US evacuates embassy in Libya as militias battle for airport

United States forced to shut down embassy in Libya on Saturday, evacuating diplomats to Tunisia as fighting intensifies between rival militias 

 
Nearly three years after the fall of the Gaddafi regime, the US joined the UN and most agencies in withdrawing from the capital as Libya continued its slide into lawlessness.

The decision was taken after a significant deterioration in security in Tripoli where rival Libyan Islamists have been mounting an assault on the country's main airport over the past week.

John Kerry, the US secretary of state, said "free-wheeling militia violence" had necessitated the decision, but added that the withdrawal did not signify a break in US commitment to find a political solution in Libya.
"We are suspending our current diplomatic activities at the embassy - not closing the embassy - but suspending the activities..." Mr Kerry said in Paris between meetings on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
"We are deeply committed and remain committed to the diplomatic process in Libya."

Australian and Dutch forces prevented from taking control of MH17 crash site

Deployment of multinational force of policemen and soldiers to site of Malaysian Airlines crash in eastern Ukraine held up by haggling with both Ukrainian and rebel authorities 

 Journalists film a Hercules C130 transport plane of the Royal Dutch Airforce taking off on Eindhoven Airbase, the Netherlands, with 40 members of the Dutch military police on board, on July 25, 2014

Australian and Dutch officials are still negotiating the deployment of a multinational force of policemen and soldiers to the site of the Malaysian Airlines crash in eastern Ukraine.

Four Australians and four Dutch investigators are already on the ground in the rebel-held city of Donetsk, and have visited the crash site several times in the past few days along with an OSCE observer team that has been based in the city for some time.

But The Hague and Canberra are both pushing for a larger multinational force from a “coalition of the grieving” to take control of the crash site.

Mr Razak said the rebels had already met the first two demands by returning the bodies of the victims and handing over the airliner’s flight recorders.

MH17: US says Russia planning to send rebels 'more powerful' rocket launchers

State Department warn the Kremlin may be furthering arming separtists as they say they have evidence Russia is firing artillery into Ukraine 

 Anatoly Antonov, deputy defence minister has said Washington's claims that pro-Russian rebels fired a missile that hit the plane did not correspond to reality

The United States has said that it had evidence that Russia was planning to deliver “heavier and more powerful” rocket launchers to pro-Russian rebels in eastern Ukraine.

"We have new evidence that the Russians intend to deliver heavier and more powerful multiple rocket launchers to the separatist forces in Ukraine, and have evidence that Russia is firing artillery from within Russia to attack Ukrainian military positions," said Marie Harf, a spokeswoman for the State Department.Ms Harf said the information was based on intelligence reports but did not give specifics.

The claim came as Russia said that America was trying to fabricate evidence that separatists in eastern Ukraine shot down Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 on July 17.

I DON'T WANT TO SIT ON THE BENCH

Petr Cech fit and firing in Chelsea battle to hold off Thibaut Courtois as first-choice goalkeeper

    Battler: Petr Cech, Chelsea's No1 for a decade, is determined to see off Thibaut Courtois's challenge

It is 10 years since Petr Cech moved to Chelsea as the most expensive goalkeeper in the club’s history.
He was signed for £7 million from Rennes as a highly-rated 22-year-old, who was sure he could take over from the established number one Carlo Cudicini.

Cech was immediately given his big chance by the new manager Jose Mourino after Cudicini suffered an elbow injury in pre-season.Chelsea beat Manchester United 1-0 in the opening game of the 2004-05 season and in March 2005 Cech set a new Premier League record of 1,025 minutes without letting in a goal.

Didier Drogba set for return to Chelsea, says manager Jose Mourinho

Former favourite is expected to arrive at Stamford Bridge shortly and Mourinho insists it is for playing rather than emotional reasons

 

Jose Mourinho has confirmed that striker Didier Drogba is set to make a return to Chelsea.
He is out of contract and is understood to favour Chelsea’s offer over rival bids from Juventus and Major League Soccer clubs in the United States.

Mourinho, the Chelsea manager, believes Drogba can still be a key player for the club, two years after he left with the penalty kick that secured Champions League success, and the move has the backing of owner Roman Abramovich.

“We want to win matches and win titles, and Didier is one of the best strikers in Europe, who is still very adapted to the needs of the Premier League, and we are thinking about it in a non-emotional way,” said Mourinho.