Firefighter Dies After Dubai Plane Crash-Lands

A firefighter was killed while responding to a plane that crash-landed at Dubai airport and became engulfed in fire, the Emirates airline chairman has said.

The passenger jet, carrying 300 people, crash-landed at Dubai International Airport and burst into flames.

Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum told a news conference that 14 people were taken to hospital as a result of the landing. 

The Emirates CEO had earlier confirmed there were no fatalities among the passengers or crew, who were safely evacuated.

He also told reporters the crash was not caused by any breach of security, but added that authorities were still investigating the incident.

The airline confirmed flight EK521, carrying 282 passengers and 18 crew, was "involved in an accident" around 12.45pm local time.

The charred plane after it caught on fire on the runway

Twenty-four Britons and four Irish passengers were among those on board the jet, which was flying from Kerala, India.

Footage posted online showed flames bursting out of the front of the Boeing 777-300.

Clouds of black smoke could be seen billowing from the plane in other pictures posted to social media.

Passengers on board said the pilot told them there was a problem with the landing gear and that he would be making an emergency landing, according to Indian media reports.

India's ambassador to the United Arab Emirates said that many passengers were in shock after the ordeal.

All take-offs and landings were suspended at the Middle East's busiest airport following the incident, resuming almost six hours after the crash-landing.

Emirates said it expected a network wide delay for eight hours.

"Our main priority at this time is the safety and wellbeing of all involved and full co-operation is being extended to the authorities and emergency services managing the situation," the airline said.

Passengers are said to be in shock after the ordeal

Passenger Alby Wilson, who was waiting in the airport lounge, told Sky News: "There was a loud noise outside. People ran to the windows and we saw the plane about 500 metres away.

"There was a lot of black smoke all across the tarmac ... we were told to sit down and shortly after that there was a loud bang ... the plane seemed to have shifted. The fire trucks were all around the plane.

"There is a bit of chaos here and Emirates staff don't seem to know when we can leave."

Boeing Airplanes said in a statement: "Our team is monitoring the situation in Dubai and we'll be working with Emirates to gather more information."

Firefighter Dies After Dubai Plane Crash-Lands

A firefighter was killed while responding to a plane that crash-landed at Dubai airport and became engulfed in fire, the Emirates airline chairman has said.

The passenger jet, carrying 300 people, crash-landed at Dubai International Airport and burst into flames.

Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum told a news conference that 14 people were taken to hospital as a result of the landing. 

The Emirates CEO had earlier confirmed there were no fatalities among the passengers or crew, who were safely evacuated.

He also told reporters the crash was not caused by any breach of security, but added that authorities were still investigating the incident.

The airline confirmed flight EK521, carrying 282 passengers and 18 crew, was "involved in an accident" around 12.45pm local time.

The charred plane after it caught on fire on the runway

Twenty-four Britons and four Irish passengers were among those on board the jet, which was flying from Kerala, India.

Footage posted online showed flames bursting out of the front of the Boeing 777-300.

Clouds of black smoke could be seen billowing from the plane in other pictures posted to social media.

Passengers on board said the pilot told them there was a problem with the landing gear and that he would be making an emergency landing, according to Indian media reports.

India's ambassador to the United Arab Emirates said that many passengers were in shock after the ordeal.

All take-offs and landings were suspended at the Middle East's busiest airport following the incident, resuming almost six hours after the crash-landing.

Emirates said it expected a network wide delay for eight hours.

"Our main priority at this time is the safety and wellbeing of all involved and full co-operation is being extended to the authorities and emergency services managing the situation," the airline said.

Passengers are said to be in shock after the ordeal

Passenger Alby Wilson, who was waiting in the airport lounge, told Sky News: "There was a loud noise outside. People ran to the windows and we saw the plane about 500 metres away.

"There was a lot of black smoke all across the tarmac ... we were told to sit down and shortly after that there was a loud bang ... the plane seemed to have shifted. The fire trucks were all around the plane.

"There is a bit of chaos here and Emirates staff don't seem to know when we can leave."

Boeing Airplanes said in a statement: "Our team is monitoring the situation in Dubai and we'll be working with Emirates to gather more information."

Firefighter Dies After Dubai Plane Crash-Lands

A firefighter was killed while responding to a plane that crash-landed at Dubai airport and became engulfed in fire, the Emirates airline chairman has said.

The passenger jet, carrying 300 people, crash-landed at Dubai International Airport and burst into flames.

Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum told a news conference that 14 people were taken to hospital as a result of the landing. 

The Emirates CEO had earlier confirmed there were no fatalities among the passengers or crew, who were safely evacuated.

He also told reporters the crash was not caused by any breach of security, but added that authorities were still investigating the incident.

The airline confirmed flight EK521, carrying 282 passengers and 18 crew, was "involved in an accident" around 12.45pm local time.

The charred plane after it caught on fire on the runway

Twenty-four Britons and four Irish passengers were among those on board the jet, which was flying from Kerala, India.

Footage posted online showed flames bursting out of the front of the Boeing 777-300.

Clouds of black smoke could be seen billowing from the plane in other pictures posted to social media.

Passengers on board said the pilot told them there was a problem with the landing gear and that he would be making an emergency landing, according to Indian media reports.

India's ambassador to the United Arab Emirates said that many passengers were in shock after the ordeal.

All take-offs and landings were suspended at the Middle East's busiest airport following the incident, resuming almost six hours after the crash-landing.

Emirates said it expected a network wide delay for eight hours.

"Our main priority at this time is the safety and wellbeing of all involved and full co-operation is being extended to the authorities and emergency services managing the situation," the airline said.

Passengers are said to be in shock after the ordeal

Passenger Alby Wilson, who was waiting in the airport lounge, told Sky News: "There was a loud noise outside. People ran to the windows and we saw the plane about 500 metres away.

"There was a lot of black smoke all across the tarmac ... we were told to sit down and shortly after that there was a loud bang ... the plane seemed to have shifted. The fire trucks were all around the plane.

"There is a bit of chaos here and Emirates staff don't seem to know when we can leave."

Boeing Airplanes said in a statement: "Our team is monitoring the situation in Dubai and we'll be working with Emirates to gather more information."

Increase In Armed Patrols After Europe Attacks

More armed officers will be deployed across London from today, including at major landmarks, in the wake of the deadly terror attacks in Europe.

Revealing plans for the heightened visible presence on the streets of the capital, Met Police chief Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe said it would be "foolish to ignore" the recent atrocities on the continent.

The extra specialist officers, were there to "confront terrorists" and were "prepared to deal with the worst situations", he insisted.

But the main police union has warned that it could be two years before 1,500 extra firearms officers due to be trained by police forces throughout England and Wales are operational.

Police Federation of England and Wales chairman Steve White said the "best case scenario" would be 24 months to get the additional marksmen in place.

With the terror threat level in the UK ranked as severe, Sir Bernard stressed the need for vigilance with an attack "highly likely".

He was speaking after warning that a terror attack in Britain was a case of "when, not if".

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The extra armed police on patrol form the first wave of a move to increase the number of firearms officers in London by 600 - bringing the total in the capital to 2,800.

The operation is not based on a specific threat, but aimed at making London "as hostile an environment as possible" for any would-be attackers.

Sir Bernard said: "We've seen attacks in Germany, we've seen attacks in France and Belgium and I think we'd be foolish to ignore that.

"So it's important we get officers out there with firearms to respond where necessary but they are the same officers they were before, they're part of British policing.

Sir Bernard said: "We've seen attacks in Germany, we've seen attacks in France and Belgium and I think we'd be foolish to ignore that.

"So it's important we get officers out there with firearms to respond where necessary but they are the same officers they were before, they're part of British policing.

"I want them to be friendly; I want them to approach the public and to be approachable to the public.

"I want the public to be able to go up and talk to these officers and that's part of their briefing.

"They've not changed but they are ready for the sorts of things we've seen throughout the rest of Europe."

Mr White said some police forces are struggling to get the right quality of volunteers to go through the rigorous counter-terrorism selection and training process.

He added: "If there is an attack it is unlikely to be an isolated incident. We've got to have the resources around the country because it might happen in multiple places at the same time."

Home Office figures for the year to March 2016 showed that the number of armed officers dropped by eight, but police chiefs have insisted that forces are on track to get the extra marksmen in place over the next 18 months.

Mr White also expressed concerns about cuts to neighbourhood policing, which Sir Bernard has described as "our major weapon" against terrorism.

London Mayor Sadiq Khan said: "The police work incredibly hard, but they cannot do it by themselves.

"If you know anything that might be going on in your neighbourhood, if you're suspicious of a member of your family, a neighbour, somebody who works with you report it to the authorities.

"Of course we will do our bit to make sure we have the resources they need but they more importantly need our intelligence from members of the public so please feel free to report things to members of the police."

Ofgem Puts Price Cap On Pre-Pay Energy Meters

Ofgem has revealed plans to try to protect vulnerable people from being overcharged for their gas and electricity by putting a price cap on pre-payment meters. 

This comes in response to a report from the Competition and Market Authority (CMA) in June, which said the UK's big six energy suppliers are still overcharging customers.

The proposed reforms to energy pricing include freeing up competition and innovation in the market, driving down bills and introducing a price cap on pre-payment meters.

This cap will aim to help the "most vulnerable and least likely to switch" and will save them around £75 a year from next April, according to the regulator.

Other proposals include working with suppliers to help "disengaged" customers shop around more, and introducing smart meters to make switching suppliers faster and easier.

Ofgem has also revealed plans to pilot a database service in 2017, which will allow rival suppliers to offer those customers on standard variable rates for three years or more better value deals.

"The CMA's final report is a watershed moment for industry and consumers and points the way to a fairer and more competitive future," said chief executive Dermot Nolan.

"I call on energy companies and consumer groups to seize this opportunity."

The CMA's two year long inquiry identified that the big six energy suppliers have been overcharging customers by up to £1.4bn a year.  

It confirmed that two thirds of households are paying over the odds for their energy compared to those who had switched suppliers, actively seeking a cheaper deal.

Alex Neill, director of policy and campaigns at Which? says after two years of investigation into the energy market it is now time for action, but warned of the difficulties Ofgem may face in implementing the necessary changes

"The regulator faces a huge challenge in implementing all of these recommendations in a way that stimulates competition to deliver better outcomes for many more consumers," he said.

"For this to happen the industry will need to commit to working with the regulator to ensure people get a fairer deal on their energy."

Energy supplier E.ON has released a statement saying, "As with the publication of the CMA report, we will now review Ofgem's proposals in detail to fully understand the implications for our customers."

EDF Energy has reiterated its support for swift implementation of the CMA's remedies.

UK 'Sailing Blindly' Into New Financial Crisis

The UK is heading for a worse financial crisis than 2008 and Britain's banks are "in no fit state to withstand the storm", it has been warned.

A hard-hitting report by the Adam Smith Institute said the Bank of England's stress tests were "like having a ship radar system that cannot detect an iceberg".

The influential think-tank argued the flawed healthchecks masked the ability of British banks to cope with another major economic shock and accused the Bank of England of being "asleep at the wheel again".

The study highlighted 13 flaws in the stress test, which was compared to a "ridiculously easy exam with a ludicrously low pass rate".

It argued every single UK lender would currently fail "more rigorous" stress tests by the US Federal Reserve.

The research warned the UK is "sailing blindly into a second global financial crisis" and has called on the stress tests to be ditched, with decision-makers instead forced to be personally liable for risks.

The report's author, Kevin Dowd, professor of finance and economics at Durham University, said: "The purpose of the stress-testing programme should be to highlight the vulnerability of our banking system and the need to rebuild it.

"Instead, it has achieved the exact opposite, portraying a weak banking system as strong.

"This is like having a ship radar system that cannot detect an iceberg in plain view.

"As the EU banking system goes into a renewed crisis, the UK banking system is in no fit state to withstand the storm.

"Once contagion spreads from Italy to Germany and then to the UK, we will have a new banking crisis but on a much grander scale than '07-'08.

"The Bank of England is asleep at the wheel again, and we will be back to beleaguered banksters begging for bailouts - and the taxpayer will be ripped off yet again, but bigger this time."

The findings comes after the Royal Bank Scotland performed poorly compared to other major British banks when the results of the European stress tests were revealed last week.

RBS's capital levels fell by 7.5% - the third biggest fall of the 51 banks tested.

Deutsche Bank's share price took a hit at the end of June when it was branded one of the world's riskiest banks by the International Monetary Fund.

There is also mounting concern over the state of the Italian banking sector.

The Bank of England said last month that "all our major banks and building societies passed last year's stress test which included losses twice those incurred during the global financial crisis".

North Korean Missile Lands In Japanese Waters

The US has warned it was ready to defend "ourselves and our allies" after North Korea launched a missile, which landed in Japanese waters for the first time in nearly 20 years.

South Korea said the test-firing of the rocket showed Pyongyang's "ambition to attack neighbouring countries".

It is the fourth reported weapons launch the isolated authoritarian state has carried out in recent weeks, in defiance of the UN Security Council.

Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe condemned the rocket launch as 'an outrageous act'

Seoul said the missile appeared to be a medium-range Rodong missile which flew about 620 miles (1,000km).

Washington has condemned the launch.

Referring to North by its official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), US State Department spokeswoman Julia Mason said: "We remain prepared to work with our allies and partners around the world to respond to further DPRK provocations, as well as to defend ourselves and our allies from any attack or provocation."

Japanese defence minister Gen Nakatani said the missile landed in the Sea of Japan some 150 miles (250km) off the country's northern coast.

It was the first time a North Korean rocket had come down in Japan's exclusive economic zone since 1998.

Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said: "It's a serious threat against our country's security.

"This is an outrageous act that cannot be tolerated."

The launch by the North is an apparent show of force against the planned deployment of a US missile defence system in South Korea.

The latest test also comes amid mounting tensions ahead of a planned US-South Korea joint military exercise later this month.

Last year the drills involved 30,000 American soldiers and 50,000 South Korean troops.

North Korea regularly condemns the exercise as a "declaration of war".

Pyongyang has repeatedly warned of pre-emptive nuclear strikes against the South and US targets.

Relations have been further frayed after Washington decided to personally target the North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un by putting him on a sanctions blacklist over human rights abuses.