of the doubt. He has been extremely impressive since taking control of the situation and I think he knew exactly what he was going on over the weekend.

Behind the scenes he was learning about Ocean Shield's discovery.

On Sunday morning, in between a flurry of questions about the Chinese discovery, he mentioned that Ocean Shield had had an "acoustic event" but details were sketchy. Few of us gave it much thought: all eyes were on the Chinese discovery and HMS Echo steaming towards the area. That was the real discovery. Or so we thought.

Clearly, even to me, the two didn't match up. Either one of them had heard the black box, or neither of them. Given their distance from each other, it couldn't be both of them.

Patiently, Houston waited until Ocean Shield was sure about what it had heard, and only then was it announced as a major development.

In their respective press conferences today, Australia and Malaysia have declined to criticise the Chinese but the way they've answered questions about them, short and to the point, says much.

China has shown frustration with the Malaysians in particular throughout this past month. They first questioned and then demanded the Inmarsat data be handed over. They allowed their nationals to protest outside the Malaysian Embassy in Beijing. Things like don't happen without the state turning a blind eye at the very least.

And the breakthroughs were being made by companies in other countries: the British firm Inmarsat, the French company Airbus, Boeing from the US.

But I think they've also been frustrated with their own inability to find the plane. This was a chance to demonstrate the ability of their technology to the world. A chance to reassure their own people that China is superior.

A chance to say, "don't worry, we've got it; if anyone is going to solve this global mystery, we will".

They haven't managed to.

There were 154 Chinese nationals on board MH370 and clearly Beijing has a right to play a major role in the search, but more than once by various senior people I have been told how they are not operating as team players. There are clearly two separate search operations going on and that isn't helpful.

It might be a race to find the black box but it isn't a competition.

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Oscar Pistorius Describes Night Of Shooting

Oscar Pistorius broke down in court today as he described shooting dead his girlfriend thinking she was an intruder.

In dramatic scenes, Pistorius described finding his girlfriend's body in the toilet of his home - wailing in court: "She was everything."

Pistorius leaves the court after the evidence today

His sister Aimee and one of his lawyers then rushed through the courtroom to his side - before the judge was forced to halt proceedings.

The athlete's emotional breakdown failed to move June Steenkamp, Reeva's mother, who stared, stony-faced at the defendant, as he was consoled by family and friends.

Sky's Alex Crawford, who was at the court, described the wailing as "like animal sounds" coming from the athlete.   

"He was consoled by his sister, but he continued making these loud wailing noises - it was very emotional," Crawford said.

Earlier, the athlete took his prosthetic legs off in court to to relive the moments leading to, during and after the shooting on Valentine's Day last year. 

He described how he begged Reeva to call the police and grabbed his gun in the darkness after thinking he had heard an intruder in the bathroom of his home.

He told the court that just hours before he shot Reeva dead she had been doing yoga at the foot of his bed, stopping from time to time to kiss him affectionately.

Pistorius recounted the events of the evening in fine detail as he sought to persuade the judge that Reeva's death was a terrible mistake.

Arnold Pistorius, Oscar's uncle, wipes away tears during today's evidence

He began by explaining how Reeva had cooked him dinner and the pair ate about 7pm.

After dinner they sat at the dining room table and "chatted about our days".

"Just before 8pm I came into my room and I opened the balcony doors - it was very humid," he told the court.

"I drew the curtains around the fans. They were blackout curtains.

"At that point Reeva came into the room and I took my drink and I put it down on the bedside table.

"I locked the bedroom door and I put the cricket bat about 2cm from the door. I put the cricket bat on the floor so the door would be blocked by the cricket bat.

"I took my prosthetic legs off, so they could air. I put them as close to the door as I could. I climbed onto the bed.

"Reeva jumped on the bed and we were chatting. I was texting my cousin - Reeva was on a social media application. She was showing me pictures of cars and things that she liked."

Pistorius then called his cousin and Reeva got out of bed and started doing yoga at the foot of the bed. 

"Every now and then, Reeva would get up and give me a kiss. Reeva then walked to the bathroom," Pistorius said.

"She called me to come and brush my teeth. She went back to the bedroom. When I came back she was lying in the middle of the bed."

Pistorius said that he fell asleep between 9 and 10pm.

His voice quaking, Pistorius continued: "I woke up in the early hours of February 14.

June Steenkamp sits stony-faced through today's evidence

"It was extremely warm. I sat up in bed. I noticed that the fans were still running and the door was still open. Reeva was still awake. She rolled over to me and said 'Can't you sleep my baba?'.

"I said 'no I can't, not tonight'."

Pistorius said he then locked the sliding doors of the room.

"I came into the room. The only bit of light was a little LED light. I could see a pair of jeans on the floor. I picked them up and was going to place them over the lights.

"At this point I heard a window open in the bathroom.

"My lady, that's the moment everything changed. I thought there was a burglar gaining entry into my home.

"I think initially I just froze. I heard a noise and I interpreted it as someone climbing into the bathroom.

Aimee Pistorius, Oscar's sister breaks down in court

"I immediately thought someone could be there any moment and the first thing that ran through my mind was that I needed to arm myself, to protect Reeva and I - that I needed to get my gun."

Pistorius continued: "I ran and grabbed my firearm. When I got before the passage wall, I was scared that the person could have been in a closet space.

"I had my firearm extended in front of me. I whispered to Reeva to get down and phone the police.

"I was overcome by fear. I screamed at the person to get out. I screamed at Reeva. I was constantly aware this person could come at me at any time. I did not have my legs on. Just before I got to the bathroom, I stopped shouting."

At this point, the court was adjourned for five minutes for Pistorius to remove his prosthetic legs and demonstrate the difficulty he had moving without them.

He went on: "I heard the toilet door slam. It confirmed there was someone inside the bathroom at that time.

"I thought the intruders were going to come out, or were in the bathroom. I was not screaming or shouting at that time.

"I approached this entrance to the bathroom. I was walking with my left hand to the closets. I had my pistol in my right hand. I peered into the bathroom. 

A bucket was placed in the dock in case Pistorius was sick again

"I was not able to walk with as much mobility on the tiled surfaces. I had my pistol raised to my eye.

"There were no lights in the bathroom. As I slowly peered into the bathroom I could see the window was open.

"I had my back against the wall, using my hand as balance, scuffling along the left hand side wall.

"I wasn't sure if the people were in the toilets or on a ladder they had used to gain access or around the corner at that point.

"I saw there was no-one around the corner waiting to attack me. At this point I started screaming for Reeva to call the police. I stood there for some time - I'm not sure for how long.

"I wasn't sure if someone was going to come out of the toilet to shoot me, or off the ladder and attack me.

"Then I heard a noise from inside the toilet which I perceived to be someone coming out of the toilet and before I knew it I had fired four shots at the door. My ears were ringing. I could not hear anything.

Oscar Pistorius arrives at court today

"I kept on screaming for Reeva to call police. I shouted for Reeva. At some point I decided to walk back to the room. 

"At this point it had not occurred to me that it could be Reeva. I was talking to Reeva but no-one was talking to me." 

Pistorius began sobbing as he said: "I got on the bed and put my hand down. I could not feel anything. At that point I thought maybe she had got down on the floor like I had told her to.

"It was at that point it dawned on me it could be Reeva. I made way back up the passage. I was mixed with emotions.

"I did not want to believe it could be Reeva inside the toilet. I was panicked. I was screaming and shouting the whole time and crying out.

"I have never screamed or cried like this before. I was crying out for Reeva. I was crying for the Lord to help me.

"I ran back to the bathroom door. I hit it with the cricket bat. At that point I wanted to just look inside and see if it was Reeva.

Oscar Pistorius wept in court yesterday before giving evidence

"I tried to open the door from the inside. I flung the door open and I sat over Reeva and I cried. I don't know how long I was there for."

Pistorius then began crying uncontrollably as he wailed: "She was everything." 

Earlier in his evidence, Pistorius said he had bought Reeva a bracelet from a designer that she liked for Valentine's Day, which he planned to give her.

He said that Reeva had wrapped a present for him on the evening of the shooting but he was told he was only allowed to open it the following day.

"On August 8 last year, on Reeva's birthday, I opened it, it was a photo frame, with four photos of her and I and the card that she wrote....," he sobbed.

Aimee Pistorius consoled the athlete after he broke down

Pistorius was too upset to continue with the description.   

Earlier, the 27-year-old was "dripping with tears" as he described the start of their relationship and read out a series of instant messaging texts. 

In one of the texts read out in court by Pistorius, Reeva denies being a "flirt" and in another she denies being a "stripper and a ho".

Reeva also sent Pistorius a message saying: "I'm scared of you sometimes and how you snap at me and how you will act towards me."

In a reply to Reeva, Pistorius admitted to feeling "jealous and insecure".

Describing a fight at an engagement party he told the court: "I just think it was a bad hour in our relationship."

The athlete's voice faltered as he read a series of loving messages where they traded affectionate pet names.

Pistorius said meeting Reeva Steenkamp was a 'blessing'

The pet names included "amazballs", "baba", "boo", "angel" and "babycakes".

One text from Reeva to Pistorius read: "I only have eyes for you." In another she wrote: "I want to kiss you and feel your arms around my neck."

He denies premeditated murder and illegally possessing ammunition and two further counts related to shooting a gun in public in separate incidents prior to the killing.

Yesterday, Pistorius slumped on the floor of the dock after testifying for most of the day, unable to continue because he was too exhausted.

He wept and trembled his way through his first day of defence evidence, describing how panic attacks had left him hiding in cupboards since the shooting.

The court is sitting for its 18th day in the trial

He  told the court he woke "smelling blood", was unable to sleep and was on anti-depressants and sedatives.  

Yesterday morning, Pistorius cried as he turned towards Reeva's mother June and apologised for all the hurt he had caused her.

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Nicole Appleton Divorces Cheating Gallagher

Nicole Appleton and Liam Gallagher's six-year marriage has ended following the Oasis singer's adultery.

The "quickie divorce" was granted in a brief hearing at the Principal Registry of the High Court's Family Division which the pair did not attend.

The former couple, who have a 12-year-old son called Gene, married at Old Marylebone Town Hall on St Valentine's Day in 2008 and lived in Hampstead, north London.

Among the documents made public today was a statement signed by Ms Appleton last December in which she said that Gallagher "admitted adultery to me prior to it becoming publicised in national newspapers".

She said the woman Gallagher had cheated on her with "now has a child" by him.

Ms Appleton said she first knew about the adultery in July last year and had not lived with Gallagher since, as she found it "intolerable".

In papers acknowledging the proceedings, Gallagher replied "yes" when asked if he admitted the alleged adultery and said he did not intend to defend the case.

The marriage foundered after reports that the 41-year-old had fathered a daughter with an American journalist.

In the decree nisi document, the judge held that Ms Appleton had "sufficiently proved" the contents of her petition and "is entitled to a decree of divorce, the marriage having irretrievably broken down, the facts found proved being the respondent's adultery".

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Light On Mars: What Lies Behind The Spark?

A scientist has dashed hopes that an unexplained light on Mars may be proof of life.

Images picked up last week by Nasa's Curiosity rover appeared to suggest an artificial light coming from the red planet.

A bright speck was caught on camera and the pictures were then sent back to Earth.

Space enthusiasts were quick to suggest the images might be proof of intelligent life on Mars.

The light is probably not evidence of Martians, says one expert

Now, however, Doug Ellison from JPL, Nasa's robotic exploration wing, has said the light source is probably easily explainable and does not represent proof of Martians.

The light source was probably a "cosmic ray hit", Mr Ellison told NBC news, a result of high energy particles hitting the surface of the planet.

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Costa Murder: Briton's Ex-Girlfriend Arrested

The former girlfriend of a British businessman murdered on the Costa del Sol has been arrested, Spanish officials say.

Andrew Bush originally from Bristol, was found lying in a pool of blood with two gunshot wounds to his head at about 3am on Saturday.

Police had been searching for Slovak national Mayka Marica Kukucova since the 48-year-old was found dead at his home in Andalucia.

Police said she had been detained in Slovakia. 

"I can confirm that Mayka Marica Kukucova, born in 1990, was arrested early this afternoon in Slovakia after Spanish authorities requested a European arrest warrant," a Spanish national police spokeswoman said.

"She is the ex-partner of Andrew Bush and has been arrested on suspicion of a consumed intentional homicide.

"Arrangements for her extradition to Spain are still to be finalised."

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Ireland And Britain Have A 'Fresh Canvas'

Ireland's President has hailed progress in relations with Britain, telling members of both Houses of Parliament the two countries have a "fresh canvas to sketch out our shared hopes" after centuries of fraught ties.

The Queen wore sky blue cashmere and green feather flowers in her hat

Michael D Higgins - a veteran left-wing politician, poet and human rights activist - said it was impossible to "wipe the slate clean" about the past, but relations between the two countries were good.

His address at Westminster - which comes before a state banquet on Tuesday evening - is a first for an Irish head of state.

In a wide-ranging address, Mr Higgins hailed the transformation of relations between Britain and Ireland, from doubt to trust and mutual respect.

Ties were now "strong and resolute", he said, adding: "Formidable flows of trade and investment across the Irish Sea confer mutual benefit on our two countries.

"In tourism, sport and culture, our people to people connections have never been as close or abundant."

The two nations should take "immense pride" in the peace that has been built in Northern Ireland, he said.

"There is of course still a road to be travelled - the road of a lasting and creative reconciliation - and our two governments have a shared responsibility to encourage and support those who need to complete the journey of making peace permanent and constructive."

Earlier President Higgins and his wife Sabina met the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh at Windsor Castle.

The couple travelled to Windsor with Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall who had greeted the visitors at the Irish Embassy in London.

Watched over by Queen Victoria, the Irish tricolour and the Union flag

The two heads of state have already met informally but President Higgins' official welcome includes all the traditional pomp and circumstance.

He took part in a ceremonial carriage procession through the streets of Windsor which were decked out in Union flags and Irish tricolours.

After the guests were honoured with two separate gun salutes, the Queen and president entered the castle in the Australian State Coach, before Mr Higgins and Prince Philip inspected troops.

Major Andrew Seddon, captain of the Queen's Company Grenadier Guards, invited Mr Higgins to inspect the guard of honour, speaking to him in Irish.

The Irish Guards was represented by the regimental band as the troops are currently on peacekeeping duties in Cyprus.

The Queen and Prince Philip escort their visitors from Ireland

Mr Higgins presented a new ceremonial red coat to its regimental mascot, an Irish wolfhound called Domhnall of Shantamon.

The guest list for the banquet includes the British and Irish Prime Ministers and the First and Deputy First Ministers of Northern Ireland.

It will be the second time Her Majesty has shaken hands with Sinn Fein's Martin McGuinness, a former IRA leader.

The historic visit comes three years after the Queen became the first British monarch to visit the Republic of Ireland.

Irish Foreign Minister Eamon Gilmore said: "It is becoming a model relationship between two neighbouring countries.

"We are very close, respectful neighbours and I think the relationship we are building and working on is one that, given our very complex history, many people throughout the world will be able to draw some inspiration from."

The Queen spoke in Irish and commemorated those who had fought for freedom during her ground-breaking tour.

President Higgins will reciprocate by honouring Britain's war dead at the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior in Westminster Abbey.

The head of state, a former arts and culture minister, will attend an Irish concert in the Royal Albert Hall.

Michael D Higgins is Ireland's ninth president, having succeeded President Mary McAleese when she left office in November 2011.

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Ukraine: Pro-Russian Activists 'Take Hostages'

Pro-Russian separatists have planted explosives in a Ukrainian government building and are holding about 60 people, officials say.

Ukraine's state security service (the SBU) said the activists were using "terrorist measures" to hold dozens of people in an SBU building in the eastern city of Luhansk.

In a statement the organisation said: "The anti-terror group of the security services of Ukraine ... has established that the criminals have mined the building ... and are holding around 60 people, threatening them with weapons and explosives.

"These actions are extremely dangerous and endanger the lives of people both inside and outside of the building." 

The pro-Russian separatists have been in control of the building since Sunday, resisting police efforts to remove them.

It was among a number of administration buildings to be stormed by protesters across eastern Ukraine over the weekend. 

Offices in Donetsk and Kharkiv were also seized, however police say they have driven activists from the regional government headquarters in Kharkiv as part on an "anti-terror" operation. 

Ukraine's acting President Oleksandr Turchynov said 70 people were arrested. 

Pro-Russian protesters in the east are hoping to follow in the footsteps of Crimea and hold a referendum on joining Russia. 

In Donetsk, protesters inside the regional authority building have also declared a separatist republic.

Western leaders have accused Russia of being behind the recent unrest. 

On Tuesday US Secretary of State John Kerry said: "It is clear that Russian special forces and agents have been the catalyst behind the chaos of the last 24 hours."

He added that this "could potentially be a contrived pretext for military intervention just as we saw in Crimea."

Russian forces gradually seized control of Ukrainian military bases in Crimea following the ouster of the Kremlin-backed President Viktor Yanukovych in February. 

The region then voted to join the Russian Federation with an overwhelming majority.

President Vladimir Putin has vowed to protect the ethnic Russian population in eastern Ukraine.

However he has denied that Russia plans to expand its military presence beyond Crimea.

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Miller's PPS Defends 'Witch-Hunt' Text To MPs

Under-fire MP Maria Miller's private secretary has defended a text message she sent to backbenchers that claimed the culture secretary was victim of a "witch-hunt".

In an interview with Sky News, Mary Macleod admitted sending a message Conservative MPs that said: "I believe there is a media witch-hunt on Maria due to Leveson.

"How do you feel about it? Happy to answer any questions you may have She would really appreciate your support. Many thanks Mary."

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